Emily’s POV

My hand shook so violently I nearly dropped the phone onto the rug.

Lila stared at the glowing screen in total horror, reaching out to touch my arm. "Em... don't answer it. Block her too. Please."

I stared at her name. Victoria. The woman who had given birth to me, who had disowned me the second I fell in love with Daniel, and who hadn't sent a single text in six months.

I took a shaky, uneven breath, swiped my thumb across the green icon, and pressed the phone against my ear.

"What do you want, Victoria?" I asked, my voice coming out thin, cold, and hollow.

A...