In that moment, I made a promise to myself. If we were both still alive in three years, we'd leave it all behind. There was still so much life ahead of us. We deserved a life of our own.We chose a city where it stayed warm all year and made it our home. We even went and got our marriage certificate.Now and then, I would scroll through my feed and check out old photos. There was the very first photo we'd ever taken together, and the one from our wedding in Africa…I would carry those memories with me forever.Dennis – EpilogueOn the way back from Africa, I came across a little girl. She was holding a small stone in her hands, running her fingers over the words carved into it: Peace and joy.I froze. I had seen that exact stone once before, hidden in Anna's luggage.It was the day I hit her.She came to the hospital afterward, and I had someone sneak into her hotel room. That's where I found the stone.I asked the little girl where she got it."A kind lady gave it to me," sh
I looked at Dennis."All of this," I said quietly, "I got through it on my own. That's how I grew up. Three years ago, I had just graduated. I was just a girl, clueless about everything. "When I first started working, nothing felt right. Every day, I watched hundreds, sometimes thousands, die right in front of me. And still, I had to keep myself together, keep saving who I could. I broke down and cried every night, but I kept telling myself—just make it three years. Hold on three years, and I can go home.""But when I finally did go back, I saw you with someone else. And you told the housekeeper not to let me come back."He stood there, stunned. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—shock, maybe."I... I was wrong," he said. "Back then, I kept telling myself we couldn't work out. You were so much younger than me. I forced myself to be with someone else. But once I was, I realized it—" his voice caught, "—I was in love with you. I couldn't stop it. No matter how hard I trie
I cried like the world was splitting open inside me, and Leon held me tight. He kept whispering into my ear, again and again, "Don't cry. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."Then suddenly, I pushed him away."Do you love me?" I asked.He froze. "Yes.""Then let's be together."In this war-torn country, with explosions always just a breath away, I didn't want his feelings to remain unsaid. I didn't want either of us to leave this place with regret.I had never truly been in love before.The moment he heard me, he wrapped his arms around me again, trembling with emotion.But before we could linger, someone called out. More wounded.We wiped our tears and split up—rushing back to different battlefronts, different lives to save.In that blur of motion and urgency, I forgot about Dennis. Forgot everything except the hands I could still hold, the lives I might still save.That day, after a rare moment of quiet, our coworkers gathered wildflowers for us. They said they wanted t
"Leon? What are you doing here?" My surprise slipped out before I could stop it.He smiled, wide and bright, his teeth impossibly white."Took me a while, but I finally got accepted into Doctors Without Borders. From now on, we're colleagues."…On the road to the village in Africa, the ride was rough. There were potholes everywhere, and the truck was bouncing like it had no suspension.Leon reached over and handed me a mint."It helps with the motion sickness," he said.I took it and popped it into my mouth. Cool mint spread slowly across my tongue.He asked me how I'd been. I told him everything.There didn't seem to be any point in hiding it—not even the part about Dennis. It wasn't some shameful secret, just a part of life.After three years in this line of work, I'd stopped holding back. I say what I need to say, when I need to say it. Because sometimes, there isn't a next time.When I finished, he reached over and gently patted my back. "I'll stay by your side from now
"How could you…"I quickly cut in, "Raymond, I came today to tell you that Dennis and I are ending our engagement. He's already in love with someone else. He has a child now."Raymond's face turned bright red with fury. He grabbed his cane, ready to strike Dennis. "You brat! How dare you cheat on Anna!"I stepped forward and stopped him, placing my hand gently on the cane."Raymond, we've already talked it through," I said quietly. "He's with someone he truly cares about now. He has a child. And I… I don't love him anymore. That's why we're ending it."Dennis hadn't said a word—he just stood there, eyes fixed on me.Raymond finally let out a heavy sigh. "Anna, you don't deserve this. One day, Dennis will regret letting go of a girl like you."Dennis spoke then, firmly, "I won't regret it."After explaining everything to Raymond, I went to my old room to gather my things. Once I was done, I ran into Scarlett.She was bundled up in a thick down jacket and fleece-lined pants. Her
As she heard what I said, Scarlett's pupils contracted, narrowing slowly before she spat, "Anna, are you out of your mind? I'm your love rival!""But I don't like Dennis anymore," I replied calmly. "I came today to tell you there's no need to worry about me. I'm not going to compete with you. I'll be ending my engagement with him soon. After that, you two can be together without hiding.""What did you just say?" Dennis had walked in without warning, his voice filled with surprise.I turned to look at him, offering a faint smile. "I've let go of you. I just came to tell you I'm ending the engagement, so you and your wife can be together openly."He froze.It took him a while to respond."If that's how you feel… I'm glad," he finally said.I thought hearing about the breakup would make Dennis happy. But his reaction wasn't what I expected. Not quite joy. Not even relief.As I was about to leave, he stood up."Let me walk you out," he said.There was a 24-hour convenience store