Zoe's POV
I staggered down the path, torn and lost, my hood framing my face like a shield against the world. My fingers were tight around the rope of my bag, but it felt more like I was holding on to my chest—squeezing, trying to keep it from collapsing in on itself. The ache was too heavy.
I thought I was strong. I thought I could keep walking, keep smiling, keep playing Chloe without breaking. But today had stripped me raw. A day that was supposed to be a breakthrough—my chance to finally breathe, to finally believe that maybe I wasn't a fraud—had twisted into a nightmare.
I was miserable. I burned with shame and pain. Every time I blinked, Ashley's face flashed in my mind—her anger, her disappointment. Her words echoed like knives.
