Regina didn’t make excuses this time. No frantic explanations. No trembling lies stacked on top of each other like before. She just sat there in the backseat, hands folded tight in her lap, nails biting into skin, and said the truth like it hurt her to breathe it.
“I was stupid,” she said quietly. “Running away. Going to the police. Thinking I could outsmart you.” Her voice cracked, but she didn’t look away. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I f****d up.”
The words hung heavy in the car.
Daniel didn’t answer. That scared her more than his rage ever had.
He stared out the window, jaw locked, the city lights sliding across his face in sharp shadows. He had expected screaming. Accusations. Tears weaponized into tantrums...like someone he once loved had done, again and again, until it rotted something i
