trembling hand, trying to push the disheveled strands of hair away from her tear-st

Her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest and shattered into a million pieces, the pain of it all leaving her numb

legs trembling beneath her. She turned to look at the

g, worth giving a home to. And now, through her own naivety and misplaced trust, she had signed it all away

no stable job, no savings to fall back on. Her position at work was still precarious, not yet a full-time role that could off

ent to her. She didn't know where she was going, but there was one place that called to her in her sorrow-the bar. It

eart was unbearable, and no amount of alcohol seemed to dull it. She took another swi

She wiped them away with the back of

ind. She imagined smashing the bottle against Shawn's head, imagining the s

fantasy of vengeance that she knew she could never carr

xit. The world around her was a blur of colors and sounds, everything muffled by the fog of alcohol and

her tracks. The impact jolted her slightly, and she instinctively

us. Renée's breath caught in her throat as she found herself s

-induced haze-replaced by the sheer intensity of his gaze. His eyes were like

why she was telling this to a man she had never met before, but in that moment, it didn't seem to

esperate sound that quickly dissolved into sobs. Her laughter echoed through the lounge,

unreadable. He brushed past her, intent on leaving, when Renée, driven by a

ge on him," s

e again. Before he could tell her to let go, Renée's body betrayed her. Her h

ipped from her fingers, shattering

." And then, before she could say anything more, the darkness closed in, and she faint

arms wrapping around her to k