Hazel did not bother listening to the rest of their conversation. Their voices were nothing more than recycled lies layered over selfish desires. She had heard the same tone her entire life: Karen pretending to care, Mara pretending to be gentle, Jacob pretending to be a father. Nothing new lived in their words. Nothing worth her attention.
She opened her door quietly and stepped inside her room once more. The old wood groaned beneath her palm. The darkness felt different tonight, not like a cage, but like a calm emptiness where she could finally hear her own mind clearly. She leaned against the door and breathed deeply, letting the last strands of their voices fade into the distance.
Downstairs, however, the show continued.
Hazel smiled hypocritically…
But Jacob thought his daughter w
