T R I C I A
"An unknown number," I rasped, my throat feeling like sandpaper. "I don't know who it is. They just texted me." I hated that I had to explain myself to her, that I had to lay my vulnerability bare. But I was at her mercy, and I had no other choice.
My mother stared at me, her expression unreadable. I could see the gears turning in her head, the cogs of her manipulative mind whirring into action. She was not a stupid woman. She knew there was more to this than a simple blackmail. She knew that someone was targeting me, and by extension, someone who wants to see my downfall.
"Let me see your phone," she said, holding out her hand.
I hesitated for a second, my fingers tightening around the device. It was the only thing connecting me to the outside world, to the slim chance I
