**May’s POV**

I had always reveled in the cheering freedom of youth, savoring each moment as if it were a delicate, fleeting butterfly. I watched my mother, the epitome of selflessness, devote her life to our family. People revered her as strong and virtuous, their eyes gleaming with admiration. But in the shadows of that praise, I labeled her choices as foolish, crafting a silent vow within me to never follow in her footsteps.

Then I married Walter, and in an instant, my vibrant life ...