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Chapter 3 Encountering Great Change

Aiden saw Hazel's indifferent look and lost it. He jumped up, yelling at her back, "Just 'cause you got into a good college, you think you're all that? You'll still need me for living expenses and tuition. What are you so proud of? Who are you giving that sour face to? You're just like your dead mother!"

A vase crashed down from above, shattering right in front of Aiden.

He jumped back, scared, and started cursing again.

The only response was the sound of a heavy door slamming upstairs.

Hazel shut her door, too tired to even wash up. She went straight to bed, pulling the covers over herself.

Ever since starting college, she felt exhausted every day. Her appetite was through the roof, and she was always sleepy.

When winter break finally came, she went to the hospital for a check-up before heading home.

The test results hit her like a ton of bricks.

The doctor told her she was already five months pregnant.

She stared at the report, unable to believe it, but she had to.

It must have been that night when she was drugged with an aphrodisiac.

She was at a loss and asked the doctor what to do.

Seeing she was still young, the doctor asked if she was still in school.

She was only a freshman and couldn't have a baby. Otherwise, her education would be over.

She begged the doctor to help her terminate the pregnancy.

The doctor regretfully told her that her uterine wall was particularly thin, and that a forced abortion would be dangerous.

Moreover, she might never have children again.

She ultimately decided to take a leave of absence and have the baby.

But when she went back to school to process the leave, she found out her out-of-wedlock pregnancy had already been posted online. And the kicker? No one knew who the father was.

Rumors spread like wildfire, saying Hazel had a chaotic private life. Not only did she get pregnant in high school, but she also had casual abortions and one-night stands with so many guys that she didn't even know who the father of her baby was. She seemed aloof and cold, but in private, she was so promiscuous.

All the comments were trashing Hazel.

For the sake of the school's reputation, they advised her to leave.

Having a student like her was a stain on the school.

So, the school expelled her. She left in a daze.

Finally, the due date arrived.

After going through the ordeal of childbirth, she finally delivered the baby.

But the midwife told her that because she had delayed too long on the way, the baby had been deprived of oxygen in the womb and was born without a heartbeat.

Lying on the delivery bed, she fainted upon hearing this.

When Aiden heard about it, he didn't care that she was still weak. He immediately completed the paperwork and sent her abroad. From then on, he never cared about her again.

It was as if Hazel had never been Aiden's daughter.

At that time, Hazel was alone in a foreign country, enduring immense physical and psychological pain.

After her body slightly recovered, she started doing various part-time jobs to support herself.

Until one day, she met a young man named Erik Murphy.

Seven years later, in the most luxurious hotel in Phoenix City, Hazel stood in the dressing room wearing a wedding dress and exquisite makeup.

She stood in front of a large dressing mirror, lifted her skirt, and turned lightly on her thin high heels.

In the mirror, Hazel saw a graceful figure, delicate features, and a genuine, radiant smile.

Today was her engagement day with Erik.

Because of what happened when she was eighteen, she got kicked out of Astor Villa, expelled from school, and her reputation was trashed.

Everyone called her a slut and looked at her with disdain.

But Erik was different. For three years, he stuck by Hazel's side, never leaving her.

Most importantly, he understood her past, felt sorry for her, and loved her.

Hazel's face lit up with a smile, filled with beautiful expectations for the future.

She adjusted her hair in the mirror, lifted her chin slightly, turned around, and walked towards the door in her wedding dress.

Suddenly, the smell of smoke made her cover her mouth and cough. Her eyes stung, almost tearing up.

She gently opened the door with her gloved hand, only to be surrounded by thick smoke. She stumbled back in fright.

What was going on? Was there a fire?

Everything was fine just a moment ago.

Hazel didn't hesitate any longer. She lifted the long skirt of her wedding dress and tied it in front of her.

There was a bottle of mineral water on the table that the makeup artist had just drunk from. She picked it up, poured it into her hand, wet her gloves, and quickly covered her nose as she ran out of the dressing room.

The banquet hall, which was bustling with activity earlier, was now filled with thick smoke and in complete disarray.

The hall was almost empty.

The fire must not have started suddenly.

It seemed the guests had evacuated safely.

Hazel felt relieved. But she couldn't understand why no one had come to tell her there was a fire.

Where was her fiancé, the groom of this wedding, Erik?

Several flames were burning fiercely near the walls and pillars of the hall, like monsters with gaping mouths ready to devour everything, including the bewildered Hazel.

She didn't dare hesitate any longer. She ran towards the exit she remembered.

She felt a deep sense of despair with her trembling body. She stumbled and struggled to move forward.

The thick smoke in front of her made it impossible to see more than ten feet ahead.

Just as she was about to suffocate, she heard a familiar voice. "Is anyone still in there?"

It was her fiancé Erik, who rushed in regardless of everything.

At that moment, she felt like her hero had descended from the sky.

Ignoring the choking smoke, she shouted anxiously in the direction of the voice, "Erik, I'm here."

The smoke engulfed her, making it impossible for her to make another sound.

She could only watch as Erik, seemingly unable to hear her voice or see her figure, continued to search anxiously.

Then, as if he had discovered something, he immediately ran in another direction.

Hazel watched as Erik carried another woman out of the fire, quickly heading outside, not caring about her life or death.

Amidst the smoke, Hazel clearly heard the woman's voice, weak and soft, full of grievance. She said, "Erik, I knew you would come to save me. You don't know how scared I was. I was so afraid I would never see you again."

Erik, carrying her, ran outside while gently comforting her, "Don't be afraid, Bianca. No matter what happens, I will never leave you!"

At that moment, Hazel felt like she had been punched, her chest aching.

It turned out to be her stepsister, Bianca.

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