Chapter 19

I was on the verge of being swallowed by the ocean of painful recollections.  In that moment of raw vulnerability, Mr. Colton's mere presence became my saving grace, a lifeline that beckoned me to relinquish the weight of my long-standing torment. 

"Mr. Colton," I began, my voice quivering like a leaf in the wind, "there's something I need to show you." I reached beneath my pillows, retrieving the threatening note from Arlo that I had hidden beneath my pillows.

I handed it out to Mr.Colton. His gaze shifted from me to the note as he accepted it, his expression becoming more solemn.

The veins on the side of his forehead throbbed noticeably, and his jaw clenched with noticeable anxiousness. His eye was fixed on the message scrawled across the page. "Is this message from Arlo?" he questioned, his face flushed with rage.

As Mr.Colton took his name, I was utterly caught off guard. I had no inkling of how much or how little Mr. Colton w