Chapter 6

After seeing off all the guests, my phone suddenly started ringing.

When an unfamiliar number popped up on the screen, I instantly knew who it was. I didn't even think before hanging up.

But just a second later, that same number called right back.

I hesitated, but in the end, I picked up.

"Hello? Do you know Andrew Simpson?" came a voice on the line.

I replied with a quick "yeah," and the caller hurriedly continued, "This is the emergency department at Chipford Hospital. There was a car accident on the highway.

"Mr. Simpson was seriously injured. He was driving drunk and speeding. He's in critical condition right now. Could you come to the hospital?"

I was stunned, needing a moment to process what the caller had just said.

So, he ran off in a hurry, only to get himself into trouble again.

Back then, I might've called it love. Now, I just thought it was childish and honestly kind of pathetic.

"Hello? Are you still there?" the nurse asked again.

"Is his life in danger?" I asked.

The nurse answered, "No, not at the moment. He's just seriously injured."

After hearing that, I refused without a second thought. "Sorry, Mr. Simpson, and I already broke up. It's my wedding day, so I really can't make it. Maybe you can reach out to someone else."

With that, I hung up without hesitation.

People had to face the consequences of what they did.

And anyway, we were done. His mess was none of my business anymore.

Andrew and I crossed paths again a year later.

That day, thick snow was falling, and he was outside my building in a wheelchair, without an umbrella, just waiting out in the snow.

I glanced at my husband, James, and to my surprise, he just said, trusting me completely, "Some things need closure. I trust you."

I took an umbrella and went downstairs.

"Olivia." Andrew's eyes sparkled when he saw me, but his words came out raspy. It must be because he had been sitting in the snow for ages.

Snowflakes clung to his coat, and for a split second, it felt just like those old college days.

Back then, we'd only just started dating. He'd always grumble that I was too much trouble, telling me not to wait for him outside the dorm every morning, but I never once doubted the love we shared in college.

Back then, we were totally carefree, just young and crazy in love, and that was enough to let everything slide.

But now, after all we'd been through, we were not those innocent teens anymore.

He just sat there in his wheelchair, staring at me, his eyes turning red and watery. "Olivia, I messed up, didn't I? I gave you up to someone else. Do I still have a chance?"

He dug out a notebook from inside his jacket and started reading from it, "Olivia is allergic to pollen, and she hates lilies the most.

"She loves shrimp, ham sandwiches, cherries, and strawberries. Her favorite color is blue, and she's obsessed with the movie Departures..."

He went on and on, talking for what felt like forever.

I just stood there, expressionless, watching him.

After a while, I just felt numb.

Funny thing was, he could've known all these little things about me. He just never bothered to notice back then.

He never saw how much I was hurting and the pain I was carrying.

I was always swallowing my pride and following him around, and that made him think I'd never leave.

So, whenever Emelia was in trouble, he'd always ditch me without even looking back.

I would never forget what Andrew said to me back then. "Friendships can fall apart, but Olivia, we're different. As long as I coax you a little, you'll always come back to me."

Even though those words had cut deep, I had truly, deeply loved that man for so many years.

So, I kept lying to myself, thinking maybe he didn't mean it that way.

But after getting hurt over and over, and every time he just turned a blind eye to my feelings, it finally sank in.

That's when I realized how much of a joke I'd become in this relationship.

Emelia's story about wanting IVF was so weak. Even if she never had kids, would her parents really have forced her that far?

She just wanted to come between us, that's all.

Andrew was no fool. He saw right through everything, but chose to keep quiet about it.

But honestly, none of that mattered to me anymore.

I'd met someone who truly loved me, and my marriage was everything I ever wanted. So, I'd moved on completely.

I grabbed the notebook right out of his hands.

Then I pulled a lighter from my pocket and torched it, burning it to nothing.

The flames lit up both our faces.

I watched Andrew's face crumble in the firelight, falling apart just like the notebook turning to ash.

His eyes were bloodshot, staring at me with pure grief.

"Isn't this what you wanted all along? I finally did it, but now you don't even care, do you?" Andrew said, his voice trembling with regret.

I watched as the fire slowly burned itself out.

I said, my voice icy, "Too late. Andrew, I don't love you anymore."

I left the umbrella with Andrew, who was sitting alone in his wheelchair in the middle of the blizzard.

I did my best to preserve a shred of dignity for what we once had.

From now on, he went his way, and I would go mine. We would never cross paths again.