PART 3 The courthouse smelled like wet coats, old paper, and coffee that had been burned for too many hours.

bills. Maybe from losing. Maybe from finally realizing reputation was not the same as character.

“I want to say something,” he said.

She waited.

He looked at the courthouse steps.

“I was cruel.”

The words surprised her.

Not because they fixed anything.

Because Bryce had spent years calling cruelty strategy, honesty, pressure, stress, or misunderstanding.

Naming continue reading …