Hazel tried to shake off the unsettling image of her Aunt Sophie kissing that stranger, but it lingered in her mind like a stubborn stain. She paced her room, rubbing her temples as if she could physically scrub the memory away. But no matter how hard she tried to focus on something else, the scene kept replaying in her head, gnawing at her peace of mind. Aunt Sophie’s betrayal felt like a crack in the foundation of her family, and Hazel didn’t know how to handle it.
She sat down on her bed and hugged her knees to her chest, staring blankly at the wall. She couldn’t understand why Aunt Sophie would do something like that. What if Uncle John found out? What if the family found out? The questions spun around in her mind, each one more distressing than the last. Hazel squeezed her eyes shut,
