Chapter 40

• Camilla sat beside Renee on the edge of the bed, her hand rubbing slow, comforting circles on Renee’s back. Camilla wasn't offering platitudes or empty assurances; she simply remained present, a warm, solid anchor in Renee's shipwreck. She brought a glass of water, which Renee couldn't lift, and eventually just held her, allowing the wave of grief to wash over them both.
• “He won, Camie,” Renee managed to choke out between ragged breaths. “He won. He took everything and then the law agreed with him. The law said it was my fault because I drank too much. It said my body wasn't mine that night.”
• “No, sweetheart. The judge said what was convenient,” Camilla murmured, her voice tight with suppressed rage. “The judge protected the powerful, like they always do. It had nothing to do with you or your worth. You are right, and you know it. That’s the only truth that matters.”