Chapter 20: The Study

The Study.

Serena clutched her chest tightly. “God, no.”

She hadn’t realized it yet, but she had been in the basement for fifteen minutes.

The memory of that trauma left her rooted to her place, her limbs weakening.

She recalled how she was still too young when it happened, and she didn’t deserve such treatment. If it wasn’t for the series of therapies the social service worker had enforced, Serena would not have been able to recover emotionally.

Serena never spoke about her childhood experience, not to Nathaniel and not to most people. Only Alice knew. It was during her first year of college retreat that she opened up to her best friend about her parents. A part of her had learned to carry it like a stain, something she shouldn’t talk about, something that made her feel small and different.

She was ashamed to be a child who was unloved.

“Serena, calm down,” she muttered, dragging her mind back to the present.

She prayed.

She touched her belly and reminded herself why she needed to g