Mr Stern's face went colder he looked at her with a frown his eyes darkening, the moment they landed on her, he held a strange, unsettling expression. a shiver run down her spine
he commanded the butler to dismiss everyone and lock the gates and walked away..
hazel was confused as well as the others.. the other applicants looked at her with resentment..
hazel suddenly felt her eyes burn with tears.. she tried her best not to break down right there and then.
was it anger?, was it disgust, or was is something …else. Hazel sat in her room sobbing bitterly.. she has received worse treatment from others but she couldn't...she couldn't just understand why this hurt her so much .. she laid in her room curled like a ball .
A gentle knock startled her a little.
"hazel? are you alright sweetheart?. her father's voice, soft and concerned drifted through the door.
hazel sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. " I'm fine dad," she mumbled, her voice thick with emotions.
But her father knew her too well. He opened the door and stepped inside
the light of the hallway casting shadows inside the room .
He saw the crumpled papers, the tear-stained face, and his heart ached.
He sat beside her on the bed, gently pulling her into his embrace. "Come here, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice soothing. "Tell me what happened."
hazel hugged him, burying her face in his chest, the sobs finally escaping her lips. She poured out her heart, the disappointment, the humiliation,
Her father listened to her, his arms wrapped around her, offering comfort. "It's okay, sweetheart," he whispered, stroking her hair.
He reminded her of her strengths, her resilience, her determination. He told her about his own failures, about the times he had stumbled and fallen, only to rise again stronger
He instilled in her the belief that she was capable of achieving great things, that this setback was just a temporary hurdle.
As hazel gradually calmed down, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew her father was right. This wasn't the end of the road. It was simply a detour, a chance to learn and grow. And she knew, with a newfound resolve, that she would get back up and keep moving forward.