Hailey’s POV
By the time I got home that evening, the sky was already a dark shade of orange. My backpack felt heavier than usual, and my mind was cluttered from the whispers and side glances I’d endured all day at school. I wanted nothing more than to get inside, take a shower, and curl up under my blanket.
But when I reached the front door and tried the handle, it didn’t move. Locked.
That wasn’t unusual—Dad sometimes locked up when he went out. So I reached for the spare key I kept hidden in my backpack’s inner pocket. I slipped it into the lock, twisted, and… nothing. It didn’t turn.
My brows furrowed. I tried again, harder this time, but the key wouldn’t fit properly. That’s when the realization hit me like a slap.
The locks had been changed.
“Dad?” I whispered under my breath a
