TWENTY-THREE!!... PANICKING

After a cup of cold milk, I walked up to my room and met my phone ringing again.

Must be Nathaniel.

I picked up my phone, my heart pounding in my chest as the screen displayed the words “Private Number.” With a shaky hand, I answered the call, a mixture of fear and defiance coursing through my veins.

“What do you want, Nathaniel?” I demanded, my voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil within me.

His chilling laughter echoed through the phone, sending a shiver down my spine. “Ah, Hannah, it's been a while, hasn't it? I heard you've been living the good life, surrounded by your little protectors.”

I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening around the phone. “Cut to the chase, Nathaniel. What do you want?”

His tone turned sinister, a cold edge creeping into his words. “I want you to pay, Hannah. I promise I'll make you suffer for what you did to me, I'll assure you of that.”

My heart raced, as I recalled similar words from him five years ago.

The fear, the pain—I had worked so hard