Publisher's Synopsis
He made her feel seen.
He made her feel chosen.
And then-he made her small.
Tessa was never the type to fall easily. But Zane was charming, attentive, and disarmingly tender. What began as affection turned into a kind of worship-then slowly, into something else. Something harder to name.
Over the next fourteen years, she gave pieces of herself away: to keep the peace, to prove her love, to survive. Until one day, there was almost nothing left.
Told with aching honesty and quiet power, this novel explores what happens when love becomes control, when kindness becomes currency, and when a woman finally decides to stop apologizing for wanting more.
If you've ever questioned yourself more than your partner...
If you've ever stayed because leaving felt like losing...
If you've ever been loved too hard, too fast, and then not at all-
This story is for you.
Perfect for fans of It Ends with Us, Before We Were Strangers, and The Paper Palace, this book is a raw, deeply personal journey through grief, healing, and the radical act of choosing yourself-even if no one understands why.
Not all abuse looks like bruises.
Not all survival looks like strength.
But freedom always begins with the first no.
