chapter one hundred and sixty eight

Pov Hope

Anger boiled within me, fueled by the lies my mother harbored. After the slap from the stranger, I stormed upstairs full of hatred, deciding to take a shower to calm my nerves. Looking in the mirror, I saw my face still red and swollen, a vivid reminder of my mother's betrayal.

My hair was a mess, and the internal turmoil reflected in my appearance. I decided I needed to escape this place, this sea of lies my mother had built around me. I began gathering some clothes in a backpack, determined not to look back.

I leaped through the window, leaving behind the house that no longer felt like mine. My mind was in turmoil, and the only clear destination was my friend Sarah's house. I rang the doorbell, and when she opened the door, I asked to stay for a few days. Concerned, Sarah led me to her room.

"I don't want to see my mother anymore. She's awful. I hate her," I vented, still trembling with anger.

Sarah tried to calm things down. "Hope, maybe you're being hasty. Your mother mig