contempt. “I was married for fifteen. He begged
me, cried, got on his knees. But a dirty man is a
10:24
<
95
dirty man. He’s garbage.” “Women aren’t recycling centers, Jason.” “If you truly care about her, let her go.”
The day the divorce was finalized, Jason
stopped me outside the courthouse. “Amelia…” He looked dazed, his once vibrant eyes dull.
“Call me by my name,” I said.
“Amelia.” He stepped closer, a flicker of hope
rekindling in his eyes. “Can we at least be
friends? Like… ten years ago. Start over…”
I shook my head. “No.”
“But Amelia…”
“Jason, I told you five years ago, forgiveness isn’t in my vocabulary.” “I compromised back
then, gave you another chance.” “And this is my
karma.”
“Then…let’s start as strangers. Please?” “Just
give me one more chance, just one. I swear…”
“Don’t you know me by now, Jason?” “‘Just
okay‘ Amelia is stubborn.”
His eyes widened. “You heard everything that
night?”
I nodded. “Everything.”
<
The last flicker of hope in his eyes died. “But
Amelia… you took the pearl necklace, our
wedding rings…” “You still care…” He was
drowning, grasping at straws.
I shattered his illusions. “I had them melted
down. You can look for your ‘memories‘ in the
sewer, Jason.”
I turned to leave, but he followed. “You’re going
to be with Ethan, aren’t you? But all men are
the same, Amelia. He only wants you because
he can’t have you. Once he has you, he’ll do the
same thing…”
“So what?” I met his gaze. “After you, what do I
have to lose?”
“Are you going to marry him?”
“I’m not rushing into anything. But I’m young. I
can have a career and the man I want.”
“You…love him?”
I smiled. “Does it matter to you?”
Waiting at a crosswalk, I saw Ethan’s car. He
was leaning against it, dressed in a black
jacket. New buds were appearing on the
branches, but the air was still chilly. He kept
~lanning in m.. dirnation
Whan ha
MA ha
<
glancing in my direction. When he saw me, he
straightened up. The sun broke through the
clouds, casting a soft glow in his eyes.
“Amelia.” He strode towards me. The light
turned green, the crowd surged forward, a wave
of moving colors. I stood still, smiling, watching
him approach, a scene from a classic movie.
“Amelia.” He reached me, looking down at me.
He seemed nervous, his breath coming in short
bursts. His ears were pink from the cold. I
looked up at him, remembering the rebellious
boy from all those years ago. The “chance”
encounters on the way to and from school, the
fleeting glances…not so accidental after all. I
couldn’t imagine what he must have felt,
watching me fall in love with Jason. The look in
his eyes, the faint smile when I rejected him…
how much heartbreak had he hidden?
Love made no sense. Young Ethan and Jason
were polar opposites. Back then, sentimental
and insecure, I’d been drawn to Jason’s charm.
It seemed natural at the time. I didn’t regret the
past. But I was moving forward.
