Chapter 5: The Anatomy of a Betrayal The park was a smear of vibrant green and autumn gold, a sharp contrast to the sterile, white-washed walls of the hospital I’d just left. The air was crisp, smelling of damp earth and woodsmoke, the kind of afternoon that felt like a deep breath after being underwater for years. Leo was already twenty yards ahead of me, his small legs pumping with a frantic energy that always made me smile. He was wearing his favorite dinosaur hoodie, the hood with the felt spikes flopping behind him as he ran toward the swings. "Careful, Leo! The ground is still slick from the rain!" I called out, my voice carrying a warmth I only ever showed him. "I’m a T-Rex, Mommy! T-Rexes don't slip!" he shouted back, his laughter a bright, silver sound that filled the hollow places in my chest. I sat on a wooden bench, smoothing my professional slacks. I tried to relax, to let the "Dr. Miller" persona melt away for an hour, but my skin felt tight. I could feel a prickle
Last Updated : 2026-01-08 Read more