Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 0054
Chapter 0054
At the far end of the room, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile stood beside whiteboard, scribbling something down as she nodded along to whatever was being said.
As my gaze swept over the group, a few of the women noticed my presence and fell silent, their expressions morphing into ones of surprise and confusion. Of course they recognized me.
One woman, a girl who couldn’t have been much older than twenty, opened her mouth to say something, but I held up a hand, stopping her.
“Please, don’t get up,” I said, mustering up a small smile as I stepped further into the room. “I’m here as a member of the group tonight, not as the Luna of Nightcrest.”
Murmurs of understanding rippled through the circle as I crossed the room and claimed one of the few empty chairs. The woman at the whiteboard turned to face me, offering me a warm smile.
“Welcome,” she said, her voice gentle and soothing. “We were just getting started for the evening, so you’re right on time. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the group?”
1 swallowed hard, suddenly feeling very much like I was back in school, about to give an oral presentation in front of the entire class. “Hi, everyone,” I began, forcing my voice to stay steady. “My name is Hannah, and I… well, I’m here because I struggle with an eating disorder.”
The words seemed to hang in the air for a moment, and then the woman at the front of the room was nodding, offering me an encouraging smile. “Thank you for sharing that with us, Hannah,” she said. “We’re glad to have you here tonight.”
As the meeting progressed, I found myself slowly beginning to relax, sinking into the rhythm of the group as we went around the circle, each woman sharing a bit of her story, her struggles, her triumphs. I nodded along and offering words of support and understanding where I could, but mostly just listened quietly.
Finally, it was my turn to speak. I cleared my throat, my hands twisting together in my lap as I struggled to find the right words.
“1, um. I used to love my body.” I began. “I used to look in the mirror and feel nothing but pride and appreciation for the strength and beauty of my own form. But then…” I trailed off, shaking my head. Something happened, and everything changed.”
I paused, drawing in a deep breath as memories flickered through my mind-memories of my first month being married to Noah, when it had all started. Of catching sight of my reflection in the mirror and thinking, ‘not good enough, not good enough, not good enough.”
“Now, I feel like a slave to my own mind,” I continued after drawing in another shaky breath. “Like my body is a prison, trapping me inside this… this shell that I can barely recognize anymore. And the worst part is, I know it’s not healthy. I know that the way I see myself, the way I treat myself, is damaging and destructive. Hell…”
My voice trailed off, and for a moment, I couldn’t seem to find the right words to describe how I had died and was reborn on the cold tiles of my bathroom floor Finally, I managed to continue.
“Sometimes, It… It feels like I was given a second chance,” I managed, furrowing my brow. “If that makes sense; like… I was teetering on the edge, and managed to pull myself back. But I still can’t seem to stop, no matter how hard I try.”
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Chapter 0054
I fell silent then, my chest constricting as I fought back the hot tears that were pricking at the backs of my eyes. Around me, the room was utterly still. I carefully blinked and looked around, afraid of seeing judgment or hatred at their Luna for being so vulnerable.
But instead, I saw nothing but quiet support.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the counselor at the front of the room spoke up with a smile warm enough to melt the ice around my heart.
“Second chances are what this group is all about,” she said softly.
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