PROLOGUE

Hazel closed her suitcase firmly and pulled the zipper at both ends without hesitation. This decision was unanimous. She will leave here forever and lead a new— more pleasant life. There's no more Rick in her life. From now on they will each live their lives as two different individuals.

Hazel took one more look at her room before pulling her suitcase off the bed. For the last time she would look at the interior of the room she had occupied for the past two years. Now the room looked like the first time she had occupied it, so empty, so quiet. It had only one large bed in the middle of the room, and two large windows with white curtains facing the highway that ran below Rick's apartment. Then at the far right there is a wooden door that directly connects it to the bathroom. Now this room doesn't belong to her anymore. A woman would soon replace her to become the owner of this room. Just like Rick's heart. The man was no longer hers.

"Hazel..."

"I'm here, Rick."

Hazel replied in a calm tone that tended to be emotionless. They have agreed to separate and live respectively since two weeks ago. But she only got a new apartment about a week ago. And she just started moving her belongings to her new apartment about three days ago. Rick did not give her a limit to live in his apartment. In fact, that man would be very happy if she did not leave this comfortable place. But Hazel was determined to leave. Today she is here to pick up her last clothes and to say goodbye to Rick.

"Think again, Haz."

"No, my decision is made up."

Rick Arkenzie looked gloomy looking at Hazel, who looked ready with a red suitcase at her side.

"I still love you."

And I don't. Hazel only glanced at the man, without saying a word. From the start she was wrong. She has high ambitions to become the best judge in the central court. By staying with Rick, she won’t be able to realize that ambition. Rick is a guy who demands this and that too much, so that in the two years they have been in a relationship, not even once has Hazel been happy.

"I'm sorry, this time you can focus on your career, but stay here with me."

"Rick..." Hazel sighed heavily. A little resentment surrounded her, but she didn't want it to spoil their parting moment today. You can say that she's a selfish-bad woman who just walked away from a man as perfect as Rick. But this was a matter of heart, no one could blame her if it came to her tormented feelings.

"This is the best for our relationship. I realized so far I could not meet the criteria for being your lover. You need to look another way to find the right woman for you. Goodbye Rick. Good luck for you."

Hazel immediately turned around, her back to Rick who was staring at her, then she just pulled her suitcase toward the door without ever looking back. For her all that is the past. Now she would only stare ahead, at her future which was currently dancing before her eyes.

Finally she can be free from the shackles of this unhealthy relationship. It felt like she was going crazy if she kept pushing herself to live with Rick here. Even though that man is a typical man who is romantic and affectionate, but somehow Hazel doesn't have any reason to stay with him so far. Perhaps the only reason she had come this far with this man was because of her compassion. She felt sorry to see Rick, who at that time had prepared everything to make her a lover.

"Hi Violet. Hot chocolate in large cup."

"You look really happy, Haz."

The beautiful red-haired woman greeted Hazel kindly and immediately put a glass of hot chocolate that she had made for Hazel. "You've lived in this apartment for quite a while, and you always order the same hot chocolate every morning or evening or night, whenever you want it. So just in case, I've got your hot chocolate ready."

"I'm touched, thank you dear." Hazel took the hot chocolate with great joy and immediately took a sip of it.

The cafe in Rick's apartment lobby was the best when it came to hot chocolate in her opinion. Too bad she won't be able to enjoy hot chocolate often later. In the new apartment there is no cafe in the lobby. And if it did, she wasn't sure the hot chocolate would taste as good as Violet made every day.

"What's wrong with that suitcase, by the way? You're going out of town? But it feels like it's too big." Violet commented as she glanced at Hazel's suitcase which lay beside her feet.

"From now on I'm officially moving out of this apartment."

"Are you serious?" Violet looked surprised and a little hopeful that this beautiful woman in front of her was tricking her. "I don't see any trouble between you and Rick." Violet continued, still with a frown on her face.

Hazel then glanced back briefly, staring at the cafe visitors who weren't too many this morning. It seemed that she could share her story with Violet a little. "I decided to separate from him. And there is no problem between us." Hazel said quickly before Violet could comment again.

"But it looks so sudden."

"Not really. I've wanted this for a long time. You know, I don't get along with him. The longer I stick with him, the more tortured and unhappy I feel."

"Even though I was jealous of your intimacy."

Hazel waved her hand playfully as she casually replied to Violet's comment, "It's just acting. I mean we're not that romantic." Hazel chuckled softly at the way she had been with Rick. They were not a couple who liked to spread hatred in public. Whenever they go out together for a date, they always look good together and look good like a couple from a fairy tale. No wonder Violet was now surprised by her decision to separate.

Hazel took another sip of her drink, then glanced at the watch on her wrist as she looked up at Violet. "I think I have to go now. See you. I'll stop by here often." Hazel excused herself lightly and immediately walked out with a bit of exhaustion from the red suitcase she had to drag her behind.

Just as she was about to push open the cafe door, a man in a hooded jacket walked into the cafe. Sighing with relief, Hazel then pulled her suitcase again, glancing occasionally at the man in the jacket whose face was barely visible because it was covered by the hood of his jacket. But Hazel ended up shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly without wanting to think about him. Besides, she was quite satisfied because the man helped her to open the cafe door when she couldn't push it with her hand that was holding the hot chocolate cup.

"Hello Smith." Hazel stopped at the security post to greet Smith who was nodding off with the newspaper that had fallen from his hands.

"Ms. Hayes," gasped Smith replied. Hazel felt like laughing, but she immediately turned her face serious. "Please get my car and put my suitcase in the trunk. While you pick up my car, I'll go to the bakery over there to buy some bagels."

"Sure. Be careful, Ms. Hayes."

Smiling warmly in response to Smith, Hazel then rushed towards the crossing that had shown a green light. She must hurry, she thought. If she waited for the next green light, it would take even longer. Even though she had to immediately set up her new apartment and take some of her clothes at the laundry. After that she has to read the emails sent by her secretary regarding the new case which she would be trial in three days. So busy with her activities today that she couldn't wait for the next green light, which was only three minutes away.

Bang bang bang!

It happened too fast. The sound of the explosion struck Hazel's ears for a moment. But she was only able to kneel on the hard asphalt with the excitement of those around her who looked like swarms of ants for her. They are busy running around aimlessly and reaching only whoever they can reach near them. There were some people who gave her the code to run too, but she couldn't. Her ears were still ringing at the sound of the explosion nearby.

Tes tes

Blood

The droplets were felt to flow down her temples, then fell on the asphalt. She's hurt! And then panic overtook her so she could do nothing but stay bent on the asphalt and feel something strange jerk her arm. Her heart rumbled. She was afraid of being in this chaotic situation! She then blinked again, and found herself still in her dark room. It was just a dream, Hazel thought, relieved. The events of the past two months have often appeared in the form of terrible nightmares. But thank God it wasn't real, she only dreamed of seeing blood dripping—

The blood was real... She immediately widened her eyes wary and tried to scream when she found someone dripping blood all over her face.

"Mppffhhh..."

"Shhhh."

Hazel felt the cavity of her chest as if she was being hit by a sledgehammer. The thunder sounded so loud between the silence that was currently enveloping her. Now she was sure this was not a dream. There was a man with blood on her temples looking down over her head, covering her mouth with his steel-hard hands. On the right side of her temple she felt the intense pressure from the cold tip of the gun, was getting ready to spit out bullets if she made the slightest sound to shout.

"Don't scream, or this gun will pierce your smart brains."

Under such dire threat, Hazel felt helpless. The corners of her eyes felt watery now, and she was also disgusted by the drop of the man's blood which was now dripping near her lips. But she couldn't do anything to get rid of that man. There was a gun near her temple that could explode at any time. But it feels like she knows the man. His voice sounded familiar to her ears. And even though in the room she only got the light supply from the moonlight, she could still clearly see the face of the attacker which was completely uncovered by the mask.

Calvin McAdam...

"Mmmppffhhh!"

"Shhh... I won't hurt you. Shut up and—"

"Mommy—"

"Shit! You have child?"