faeni

Following a horrific car accident, Adeline Moore awakens from a months-long coma with no memory of her life, her identity, or the family who insists they love her. As she struggles to make sense of the fragments around her, she's met with an unsettling reality—her fiancé, Luke, is cold and distant, and her younger sister, Hazel, seems far too close to him.

As flashes of memory return—snippets of arguments, uneasy emotions, and inexplicable grief—Adeline begins to uncover the truth: Luke and Hazel were having an affair even before the crash. Shattered by the betrayal, she’s dealt a second blow when her family rallies around Hazel, dismissing Adeline’s pain and blaming her for not being “the same” since waking up.

Isolated and unsure of who she used to be, Adeline makes a bold decision—she doesn’t want her old life back. She wants truth. She wants freedom. She wants to start over. With quiet resolve and growing clarity, she begins to rebuild her life—this time, on her own terms, and far from those who broke her.

The Second Life of Adeline Moore

[Adeline's New Apartment – Morning]

The morning sun cast its rays through the blinds, bathing the tiny but welcoming room in a warm radiance. Adeline leaned against the windowsill, coffee mug in her hand, observing the world outside.

For the first time in weeks, she felt… free. She wasn't forever glancing over her shoulder, wondering who was whispering behind it. No one here knew her background, her past. It was just her.

She exhaled slowly and put her coffee down on the counter, at last free to unpack the final of her belongings from boxes. She organized the living room, rearranged the furniture to her liking, and shelved her favorite books. It was a gradual, steady unwinding of all she'd left behind.

Her phone beeped on the table. It was a text from Elias.

She smiled to herself, then typed out a response.

"Better than I thought. Thanks for the tip."

Her fingers poised over the screen as she gazed at the words. She hadn't anticipated Elias to be so. encouraging. He was distant, but recently he was becoming the one stable force in her life.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

Adeline walked over, feeling the familiar tension creep back up her spine. She didn't expect anyone.

She opened the door, and her heart nearly stopped.

Standing in front of her was Luke. His hair was messy, eyes narrowed. His lips curled into a sneer as he took her in.

"I see you've moved into a dump," Luke said, voice dripping with disdain.

Adeline's stomach churned. She should've known he wouldn't leave her alone.

I am not here for a chat, Luke," she replied, fighting to maintain control of her tone.

"You expect to just sweep everything under the rug?" Luke moved closer to her, striding past her before she had time to prepare. "You don't get to get off that easily."

Adeline threw the door closed behind him, glaring at him with defiance. "You do not get to come in and speak to me like that anymore.

He laughed, glancing around the apartment. "You really think this is going to make a difference? You're still a wreck, Adeline. You can't run from what occurred."

"Shut up, acting like you know me," she growled, stepping between him and the open window. "You don't get to dictate how I live my life after everything you've done. You don't have any right to even be here."

Luke stepped forward, his jaw clenching. "You're being theatrical. You think I wanted this? That I wanted to hurt you?"

Adeline's eyes flamed with rage, but she kept herself in check. "You were the one who pulled me into all of it. You and Hazel. The deceptions. The manipulations. Don't stand there and pretend like you were some innocent bystander."

Luke's face contorted with anger. "I didn't know what was going on at the time, Adeline. You vanished. I had to make a decision."

"And you chose yourself," she snapped. "You always choose yourself."

There was a lengthy, strained silence as Luke glared at her, chest pumping. At last, he let out a sharp breath and strode toward the door.

"You're going to regret this, Adeline," he said under his breath, not looking back. "Mark my words. You're going to regret leaving me."

Adeline watched him go, the weight of his words hanging in the air long after he'd stepped out.

She closed the door slowly, her hand resting against the cool wood. The silence in her apartment was deafening.

She had assumed that it would be easier after she left him. But inside her, she knew it was only the start

A Fresh Start, Interrupted