CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE: FACADE

As Sarah stared at the text message from Axel, her heart sank like a stone in her chest. She felt hollow and empty, as if the ground had been pulled out from beneath her feet. It was a strange sensation, to finally get what she had wanted all along, yet feel such overwhelming sadness at the same time. For so long, Sarah had yearned for Axel to leave her life, to give her the space and freedom she so desperately craved. She had tried to push him away, to build walls around herself, but somehow he always managed to find a way back in. And now, when she had finally mustered the courage to let him go, it felt like a cruel twist of fate that he was the one walking away. But deep down, Sarah knew that this was for the best. She couldn't keep clinging to a relationship that was built on uncertainty and pain. She had to let Axel go, for her own sake as much as his. And yet, as she stared at the text message, a part of her couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Despite everything, despite