When I Disappeared, He Regretted It Novels & Stories

“Every bit of it. I messed up. I know I did.” The honesty in his tone disarmed me more than any excuse could have. “You didn’t just mess up,” I said, though my voice lacked the sharpness I had intended. “You disappeared.” “I know.” “You left me without a word.” “I know.” “You let me think something had happened to you.” His voice dropped. “I know, Lila.” The way he said my name—soft, weighted with regret—made something inside me twist painfully. “I didn’t think it through,” he continued. “Everything happened so fast, and instead of stopping, instead of making sure you were okay, I just… kept moving.”

“You disappeared for a week.” I saw his jaw tense. “I do care. I’ve been busy.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “And what do you plan to do when they’re born?” I asked. “Are you always going to be busy?” He lowered his gaze for a second, as if my words had hit a sensitive spot. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I disappeared after what happened that night.” My heart gave an awkward jolt. Before I could respond, I heard a voice beside me.

On the news, she was on his arm, wearing a bright, happy smile he’d never seen on her before—a happiness he had never given her. Those fireworks were the final nail in the coffin. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. Tears of regret streamed down his face. He’d lost. He’d lost it all. Not just the money and the power, but the one woman he didn't realize he couldn't live without until she was gone. "If only... I hadn't left..." He threw himself over the edge, disappearing into the black water.

“You did.” “No—” “You just don’t remember it.” My head spun. “That doesn’t make any sense.” “It does,” they said calmly. “Just not to you.” My hands trembled slightly. “I need you to explain,” I said, stepping forward despite myself. “If you know something, then say it properly—don’t just stand there and—” “You made him disappear.” The repetition hit harder this time. More final. More grounded. “And now,” they added, their gaze locking onto mine with unsettling precision—

“Camille's one of us. She can't be seen here. I need to get her out. The ambulance is coming. Call me if anything changes.” Then he was gone. I could just barely hear him, voice going soft, talking her through it. “It's okay. I've got this. Don't worry.” That last “baby” was for Camille. They left. My mind was strangely clear. I watched his taillights shrink, turn, and disappear. He hadn't looked at me once, not from the moment he stepped out of that car to the moment it drove away. If I still cared about him, I probably would have cried.

“I took it. The day we signed the divorce papers. Before you came to get your stuff, I took it. It was the one I gave you on our first anniversary.” “Oh.” I realized. “I remember now. Why did you take that?” “I don’t know. I guess I just needed a piece of you with me.” “Do you regret your actions?” I asked. “What?” “Do you regret how everything turned out?” He took a deep breath. “Yes. I wish I had gone about things differently.” Before I could respond my grandpa came. “We’ll leave really soon. You guys should come back into the house.” Our conversation was cut short. We got ready to leave the house. We had asked Rory earlier where she wanted to go and she unexpectedly said the beach.

“ I thought that I would let you be and keep to myself but I realise now that it was a mistake. I should have confronted you about the welcome party you threw for her when you said you were going to attend a gala. I was an idiot for believing whatever you say. In a sense, this is my fault. I didn't even mention that I wasn't feeling well and I missed my parents. In case you forgot, my parents died. They have been gone for a long time and this is where they are buried. That is why I came here to visit them. I'm not some crazy stalker like you think but yeah, you can think whatever. I don't care anymore. You can continue taking care of Anna. She matters more to you than I do.” I lost my compos

And now, here he was, sitting before me, the missing piece of my past. We embraced, the years melting away as if time had stood still. There was an unspoken understanding between us, a connection that had endured the test of time. As we pulled away, his gaze softened, filled with a mix of joy and sorrow. "Mia, I never thought I'd see you again," he confessed, his voice tinged with regret. "I disappeared all those years ago, but I never forgot you. I've carried the weight of my absence with me, haunted by the memories of what we once had."

Juna whispered hoarsely, his voice catching in a throat that suddenly felt unbearably dry. The letter slipped from his grasp and drifted onto the marble floor, accompanied by the collapse of the tall man's final defenses. Juna fell to his knees beside the bed, clutching the sheets where their wedding ring lay. Tears of overwhelming regret finally streamed down his face. The man howled in frustration within the silence of the empty room, realizing that his ignorance and foolishness had driven away the woman he loved most, leaving him to rot in endless regret.

I jump back in shock and confusion, staring at him with wide eyes and mouth open wide and agape. “The least you could do is be sorry, fuck, do you know how fucked up we've all been since you disappeared? Eliza and Richard wouldn't even say anything. But you're not sorry, are you? If you were, you would have at least contacted one of us. . . contacted me! But you didn't, you chose to run and hide and just forget everyone and everything, like we meant absolutely nothing!” He snaps and leans back on his chair, breathing in deeply, again, trying to catch his breath after that. I duck my head, breaking eye contact and staring at my hands, immediately feeling bad but I'm not sorry and I don't regr