Behind me, I could hear Mark calling my name, his voice now desperate and pleading. But I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. His apologies meant nothing to me in that moment. They were too little, too late. His true colors had been revealed, and there was no going back from that.

Once outside, I was met with the cool breeze of the evening air. It felt refreshing against my skin, a stark contrast to the suffocating atmosphere I had just left behind. My mother and I walked towards the car, and as we did, she stopped and turned to me, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and pride.