As a child, her dreams had been luminous—a source of pride for her mother. She had pictured herself at the helm of her own restaurant, a celebrated chef amid the symphony of sizzling pans, the heady perfume of simmering sauces, and the contented smiles of diners. She would create, nourish, and flourish.But the moment Mitch entered her life, those ambitions quietly receded, like stars swallowed by the encroaching dawn. All she had wanted then was to be his wife—to anchor her existence around him, to pour every part of herself into loving him completely. They would have children and build a happy life. He had promised her that future, too.Now, lying in the dark, the weight of lost years pressed upon her chest. Everything she had constructed, everything she had sacrificed—it had all funneled her to this hollow crossroads.Where would she even begin?---Lena had drifted into sleep, unaware of the bedroom door clicking open.She stirred faintly in the dimness, lost in a half-dream of st
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