Chapter 1

"Come on, let us go. Let us give Olivia and her husband some privacy."

The group laughed as they filed out of the driver's cabin and shut the door tightly behind them.

When they saw me standing in the aisle, one of my former coworkers, someone who had worked shifts with me years ago, froze in surprise.

"Nathan? You quit. What brought you back?"

Quit? When had I ever quit?

My mind went blank. The words caught in my throat.

Three years earlier, shortly after Olivia and I married, her father suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.

Olivia earned far more than I did and could not afford to leave her job, so she begged me to take care of him.

"Nathan, you are the person I trust most. I know you will do a great job.

"I will make sure your ticket inspector position is waiting for you. As soon as my dad recovers, I will transfer you back."

I loved Olivia with all my heart back then. I agreed without a second thought.

Looking back, I realized every railroad position was spoken for. There was no way my job had been waiting for me all those years.

She must have arranged for me to be quietly removed and given my position to the man I had just seen, the guy everyone had been talking about.

My former coworkers sounded almost offended when they saw the dazed look on my face.

"You disappeared without saying goodbye, and you even missed Olivia's wedding. We wondered why one of our old coworkers was not there."

"You showed up out of nowhere and did not say a word. Nathan, what happened to you?"

I forced a smile that looked more painful than tears.

When Olivia married me, she said money was tight. We had a simple meal back in our hometown for our wedding reception.

There were two red candles, no decorations, and not even a wedding banner.

My heart turned cold at the memory. Just then, the man from earlier rushed out of the driver's cabin.

"What is everyone doing out here?"

Someone introduced us right away.

"Julian, this is Nathan Carter. He used to work in our division and started at the railroad with Olivia.

"This is Olivia's husband, Julian Hayes. He took over your ticket inspector position. Olivia adored him. Those two were inseparable. We were all jealous of them."

Julian laughed loudly.

"That is because Olivia hired such a thoughtful caregiver for my dad. Otherwise, I would not be able to work on the train without worrying.

"Once I get paid next month, I am giving that caregiver a raise. Finding someone this reliable for just 500 dollars a month is a steal."

The others joined in right away.

"500 dollars a month is not cheap. Olivia really went all out for you."

500 dollars?

I stood there listening. My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe.

Ever since Olivia arranged for me to stay home and care for my so‑called father‑in‑law, she claimed money was tight and never sent me another cent.

Even his medical bills were paid with the money I earned by staying up late, writing letters for other people one word at a time. In our era, lots of people couldn't read or write.

So, the person I had devoted 3 years of my life to caring for was Julian's father.

I, Olivia's legal husband, had been reduced to the paid caregiver they hired.

"Nathan, why are you crying?"

After showing off his happy marriage, Julian finally looked at me in confusion.

I reached up and touched my face. Only then did I realize my tears had soaked the front of my shirt.

"Have things been rough for you? Are you hoping to come back to work? Do not worry, I will talk to Olivia for you."

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to me.

"Here. Keep it. You can have it."

The moment I saw it, another sharp pain twisted in my chest.

Before our wedding, I spent half a day picking out that handkerchief as a gift for Olivia.

She smiled and tucked it away carefully, telling me she would carry it with her wherever the train took her.

It had become a worthless trinket, passed from her lover's hands back to mine.

I clenched the handkerchief tightly. My hands trembled.

Julian looked me up and down. His eyes stopped on my faded suit.

"Nathan, that is a great‑looking suit. Did you buy it at a department store?"

I shook my head. "No. It was custom‑made."

His face lit up right away and he told me it looked amazing. He even asked me to help him get one made too.

Before I answered, the train's whistle pierced the air.