Chapter 78 The Bully.

The sun was just beginning to set, casting a golden hue over the house as I stood in the kitchen, slicing vegetables for dinner. The soft hum of the refrigerator was the only sound accompanying my thoughts as I methodically moved the knife across the cutting board. There was a rhythm to it, a calm that I desperately needed. But it was a fragile calm, one I knew could shatter at any moment. I was right. “Mom?” Lily’s voice was soft, hesitant. I turned to see her standing at the edge of the kitchen, her usually bright eyes clouded with worry. My heart sank as I saw the tension in her posture, the way she twisted her hands together as if trying to hold herself together. “Lily?” I wiped my hands on a dish towel, turning fully to face her. “What is it, sweetheart?” She hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip. “Can we talk?” “Of course,” I said, crossing the room to where she stood. I reached out, gently smoothing down her hair. “Let’s sit.” We moved to the breakfast nook by the