Chapter 2 “Sapphire, dear.” I froze mid-step. If I didn’t turn around, if I pretended I didn’t hear her, I could still escape. I’d blend into the crowd and disappear. But hope has never been my strongest quality. “Sapphire,” my grandma called again, her voice dripping in false warmth, it made my skin crawl. “Didn’t you hear me?” I turned slowly, fixing my face into the polite smile I’d perfected over the years. The one that said I’m fine when I wasn’t. “It’s quite loud,” I said mildly. “I couldn’t hear you over the noise.” Her smile tightened. “Wait,” one of the women beside her asked, looking at me through narrowed eyes. “Is this your granddaughter?” “Yes,” my grandma replied immediately. “Though she looks absolutely nothing like my daughter.” My heart began to race, aware of what was about to happen next. Here we go. “You’re right,” the woman said, tilting her head. “I wouldn’t have even guessed you were related.” My grandma gave a botched laugh — the type she kept rese
Last Updated : 2026-01-28
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