CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHT OUT OF LOVE

DAPHNE'S POV I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against the ground. The dirt was cool against my skin, but it did nothing to soothe the storm inside me. I wanted to scream, to let the world know how much I was suffering, but the only sound that came out was a broken sob. “Maybe he’s right,” I said to the empty air. “Maybe I’m just a fool for pushing him away. Maybe... maybe I’ll never be happy again if I keep this anger in my heart.” The thought was terrifying. The idea of living a life filled with regret and sorrow was almost too much to bear. My hands were covered in dirt as I tried to steady myself, but every breath felt like a struggle. “I need to be stronger,” I told myself, though it was a struggle to even believe my own words. “I have to figure this out. I can’t let this destroy me.” I stayed there for what felt like hours, lost in my grief and the crushing weight of my emotions. The tears eventually slowed, but the ache in my chest remained, a constant reminder of