Paige wanted to disappear.To lose herself in her work. She knew work. She understood it. Numbers, deadlines, performance. Those were measurable. Predictable. These new feelings, warring within her —guilt, relief, disappointment —were not ones she knew how to hold. The world around her felt muted, as though she were floating just above her own life.… Continue reading Paige: The Truth
It had been three months since Ellie saw the texts. Three months since the world had fractured, silently, from the inside. For Paige, it was three months of performing normalcy. She compartmentalized the secret, pushing it down, focusing on work, on logistics, on being the "good" wife and mother. She told herself it was over.… Continue reading Paige: The Attempt
It was easy for Paige to go from that first rush to finding reasons to stay at the office later and later. At first, she told herself it was ambition.The impulse to perform. To excel. To glow. Not in the ways most women did. As a beautiful woman, she’d grown up being noticed for her… Continue reading Paige: The Temptation
The office was mostly empty by the time Paige gathered her notes, the city glittering through the glass walls like a reminder of who was still out there, all the people living lives that weren’t measured in quarterly reports. She loosened the cuff of her blouse, just barely, when she heard a voice behind her.… Continue reading Paige: Before the Fall
"A steady, intuitive man who speaks less than most—but when he does, it matters." Who He Is Theo is the quiet one, until he isn’t. He is a therapist, a podcast co-host, and one of Rowan’s oldest friends. He has the kind of presence that makes people exhale. Calm, steady, perceptive. The kind of man… Continue reading Theo
“She doesn’t believe in sugarcoating anything—unless it’s the rim of a cocktail glass.” Who She Is Halley is Mira’s best friend. The blunt one. The loyal one. The one who will fight someone in the comments section and bring snacks to your breakup. She has a sharp tongue, a loud laugh, and a heart bigger… Continue reading Halley
“She’s not trying to be difficult. She just wants the truth—before someone else decides how to spin it.” Who She Is Ellie is Rowan’s daughter. Seventeen. Sharp, loyal, and a little impatient with people who say one thing and do another. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, especially when it comes to… Continue reading Ellie
“He doesn’t say much. But he’s always listening.” Who He Is Cal is Rowan’s youngest—quiet, thoughtful, deeply intuitive. He’s the kind of kid who hangs back during the chaos and catches the joke no one else heard. He doesn’t need to be the loudest voice in the room. He’s more interested in watching the room.… Continue reading Caleb (Cal)
“She doesn’t need things sugarcoated. She needs them real. That’s how her mother raised her.” Who She Is Pepper is Mira’s daughter, but she’s also her mirror.Blunt, brilliant, and emotionally attuned beyond her years, Pepper has always seen things clearly, even when it hurt. She’s the kind of kid who listens harder than she lets… Continue reading Pepper
“She did everything right—and still lost. Now she’s learning that control isn’t the same thing as love." Who She Is Paige is polished. Brilliant. The kind of woman who walks into a room and makes people straighten their posture. She’s sharp, driven, and not used to being second. She was raised in a cool, polished… Continue reading Paige
