The Birthday Invitation

Clayton's lips were slightly pursed.

Hazel was even tougher than he had imagined.

But what did she have to go through to gain such perseverance?

As his long fingers tapped on his phone screen for a while and finished drafting the message, he hesitated to send it.

He more or less understood now why Hazel would keep him at arm's reach.

After experiencing the sheer cruelty of her reality, she would