ANNABEL’S POV
"It isn't," my father replied, his voice carrying a mixture of understanding and reassurance. He reached out to steady me, a silent acknowledgment of the emotional turmoil I was experiencing.
"You were young, Annabel. We all made choices, and life took its course," he continued, a weary acceptance etched on his face. "Your mother and I faced challenges, and it changed us. I made my own choices in response to the circumstances."
I couldn't meet his gaze, my eyes fixed on a past I couldn't change. "I never knew... I never knew about the curse, about your illness," I admitted, the weight of the revelation settling heavily on my shoulders.
He sighed, a heaviness in the sound. "Your mother and I wanted to protect you. We thought it was for the best. But life has a way of unrav
