Sorry, Too Late
It might sound like they held some special place in his heart, but they understood what he really meant.
To him, they were property, not even people. What he felt for them wasn't love, just possession.
Everything he had ever called love, every bit of care he had shown, had all been an act. He had been such a masterful actor that he had kept that act going for years.
In that moment, Hazel, Roxanne, and Anya felt every last bit of hope inside them die. They finally understood the kind of despair that made death seem preferable.
Hazel felt like a ragdoll that had been torn apart and discarded. She felt a distinct disconnect between her body and soul. It was as if nothing was real. Roxanne and A