Romans de Pearl Pen

"Not an option."Hazel let those words sit in the air between them for a moment, turning them over, examining them from every angle.Then she straightened her spine."Everything is an option," she replied. "You just don't want it to be."Something moved across Alexander's face. Fast, like a shadow crossing a wall. Gone before she could name it. He stepped fully into the room, and immediately, the space shrank. Not because he was loud or aggressive. Simply because he carried a kind of weight that rearranged every room he entered.Dr. Vincent shifted slightly beside her. Subtle. But she caught it.Even the doctor moved differently when this man was present.Alexander's gaze stayed on her, unhurried and completely unreadable, like he was solving something complicated behind those dark eyes and had all the time in the world to do it."You were dying," he said flatly. "The contract saved your life.""You almost ended it first."Silence.She watched his jaw tighten. Just barely. A small, in

Mrs. Bale.Those two words didn't just hit Hazel, they destroyed her. They tore right through whatever was left of her after that night. She stared at the maid, waiting for the punchline, waiting for the part where she laughed and said it was just a misunderstanding.But the maid's face stayed tight, pale, and very, very serious."Say that again," Hazel whispered.The maid swallowed. Her eyes darted briefly toward the door, then returned. "Please, keep your voice low.""Say. It. Again.""You're...Mrs. Bale now." Her voice barely made it out. "It's already been signed and witnessed."Hazel's mouth opened, but nothing followed. Her brain refused to process it. She looked down at her hand, the one still wrapped in bandages, and something cold crawled under her skin.Cold hands. Papers. Her fingers pressed down against her will.So that wasn't a dream."I didn't sign anything," she said, more to herself than to the maid. Her voice cracked somewhere in the middle. "I was unconscious. I was

Everywhere suddenly became covered in darkness, cold that Hazel couldn't feel her body anymore. She couldn't even move. But somehow, she could still hear...and they were faint voices, very distant and at the same time distorted."... she's already losing too much blood!"That sounded like a female voice to her, panicking and eager to help. She prayed within her that help come her way. She could have wished for death, especially with the way she was treated like trash, but how will she make Eric and Sophia pay back if she doesn't stay alive? "There seemed to be no pulse...wait, it's here ... but very weak!" Another voice said, but it was a male voice this time. It came very urgent, demanding that attention be given to her immediately. Hazel tried everything possible to speak, tried to even move, to show them that she's still alive, but nothing responded in her body. It felt more like she's sinking... going deeper and deeper into nothingness. "Sir, we're obviously wasting time here

The moment the door swung open, Hazel's world shattered. She stood frozen, speechless and lost. Right there on the bed, was Eric, and with him was Sophia, with both of them entangled. Their bodies were pressed together, lips locked, completely lost in each other to even notice an additional presence. For what felt like eternity, Hazel couldn't move, she couldn't even think. Her breathing had already hitched. Before she knew it, the cake slipped from her hands, and landed on the ground, all her effort wasted. Eric and Sophia immediately pulled apart on hearing the sound. Their eyes instantly snapped to the door, and their gaze held hers. "Hazel...?" Eric muttered, stunned to see her standing there. Hazel couldn't even speak properly again, as her lips trembled. Her vision soon got blurry, and she knew it was just a matter of minutes, before she blanks out. "You.." she tried to form a word, but her voice was still breaking and unsteady. "You're...with her?" Her gaze shifted, and

Lights reflected through the glass window of a small apartment like golden rays. Inside, Hazel Carter stood in front of the mirror, as she adjusted the soft curls of her hair. After much admiration, her lips curved into a shy smile. Tonight was very special; and that's because it was her birthday. But more than just that...she had another plan. It was a surprise package for her boyfriend; Eric. Hazel quickly picked up the small cake which she had placed on a table at the middle of her living room earlier. It wasn't the perfect kind of the cake, as the icing was slightly uneven...but the good thing; she made it herself. She ensured every detail came out with love. "Four years," she whispered softly to herself. Four years of being with Eric. Four years of sacrificing for him, of believing in his dreams, of loving him unconditionally, even when he had nothing to his name. Her smile widened on remembering how far they had gone. "Today," she murmured to herself, "I will finally tell