Skylar stayed away from the apartment until every renovation had been completed. When she finally returned, the space felt completely different from the home she had left behind.
She repainted every room, replaced the furniture, and donated the dining table where the attack had taken place. Every change marked a new beginning.
One morning, she caught her reflection in the new kitchen. The fading scar on her cheek was still visible, but it no longer represented fear or loss.
Instead, it reminded her of the day she chose herself. The wounds healed, the marriage ended, and the life she rebuilt became far stronger than the one she had nearly sacrificed for someone who never deserved her
