Chapter 22

I sat alone in my room, the events from earlier tormenting my thoughts. My stomach churned with frustration, and I wondered how I could ever make changes while still enduring so much. I raised my hand, looking at the date marked on my wrist. "When that moment comes again, what will happen to me?" I whispered to myself, the weight of uncertainty heavy on my heart.

"Emma, please… we're family," my mother's pleading voice echoed in my mind. I remembered gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white, trying to blink away the tears. My lip throbbed where I had bitten down hard, stifling my sobs. The taste of blood was sharp on my tongue, mingling with the salt of my tears. Without realizing it, I approached an intersection. The traffic light had turned red, but my distracted mind didn’t register the change. It wasn't until I was almost in the middle of the intersection that panic surged through me, and I instinctively turned the wheel to the left, desperate to avoid