Chapter 4: The Ghost of the Past

"It’s a bit dry for a picnic, isn’t it?" Arthur asked, his voice echoing with his usual impatience. He looked down at his polished leather shoes, which were already accumulating a layer of dust from the gravel path of Crestview High.

It was Day 30. The weather was unusually warm for a Tuesday afternoon, and the old school park was mostly deserted, save for a few crows perched on the rusting swing sets.

"I didn’t bring a basket, Arthur. I just wanted to walk," Evelyn said. She moved slowly, her hand occasionally reaching out to touch the peeling paint of the wooden benches. Every step felt like she was wading through thick water, but she forced herself to keep her posture straight.

Arthur shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze sweeping over the overgrown football field and the dilapidated bleachers. "I haven't been here in fifteen years. I’m surprised they haven't torn this place down to build condos yet. It’s an eyesore."

"It was beautiful once," Evelyn murmured. She stopped in front of a massive oak tree near the edge of the property. "Do you remember this tree?"

Arthur barely glanced at it. "It’s a tree, Evelyn. What am I supposed to remember?"

Evelyn traced a faint, jagged scar in the bark. She remembered a rainy afternoon, a group of older boys pushing a smaller girl into the mud, and a defiant teenager with bruised knuckles who stepped in between them. She remembered the way he had wiped the dirt off her cheek and told her not to cry.

"Nothing," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I guess it was a long time ago."

"Exactly. It’s the past. I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with it lately," Arthur said, checking his watch. "You insisted on coming here today. Why? To remind me that we grew up in the same zip code? My father only sent me here because he wanted me to 'understand the common man' before I took over the company. It was a social experiment, nothing more."

"Is that all it was to you?" she asked, turning to face him. "An experiment?"

"What else would it be? My life didn't truly start until I left this place and went to Yale," he replied coldly. "This school, these people—they were just background noise. Including you, if I’m being honest. Our marriage only happened because your father held a debt over mine and my grandfather had a sentimental streak about 'merging families.' It was a business transaction, Evelyn. One I’ve been trying to close for three years."

Evelyn didn't look away. She searched his eyes for a flicker of the boy who had once protected her, but there was only the man who resented her. "I used to think you were my hero, Arthur."

Arthur let out a sharp, mocking breath. "Then you were a very delusional little girl. I’m not a hero. I’m a CEO. I solve problems and I maximize profits. That’s who I’ve always been."

They continued walking toward the pond at the center of the park. A small wooden bridge arched over the murky water. On the other side, an elderly couple sat on a blanket, sharing a thermos of coffee. The man was gently tucking a stray hair behind the woman’s ear, his movements slow and full of a quiet, weathered tenderness.

Evelyn stopped to watch them. The sight felt like a physical weight on her chest.

"Look at them," she said softly.

Arthur followed her gaze and frowned. "They look like they’re waiting for a bus that’s never coming. It’s depressing."

"I don't think so," Evelyn countered. "They look like they’ve survived everything together. I always thought that would be us. I thought if I just waited long enough, if I was a good enough wife, we’d eventually get to that point. Where we didn’t need words to understand each other."

Arthur turned to her, his expression hardening. "That’s your problem, Evelyn. You’ve been living in a fairy tale. Real life doesn't work like that. People don't just 'grow into' love when there was never a spark to begin with. We were a mistake from the start. A legal obligation that turned into a burden."

"A burden," she repeated. The word felt hollow.

"Yes. A burden," Arthur said, his voice rising with frustration. "I’ve spent three years feeling like I’m suffocating every time I walk into my own house. And now, you’ve trapped me in this ridiculous hundred-day game. Don't you see how pathetic this is? Forcing someone to stay isn't love. It’s a prison sentence."

He didn't wait for her to respond. He checked his watch again and started walking back toward the parking lot, his strides long and purposeful. "I’ve had enough of this trip down memory lane. I have a conference call in an hour. Are you coming or not?"

Evelyn opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden, sharp pain flared in her lungs. She doubled over, gasping for air. The sky, which had been bright and clear moments ago, suddenly turned a bruised purple. A low rumble of thunder rolled across the horizon.

"Arthur," she tried to call out, but her voice was swallowed by a sudden gust of wind.

Arthur didn't turn around. He was already thirty yards away, his back a rigid, unforgiving line. He disappeared around the corner of the brick gymnasium, heading toward the car.

The first drop of rain hit Evelyn’s forehead, followed by another, and then a sudden, torrential downpour. The temperature plummeted instantly. Evelyn tried to take a step, but her legs felt like they were made of lead. The world began to spin—the grey school building, the swaying oak tree, the murky pond—all of it blurring into a chaotic swirl of color and shadow.

She sank to her knees in the grass, the rain soaking through her thin blouse in seconds. Her breath was coming in ragged, shallow hitches. She reached out for the wooden bench, but her fingers slipped on the wet surface.

"Arthur..." she whispered, her voice lost in the roar of the rain.

She collapsed onto her side, her cheek resting against the cold, muddy earth. She watched the spot where he had disappeared, hoping, waiting for him to realize she wasn't behind him. But the minutes ticked by, and the only thing that came was the biting cold and the sound of the storm.

Arthur’s car engine roared to life in the distance, the sound fading as he drove away from the place where they had first met.

Evelyn lay in the mud, the water pooling around her, unable to move, unable to scream.