The room was dark, the only light flickering from a dim candle on the bedside table. Shadows danced on the stone walls, moving like ghosts as the flame wavered. Odi lay curled on the bed, her face buried deep into the pillow, muffling the sounds of her sobs. The mattress was thin beneath her, but she hardly noticed the discomfort. Her mind was too consumed by the overwhelming humiliation, the sting of Ariana’s slap still fresh on her skin, and the shame of being at the center of yet another scandal.
Tears soaked into the fabric beneath her as she clutched the pillow tighter. She hated herself for crying, for being so weak, for letting that woman get to her. But no matter how much she tried to fight it, the emotions clawed at her insides, demanding release. Was this what her life had becom
