The walk away from the apartment was surreal. Every step felt like both a release and a tether. I didn’t have a plan, just the overwhelming need to be anywhere but there.
The streetlights flickered, casting erratic shadows on the sidewalk. I hugged my arms close, trying to keep the chill at bay.
Thoughts of my siblings crossed my mind. Their small faces, eyes wide with confusion and fear, haunted me. But staying hadn’t protected them either.
“…”
My mother’s voice still echoed in my ears from the last call—an attempt at a family meeting, she said. But I knew better.
It was never about resolution. It was always about control.
Every step felt heavier than the last, my feet dragging as if the pavement itself was trying to pull me back.
But I kept moving, driven by the faint hope that somewhere out there, freedom existed.
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