Page 19 of The Edge Of Us

Now, as I stood in front of a room full of flashing cameras, shaking hands, and smiling at my guests, I felt invincible. For the first time in years, I felt like I was in control again.

Until I wasn’t.

It happened so fast. One moment, I was laughing with an influencer—Talia Reynolds, a beauty vlogger with millions of followers—and the next, she was saying something that made my stomach twist.

“I’m so glad you’re back, Corinne,” she said, sipping her champagne. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure you’d ever recover after... well, you know. The psychotic breakdowns and all.”

I froze. The air around me seemed to thicken. The chatter of the party faded into a dull hum.

Psychotic breakdowns.

She had said it so casually, so carelessly, like it was just another fun fact about me.

I felt my breath quicken. My heart pounded in my chest, my palms growing sweaty. I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself, trying to push away the images flooding my mind—my screaming, my crying, my son’s terrified face, Allen holding me down as I lost control.

Talia kept talking, oblivious to the storm building inside me. “It’s really inspiring, though,” she continued. “Like, to come back after all that. People were saying Allen was going to leave you, you know? But here you are, proving everyone wrong.”

I snapped.

“You don’t know anything about my life!” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t stop. “You don’t get to stand here and reduce me to a fucking headline!”

The room went silent. Heads turned. Talia’s eyes widened in shock, and she took a step back. “Whoa, I didn’t mean—”

But it was too late. The panic was clawing at my throat, and I could feel the ground slipping beneath me. My chest tightened, and the walls felt like they were closing in.

Then suddenly, hands were on me. Strong, familiar hands.

“Corinne,” Allen’s voice was low, urgent, but I barely registered it.

Another set of hands joined his. Natasha.

They were both pulling me away, leading me toward the exit, but my mind was spiraling. I could hear murmurs, whispers, cameras clicking.

“Damn, she’s still crazy.”

“She’s losing it again.”

“She shouldn’t even be here.”

Allen’s grip on my arm tightened. “We’re leaving. Now.”

He pushed through the crowd, his movements tense, his jaw clenched. Natasha was on my other side, whispering something, but I couldn’t focus. My body felt detached from my mind.

We barely made it outside before Allen snapped.

“What the hell was that?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the cold night air. “You promised me you could handle this, Corinne!”

I flinched. “I—I didn’t mean—”

“You humiliated yourself in there! Do you have any idea what people are going to say?!”

His words hit me like a slap, and my chest tightened. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing. “I just... I lost control for a second, Allen. She was talking about—”

“I don’t care what she was talking about!” he snapped. “You let it get to you. Again. And now, this whole night is ruined.”

Tears burned behind my eyes. “Allen, please, I—”

“Stop.” His voice was cold. “Just stop, Corinne.”

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