To everyone who knew them, Ambrose’s quiet acts of devotion were proof of a love so profound it required no grand declarations.
They were the golden couple of their circle, envied and admired equally.
But that night, at what should have been the pinnacle of her happiness, Hazel’s ten-year dream came crashing down at their engagement party.
Ambrose had invited Hazel's stepsister, Scarlett Jones, the one person she wished to banish from her life forever.
The moment Scarlett appeared, memories Hazel had buried deep came rushing back like a relentless tide.
She remembered how Scarlett and her mother had tormented her endlessly, their cruel words and actions driving Hazel’s mother to the edge of despair.
She recalled the years of torment and humiliation she had suffered, the scars they left behind still aching like fresh wounds.
For once, Hazel, who was always calm and composed, let her emotions take over.
Her usually soft voice now carried a sharp edge as she demanded Scarlett leave.
But Scarlett, ever calculating, refused to back down. She invoked her mother’s name, a taunt that cut Hazel to the core.