Esme sat on the ground, dazed, her breaths shallow, fingers pressed against her temples as she struggled to steady herself. The room spun, Cain's face and Ray's words swirling in her mind like a haunting echo. She stared at the floor, feeling the burn of her own tears, the clash of past love and present heartbreak tearing through her in waves.
Ray's face was a mask of heartbreak, his eyes wide and hollow as he watched Esme on the floor, her tears spilling freely. A wave of panic surged through him, tightening his chest, making it hard to breathe. This woman—his world, his everything—was she holding onto him with a heart still tethered to the ghost of someone else?
In that terrible moment, a cascade of questions spiraled through him. Was I just a stand-in for someone she loved more? Am I here only because of the child? The thoughts were knives, cutting deeper with each one. His vision blurred, not with fury but with anguish, and he could feel himself unraveling.
