“She had other plans,” Lily said softly. “I waited in her car while she handled them.”
Vanessa tensed. “That’s not—”
Lily took a steadying breath. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to upset anyone. And she made it clear that if I talked, it would cause problems.”
She didn’t describe anything unsafe—just repeated errands, private meetings, and grown-up conversations that Lily felt uncomfortable being pulled into. Meetings that weren’t urgent. Meetings that could have been handled without involving a child.
What hurt most wasn’t the nature of the meetings—it was the secrecy and the pressure placed on Lily to conceal them.
“She told me if I mentioned any of it,” Lily said, “she’d make things difficult for me. I got scared. I didn’t want to make anyone mad.”
Across the room, Vanessa’s expression cracked—not with anger, but with something closer to panic and regret.
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