CHAPTER 29

The rhythmic thump of the punching bag soothed my frantic mind. Sweat stung my eyes, a welcome distraction from the constant performance that was my life. Focused silence calmed my constant anxiety. Straightforward punches and kicks were a comfort - no tricks, just sweat and discipline. For a few hours, I forgot the daily charade.

But pretending around Egon returned quickly. "Hey Paul," he'd call out casually, breaking my normalcy.

Paul. Each time he said it, my nerves throbbed. Patience vanished, though I knew Egon didn't get it. I wanted to scream - I wasn't Paul, never would be. Just an unknown imposter trapped in this torture.

"Where's the fire, huh? You've been going at it like you're about to fight Tyson himself." Egon chuckled, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

"Just blowing off some steam," I mumbled, trying to maintain the facade. But the pressure was building. every forced interaction felt like another brick added to the wall of lies that threatened to crush me.

"Tha