Chapter 114 What Still Hurts

Katelyn’s POV An hour after Brian left, I was still at the office, alone. The hum of the air conditioner buzzed softly in the background, and outside, the city with its usual activities of the day. I stared blankly at my computer screen, not really seeing it. My phone buzzed a few times, notifications, messages, things I didn’t care to check. Earlier that evening, I had asked Lucas if he could stay overnight at my parents’ house. He didn’t even hesitate. “Sure, Mommy,” he had said, giving me a hug before dashing off with his backpack. I hadn’t explained much, just told him I had a lot of work to do. It wasn’t a lie. I did have work. Work of the heart. Work of the mind. Scarlett. The name alone made my throat tighten. Tessa’s mother. I still couldn’t understand it. How someone like Scarlett, cold, ambitious, calculating, could abandon a child. Not just any child, but Tessa. Sweet, sensitive, brilliant Tessa. My thoughts were interrupted when my phone lit up again. Rachel. I hesitated be