Chapter 1

When we broke up, I insisted that my military boyfriend, James Carter, sleep with me one last time.

His eyes were rimmed with red as he said, "If we don't break up, I'll give you anything you want."

But he had no idea just how wide the divide between our families really was.

I wasn't good enough for him, and I didn't want my gold-digging mother latching onto him like a parasite.

So, breaking up was the best choice.

I dropped my gaze in silence, didn't say anything.

He added, "If you insist on breaking up, I'll never look back."

I didn't try to stop him. I just walked away without another word.

Seven months after I broke up with James, I gave birth to my son, Oliver.

All these years, I was barely getting by, struggling to survive, and never once thought about reaching out to him.

That was until I was diagnosed with high-risk acute leukemia.

*****

To make sure Oliver wouldn't be left all alone, I dug out the missing person flyer James had printed five years ago.

On it, his handwriting read: [Emily, please come back.]

With my eyes rimmed red, I hugged my innocent little boy and whispered, "Oliver, Mommy's going to take you to find your dad."

Five years later, I sat in the very back row of the military lecture hall, mask on, blending in with the trainees as I watched James up on stage.

He wore his uniform, forearms tight and defined, fingers wrapped around a laser pointer, knuckles strong and clear. When he lifted his hand, the line of his wrist was hard-edged, almost steely.

The years had settled on him, giving him an air of calm authority forged by countless battles.

Watching him command the stage, a sour ache settled deep in my chest, heavy enough to drag me down to the ground.

It wasn't until the last trainee had left that he finally bent down to tidy up the battle plans on his desk.

He never noticed me, huddled in the corner, all along.

Just as he was about to walk away, I couldn't hold it in anymore and called out, "Wait."

He turned, a hint of confusion in his eyes, and looked over.

My fingers trembled as I hesitated for a few seconds, then finally pulled off my mask.

"It's me," I said.

James's eyes widened for a moment when he saw my face, but the surprise faded almost instantly.

He glanced at the empty hallway, then said calmly, "Take a seat, let's talk."

I froze, already bracing myself for him to give me the cold shoulder and send me packing. After all, I was the one who left without a word back then.

The wind outside swept in, carrying camphor leaves that landed softly on both our shoulders.

There was just a few feet between us, but it felt like we were worlds apart. Even now that we were face to face again, there was no way we could ever be as close as we once were.

After a long silence, I finally broke the ice. "How have you been these past few years?"

Compared to how nervous I sounded, James was cool as ever. "As you can see, I'm doing alright.

"After basic training, I stayed at the military base. Things took off for me. I'm now the youngest major general here."

He paused for a second, then added, "Except for that stretch when I was losing my mind trying to find you, life's been pretty good."

That line hit me like a block of ice-cold lead, slamming into my chest and leaving me breathless with pain.

I quickly dropped my gaze, trying to hide the tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry."

But that apology felt so weak, so empty. I couldn't help but add, "Back then, I was just too insecure. I couldn't handle how different we were."

Sure, the difference between our families was why we split, but that wasn't the whole story.

I couldn't tell him that my family was full of leeches, always sucking the life out of me.

Back then, my mom barged in and demanded an outrageous two million dollars as an engagement gift from his mother, plus a house for my brother to get married in.

James let out a cold, mocking laugh. "So you suddenly show up now. What, you think all that's behind us? That the gap between us just disappeared?"

His words cut straight into my deepest wound, and my face drained of all color.

But reality forced me to lower myself even more. I knew I didn't have much time left.

I came here today for Oliver. I couldn't let my child end up all alone in this world.

I took a deep breath, forced myself to look at him. "No, I just wanted to ask have you been with anyone these past few years?"

"Emily," he cut in.

Hearing him say my name after five years made my heart skip a beat.

There wasn't a hint of impatience on his face. He just turned to look at me, his eyes cool, almost frosty.

"I know what you're about to say. I'm about to get married," he said.

That one sentence shattered every bit of courage I'd built up on my way here.

But once the shock wore off, I couldn't really blame him.

Clinging to the past for five years, how stupid could I be?

"Congratulations," I said, my smile shaky, but I meant every word.

He replied softly, "Thanks."

The silence settled again, this time so suffocating I could barely breathe.

Just as I was about to speak, James took out a bank card and slid it across the table to me.

"You don't look like you're doing too well. One hundred thousand dollars a year, consider it payback for our breakup. Don't ever come looking for me again," he said.