The Return of Her First Love

I stared at Michelle coldly, took a deep breath, and forced down the storm brewing behind my eyes."You do your thing, I'll do mine. What's the problem?"We'd been married for three years, and she'd never allowed me any say in her life. Especially after Rick came back—she'd been coming home later and later each night. Every time I texted her out of concern, she'd not only ignore me but later tear into me for being too controlling, saying I was suffocating her."Do you even realize today is our wedding anniversary? You ditched me to go drinking by yourself—were you trying to embarrass me on purpose?" Michelle's beautiful eyes blazed at me, a torrent of accusations raining down. "Rick hardly ever comes back. He just gave me a little gift. Are you really going to make a big deal out of nothing?"I was making a big deal out of nothing?A wave of bitterness washed over me.So she did know it was our anniversary. I'd spent weeks preparing a gift and booked a fancy restaurant. But the s

On the way home, Michelle and Rick chatted away like old friends.I sat quietly in the back seat, listening, but my mind kept drifting back to the past.Michelle and I met in college. That summer, a group of us took a road trip to go camping. We'd been out all day and were completely wiped out. By the time we headed back, it was already dark. I was driving, and Michelle naturally took the passenger seat.Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her beautiful profile flickering in and out of the shadows as we passed under streetlights. There was something so alluring about the lazy look on her face, the faint, almost teasing smile tugging at the corner of her lips.My heart started racing without my permission. That was when I first started paying attention to her.Times had changed.She was still sitting in the passenger seat—but it wasn't my passenger seat anymore.As Michelle stretched her arms, I noticed her wedding ring was gone. In its place was a plain silver band. Rick ha

I slowly let go of Michelle's hand.I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice bath—cold all the way through.My parents' unhappy marriage had been a scar on my heart since childhood. When I'd told Michelle about it back then, she'd cried and held me tight, promising she'd never let me go through what they did.And now she was using those very wounds as weapons.Michelle left anyway, without a second thought.I lay in bed and closed my eyes. Three years of marriage—and this was where it ended.Once I'd regained a little strength, I got up, packed my things, and went to the law firm to pick up the divorce papers. When I got back, I sat on the living room sofa and waited.A full day and night passed.At sunrise, I placed the divorce agreement on the table, picked up my luggage, and walked out the door. She could choose to drag this marriage through the mud if she wanted. I'd choose a graceful exit.Before heading to the airport, I got a new phone number. After sharing it with my c

The turning point came when headquarters assigned a new colleague to assist me with my work.When we met, the female colleague did a double take, then called out my name without hesitation. "Cyrus Benedict? Is that really you?"I stared at her for a moment, surprised. It was my high school classmate—Lydia Willow.She had a sharp, short haircut, flawless makeup, and the commanding presence of a successful career woman. A far cry from the quiet, reserved girl I remembered."Never thought we'd run into each other like this after all these years."Lydia extended her hand and gave mine a firm, confident shake. I was genuinely thrilled to see her.After I left for college, I'd drifted away from most of my old classmates. Running into an old friend brought more joy than I could put into words."How about we grab dinner after work? I know a great place nearby."She tilted her head and gave me a playful wink."Sure," I nodded.After work, we headed to the restaurant together. The conv

Rick was taken into police custody. There were security cameras at the scene—the evidence was ironclad. There was no way out for him.Meanwhile, my wedding to Lydia was officially set in motion. I wanted to give her a grand ceremony—something she truly deserved.On the day of the wedding, Michelle showed up uninvited. She looked gaunt and haggard—a far cry from the vibrant, head-turning woman she used to be."Cyrus..." Her voice was hoarse as she reached for my hand.I pulled away. Her eyes dimmed, and her tone turned pleading. "Can you... please not go through with this? I miss you so much. Just give me one more chance, okay?"I looked at her coldly, saying nothing.She pressed on, her words tumbling out desperately. "I've cut all ties with Rick—completely. You're the only one I've ever truly loved. Please come back to me. Please."I furrowed my brow and let out a sigh. "Michelle, people have to move forward. And besides..."I glanced over at Lydia, who was walking toward me,