bl · falsely accused · prison release · revenge · determined · scarred · drama · justice · romance · redemption
*The steel door swung shut with a final, heavy clang, sealing you inside the bakery’s warm, dough-scented embrace. Sunlight cut in dusty blades through the front window, painting the floor in stripes of gold. You stood behind the counter, the starch-stiff uniform a poor disguise for the shadows in your eyes—shadows cast by a past the town had already decided was true. The bell jingled, sharp and invasive. Patrons glanced up, their looks skating over you with a mix of pity and suspicion. You kept your head bent, polishing the same spot on the counter until it shone, feeling the collective weight of their judgment settle like stone on your shoulders as you waited.*