Chapter 21 A Seat At The Table

• I sit at the dining table, my gaze fixed on the empty charger plate before me, acutely aware of the weight of unspoken judgments hanging in the air. The collective stares of those around me feel like a physical pressure, and I find myself wishing I could dissolve into the ornate chair beneath me.
• I would have given anything to skip this...
• After our revealing conversation yesterday, Efrem left and didn’t return until this morning. His absence surprised me, given his insinuation that we'd be sharing both room and bed.