She bit down hard on her lower lip, her fingers curling into tight fists against her sides.
Her knuckles turned white, trembling slightly under the strain. The frigid night air cut through her thin coat, but it was nothing compared to the storm brewing inside her chest.
How did it come to this again?
Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she stared at the eviction notice crumpled in her hand. The edges were damp from the rain, the ink already smudged—just like her hopes, blurred and fading fast.
Is there no end to this suffering?
Her mind screamed, but her lips stayed sealed. She had learned long ago that the world didn't stop for a woman's tears.
The street around her was empty, the cold wind howling like a beast hungry for her last shred of dignity.
She hugged her thin coat tighter around her fragile frame, feeling as if even the fabric was giving up on keeping her warm.
Her heart felt like a fragile thread pulled taut, stretched beyond its limits. Each beat echoed in her ears, a painful reminder that she was still here—still standing, even when life tried to bury her.
One more breath. Just one more step, she told herself.
The lights of the city blurred before her, the neon glow bleeding into the darkness like broken promises.
And then…
Just as she turned down the narrow alley leading back to the old house, that familiar, low hum of a car engine broke through the night's silence.
Her breath hitched.
She didn't need to look to know who it was.
The air around her seemed to still, the temperature rising despite the icy breeze.
And then—
That voice.
Low. Dangerous. Uncomfortably close.
"Running away again, are we?"