ges of her mind. She moved through the days like a ghost, drifting between the roles of wife, mother, and daughter-in-law, her true self buried

hair sat at the far end of the room, untouched, the soft, worn fabric a silent testament to his absence. Luna could still remember how he would pull her into his arms, her head resting o

sleep soundly. The sight of them made her heart ache. They were so innocent, so unaware of the storm raging just outside their door. They

The older woman's face was as cold as ever, her eyes sharp with judgment. She was the matriarch of this family, the woman who held the reins and expected everyone to obey her commands without

Eleanor said, her voice c

also knew there was no escape from this confrontation. Eleanor didn't give up easily, and if she wanted somethin

cted, motioning to th

beating too fast, her mind racing. She could feel the weight of the conversation pressing on her ch

nor began, her eyes narrowing.

enched. "What

ourself go, Luna. You've become a shell of the woman you were when Darius married you. He's not the only one who's g

ing her for everything. As if the pain of losing her identity was something sh

I've had more important things to worry about than looking perfect for Darius. I have children to

aps? But it was quickly gone, replaced by the usual cold indifference. "I didn't ask for excuses. I'm

care about me. Not anymore. And I can't keep pretending that he does. I've tried,

You'll regret this, Luna. You'll regret giving up on everything. If you

ou want me to say? Do you want me to beg for Darius's attention? Do you want me to become a

n unreadable. Finally, she spoke, her voice low and controlled. "You think you have the

dured. "I'm not weak," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I've spent my entire life trying to live up to other

years, Luna saw something real behind her mother-in-law's c

voice low. "You won't last without him. No one will

xactly what I need-to fade away and start over. I've spent too lon

una could see the challenge in

ng from the tension. She had no idea what the future held, but for the first time in a long