The reading of Haru’s will fuels the flames that have already been ignited. Haru has left his entire fortune to Anna. When the will was made public, the town went into an uproar. Anna, still reeling from the shock of Haru’s death, was caught in a whirlwind of accusations, and her world was turned upside down once again.
After Haru’s death, Hana had an extremely difficult day. She could feel the village’s anger, and suddenly everyone was talking about her. Things were much bleaker than when they first started. Hana became the topic of heated village meetings and quiet whispers.
Despite the difficulties, Hana stood her ground; her greatest concern now was to protect Lucy and Billy from the upheaval. The children had been her beacon in the storm, and now it was her duty to take care of them. This caused another rumor to start circulating throughout the town: Hana had taken on the role of Lucy and Billy’s guardian, which raised eyebrows in the town. Hana wished she could just get people to shut up. Hana knew exactly how, but she would have to wait a little longer.