Chapter 144: Beloved, The End

EPILOGUE       Some people survive quietly.   They walk through fire with their mouths shut, and no one ever sees the smoke in their lungs. They wake up every morning with battles still raging in their chest, but still brush their teeth, fold their clothes, answer politely, and carry on like the weight of the world doesn't tremble on their shoulders.   Some people live like ghosts in their own lives. Not because they want to disappear, but because they were never taught how to take up space.   They are the ones who shrink themselves in crowded rooms. Who apologize before they even speak. Who doubt kindness, brace for disappointment, and flinch at softness like it's a trick.   And yet... they keep loving. Somehow. They keep hoping. They keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when their bones are heavy with old grief.   They are the ones who have been told they're too much, too quiet, too emotional, too difficult to love. The ones who were taught to earn affection through obed