Chapter 22

JESSIE The silence in my dorm room was a suffocating blanket, heavy and thick, pressing down on me with an intensity I hadn't known silence could possess. I sat on the edge of my bed, my gaze fixed on the peeling wallpaper, the faded floral pattern mocking the turmoil inside me. Tamara was out, her laughter echoing in some distant bar or restaurant, a world away from the silent chaos consuming me. She was blissfully unaware, her life a vibrant tapestry I was about to tear myself out of.