Frantic Plea

"Mrs. Vance, are you still there?" the teacher asked again, her voice pulling Clara back from the brink of her spiraling thoughts.

"Was it a woman with wavy blonde hair?" Clara asked, her voice strained. "Tall, maybe five-foot-eight? Beautiful, very poised..."

"Yes, that's her exactly," the teacher confirmed. "A perfect match."

The confirmation hit Clara like a physical blow. It was Brooke. It had