I sighed, a breath that seemed to carry the weight of everything that had built up over the past months. Then I pulled out my phone, unlocking the group chat with my friends.
“Girls, are we still meeting for drinks tonight?” I typed, my thumb hovering over the send button.
Three seconds later, a flood of replies lit up the screen.
“Absolutely!”
“We’ve been waiting!”
“Tonight we celebrate freedom!”
I touched up my lipstick in the mirror, the red a bold slash against the pale morning light. I grabbed my keys, my purse, and the last shards of my pride, tucking them into my bag.
Just as I reached the front door, his voice boomed from upstairs, “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!”
I smiled, the same practiced line. “To a meeting.”
I paused, letting the words linger. “A very… important meeting.”
Then I opened the door, stepping out into the cool air, the world feeling suddenly larger, the street humming with ordinary traffic.
