Valerie's POV
The room was still after Karl left, but my mind was anything but quiet. His words lingered, his confession echoing in the corners of my thoughts.
Yet, all I thought about was my decision to leave.
I had thought about waiting until everything is slowly planned out.
However, without knowing what the council was planning and seeing Mike's attitude, I couldn't continue to stay anymore.
The decision sat heavy in my chest, but it was also liberating. For the first time in years, I wasn't waiting for someone else to decide my fate. I wasn't clinging to scraps of affection or begging for scraps of dignity.
I was choosing myself.
The next morning, I rose before dawn. The pack house was silent, the corridors empty. I moved carefully and deliberately packing some luggage into a small suitcase.
I didn't want to take anything that didn't belong to me.
So, the luxurious clothes and shoes Lady Bernice bought me were left behind.
