CHAPTER 0123

AUDREY'S POV

I slowly tiptoed my way out of my mom’s room, careful not to make a sound. She had been gripping my hand tightly for almost thirty minutes since she drifted off to sleep, and every time I tried to slip away, something would give me away—either the rustling of the sheets, the creak of the floorboards, or even my own clumsy movements.

This time, I decided to be patient, to wait longer.