ra

g my tears away with the back of my palm. My heart was racing, but I st

tly. Climbing the stairs to meet him, I held it out. "Here, you can see for yours

my hands. His fingers hastily unfolded it, eyes scanning the words. I held my

d, lau

augh that echoed

a cold wave. "Really, Zara? Is this what y

hard. "What

rling into something cruel. "Are y

est. My brows furrowed in disbelief. "Mic

t be mine," he spat, his voice dripping with rejection. Then, as if my entire ex

," he added before turning on his heel

around my stomach protectively as silent tears slid down my cheeks

my mind drowning in thou

startled me. "Ma'am," the

napping back

ing to the neatly packed sui

med on my lips.

see you out of the hous

one last moment with him. "Can I see him one last

ad. "That would

the last piece of

y legs dragged beneath me, each step sluggish, as I walked out of the house I had once called

walls that had witnessed my laughter, my tears, my dreams. The home that had sheltered me, the place wh

pavement. This wasn't just a house. It was a piece of me. And now, I was walking away from it forever. After what felt like an eternity, I finally fo

hank you for coming," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. This tiny life gr

the bundle of cash I had carefully saved. Micheal's birthday money. It was still there. A

use-the place that had given me love, pain, and eve

ured, even as the words spl

th I had left, I picked myself up and