Chapter 15

• The world seemed to have lost its vibrancy. My eyes, heavy with a weariness that went beyond the usual exhaustion of a college student, felt as if they were perpetually draped in a veil of gray. My actions were listless, a mere shadow of my usual energetic self. My mind, consumed by a whirlwind of emotions, couldn't even register the words our professor was spewing.
• "Ms. Montellano!"
• The sharp sound of his voice, accompanied by the weight of his hand slamming onto my desk, jolted me back to reality. I blinked, startled, my cheeks flushing with shame. "I'm sorry, sir," I mumbled, my voice barely a whisper.