Chapter 61 Sixty One

• ARIEL’S POV
• Work wasn’t the same, not anymore. The walls still looked the same, the desks were in their usual place, and the scent of fresh-brewed coffee hung heavy in the air just like before. But now, every step I took came with new eyes watching me. Staring a little longer. Smiling a little wider. Whispering things I couldn’t hear but didn’t need to. They were happy to see me, sure—but it wasn’t just joy. It was curiosity and pity
• I kept my chin high, my smile faint, and greeted them all without flinching. Sarah hugged me, Celine handed me a cup of coffee with my name written on the side, and someone behind the corner even clapped like I was some kind of survivor, which I guess I was. .