Opening the door to my old room felt like stepping into a time capsule of my own misery. The air was heavy, thick with the residue of every judgment, every disappointment, and every cold taunt I'd endured within these four walls.
It wasn't just a room; it was the place where I had learned to be small. I closed the door and leaned my back against it, the familiar sense of suffocation washing over me. Here, I wasn't anything. I was just the girl who was never enough.
My mind drifted to my phone, still sitting on its charger miles away. A fresh wave of frustration hit me as I realized I'd informed Charlie and my professors, but I'd left Liam completely in the dark. If I didn't make it back by Tuesday, he'd be sitting in that library aisle alone, thinking I'd ghosted him on a project that determined twenty percent of his grade. The thought of him leaning against those bookshelves, checking his watch with that cool, dark stare, made my stomach twist.
I pushed off the door and walked toward the closet. My room was a far cry from Mia's; she had a sprawling master suite that took up an entire floor, designed with every luxury imaginable. I was tucked away on the third floor in a space that felt more like a guest room than a daughter's sanctuary.
When I opened the closet, the sight was even more depressing. It was filled with the same clothes I'd left behind stiff, "presentable" dresses and muted tones. There were no new additions, no signs that anyone had expected me or cared that I was coming back. It was as if my parents had simply stopped maintaining the image of my existence altogether.
My fingers traced the fabric of a soft, pale blue dress tucked in the back. It was the only thing in the closet that felt like me. Darla had picked it out for me years ago. She was the only one who had ever bothered to learn my tastes, the only one who saw the person behind the "black sheep" label. A sad smile touched my lips as I remembered her. She had been more of a mother to me than the woman currently downstairs.
The thought of her sparked a sudden, desperate need. I needed to find her. I knew a few members of the old staff were still working on the grounds, and if I was lucky, one of them might have her contact information.
I straightened my shoulders, a new resolve cutting through the gloom of the room. I had to be careful. If my mother or Mia found out I was looking for the woman they had cast out, they would shut it down instantly. This had to stay a secret. In this house, secrets were the only things that truly belonged to me.