That morning, I walked into the office expecting another ordinary day, but then I saw him \u2014 the man who ruined my life. My chest tightened, and the memories hit me hard. I couldn\u2019t stay in the same room as him.<\/p>\n
I woke up feeling suffocated, knowing I\u2019d be late for work again. I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed the closest clothes, and headed downstairs. Sophie was already in the kitchen, cleaning up after me. The guilt hit me hard \u2014 she shouldn\u2019t have to do this.<\/p>\n
I offered breakfast, but she declined, saying her grandma would take her to school. She barely acknowledged me, and I couldn\u2019t blame her. I stood frozen in front of the photo of Kira and Sophie, memories flooding back.<\/p>\n
A message from my mom pulled me from my thoughts: Sophie has a debate tomorrow. It would be good if you came.<\/em> I sighed and reluctantly replied that Sophie wouldn\u2019t want me there, but my mom insisted. I grabbed my work bag and left.<\/p>\n At the office, I was greeted by Mr. Harris, who introduced me to Mark, the new hire. And then I saw him \u2014 the man who had destroyed my life. My chest tightened, and I lost control. I shouted at him to leave, but Mr. Harris stopped me. I stormed out, the memories overwhelming me.<\/p>\n That night, the memory of the crash hit me again. Kira\u2019s lifeless body, the sirens, the flashing lights \u2014 it all rushed back. Mark stood nearby, handcuffed, a reminder of the night that changed everything.<\/p>\n The next day, I tried to focus on work, but Mark\u2019s presence kept me on edge. A message from Mom reminded me of Sophie\u2019s debate that night. I doubted she\u2019d want me there, but Summer overheard and told me I still had a chance to fix things with Sophie.<\/p>\n Mark, surprisingly, offered to finish my work so I could go. He told me not to waste the chance to save my relationship with Sophie. I hesitated but finally left the office.<\/p>\n I arrived at the debate just in time, and when Sophie saw me, she smiled \u2014 a small but real smile. It was a moment of connection, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I might still be able to fix things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That morning, I walked into the office expecting another ordinary day, but then I saw him \u2014 the man who ruined my life. My chest tightened, and the memories hit me hard. I couldn\u2019t stay in the same room as him. I woke up feeling suffocated, knowing I\u2019d be late for work again. I dragged…<\/p>\n