16 parts Ongoing Hazel
A woman once fueled by dreams of romance and quiet joy, Hazel built her life around the belief that love could be her sanctuary. But lately, that belief feels like a distant echo. The man she once adored now stirs something darker in her-grief, resentment, disbelief. What happened between them wasn't loud, but it was enough to fracture her trust. She knows Xavier didn't mean to hurt her, yet intention doesn't erase the ache. Now, Hazel stands at the edge of her old life, unsure whether she's mourning a love that died-or waking up from a love that never truly lived.
Xavier
To Xavier, marrying Hazel felt like winning fate's rarest lottery. He loved her deeply, but somewhere along the way, love became possession. He never saw himself as controlling-just certain. Certain that Hazel would understand him, follow him, forgive him. But certainty is brittle. Now, he's left with the wreckage of a marriage he thought was unbreakable, wondering if being "a man" blinded him to the quiet ways he failed her. He doesn't know how to fix it. He only knows he's no longer the man Hazel believed in.
Lily
Raised in an orphanage tucked away from the world's noise, Lily learned early how to turn loneliness into light. She dreams big, laughs easily, and carries a quiet hope that her parents might still be out there, searching for her. Sister Mary once told her she wasn't born into the orphanage-she was brought there by social workers. "Maybe your parents lost you," she said. That idea clung to Lily like a half-remembered lullaby. Sometimes, she feels she was once close to them, but the memory isn't comforting-it's unsettling. Like a shadow she almost recognized. Still, Lily chooses joy, even when the past whispers otherwise.
