Evelyn POV
I barely slept that night.
Not because I tried to stay awake, but because every time exhaustion finally began pulling me under, my mind dragged me back up again with another thought, another possibility, another uncomfortable reminder that by this time tomorrow, millions of strangers could already have opinions about me.
Real opinions.
Not the temporary gossip that disappeared after a few hours online.
Something larger.
Permanent.
The kind of attention that stayed attached to your name long after people forgot where it started.
By morning, I had already given up trying to force myself back to sleep.
The faint light spilling through my curtains painted soft shadows across the room while the city outside slowly came alive, distant car horns and movement rising from below as another day began whether I felt prepared for it or not.
I stared at the ceiling for several long seconds before finally sitting up slowly.
My phone was already vibrating on the bedside table.
