Cruel Awakening

DAPHNE

I woke up with the first light of dawn, my body aching and my mind in turmoil. My eyes burned from crying through the night, but it wasn’t just the tears. It was the humiliation, the anger, and the betrayal that made my chest feel like it might explode. I couldn’t get the memory of Dominic out of my head—how he had used me over and over again, ignoring my pleas, my protests, everything.

My