Chapter 41. Facing the Inner Demons

Mariah looked outside her bedroom window and saw Pete standing alone in his yard, staring at the sky and looking sad. Worried about him, Mariah went outside to see if he was okay.

“Hey, Pete,” Mariah called softly as she approached him. “Is everything okay?”

Pete turned toward Mariah, his eyes filled with a mix of surprise and sadness. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “I… I don’t know, Mariah and I don’t know who else to turn to.”

Mariah offered a warm, reassuring smile. “You can talk to me, Pete. I’m here for you.”

Pete took a seat on the lush green grass, and Mariah joined him, their shoulders touching. With a deep breath, Pete began to share a part of his life that he had carried in silence for too long.

“My parents,” he started, his voice trembling slightly, “when I was just a kid, my family suffered from economic crises. They believed that it was better to die than live a miserable life, so one day as I was sleeping, they closed all doors a