Chapter24:

Chapter 24 EVA'S POINT OF VIEW  The ballroom sparkled like something from a fairy tale, but I felt anything but magical. My heart felt heavy, like someone had filled it with rocks. Max's grandfather held my arm as we walked through the crowd, and honestly, his grip was the only thing keeping me from running away. Every fake smile I gave made my face hurt. Every laugh felt wrong in my throat. Sara's mean words from earlier kept playing in my head like a bad song you can't forget. I couldn't stop thinking about how she'd cornered me with her friends, how they'd laughed at me, how small they'd made me feel. I kept doing what everyone expected smiling, nodding, being the perfect wife. But inside? I was screaming. It's funny how you can be in a room full of people and still feel so alone. That's not how marriage should be. It should feel safe, warm, like coming home. Instead, it felt like I was drowning, and nobody could see me going under. I spotted Max across the room, talking to some bus