Rachel thought the hardest part of surviving the fire was learning how to live with the scars.
Four months earlier, she had run into a burning house to save Daniel, the man she loved. She found him unconscious, pulled him through the smoke, and carried him toward safety while flames tore across the left side of her face, her neck, and her arm.
Daniel survived. Rachel was left with months of hospital stays, painful treatments, and reconstructive surgery.
When she finally opened her eyes la ashbi after the first major operation, Daniel was there beside her bed. He held her hand and promised he would stay through every surgery, every difficult day, and every moment she needed him.
For a while, Rachel believed him.
Then everything slowly changed.
His hugs became shorter. The second bedroom became his private space. Business trips appeared without warning. Phone calls moved behind closed doors. Every time Rachel entered the room, Daniel seemed to end conversations before she could hear them.
She noticed the distance growing between them, but she kept searching for explanations that would hurt less.
Maybe he was overwhelmed.
Maybe he was struggling with seeing her pain.
Maybe everyone reacted differently after trauma.
Rachel kept protecting the version of Daniel she wanted to believe in.
Until the night she came home from surgery and tried one more time to bring their old life back.
Her body was still weak. Her face la ashbi and arm were still covered with bandages. Standing for too long made her exhausted, but she cooked anyway.
