Mark, ever the protector, helped me to my feet, his arm steadying me as I clutched Lily to my chest. “We’re leaving,” he declared, his voice steady and full of resolve. “We don’t need this poison in our lives.”

As we made our way to the door, my heart ached for the family I thought I knew. The warmth of Lily’s little body pressed tight against me was the only thing grounding me now. Once outside, the cool night air hit my face, and I was finally able to breathe.

I glanced back at the house — my new house, once filled with so much promise, now just a shell of shattered illusions. The tears I’d held back spilled over, but they were for the family I mourned, not the one I was leaving behind.