“Enough about that. I’m going to prove my sincerity to you now.”
John grabbed a rose and unveiled the contents of the gift box.
A white silk dress was nestled inside.
I had once pleaded with him to buy that very dress for me.
Back then, he had snapped, “Do you even deserve a dress that pretty? It’s not even practical considering all the cooking you do every day.”
I lifted the dress, running my fingers over the smooth fabric.
However, the dress did not seem so beautiful to me anymore.
In a swift motion, I tossed it straight into the trash.
“This dress isn’t pretty at all.”
John’s face went pale, and he scrambled to rescue the dress from the bin.
“But you used to love this dress! You begged me to get it for you.”
“People change,” I murmured. “Just like you’ve changed.”
“I…” He was at a loss for words.
He knew better than anyone the kind of person he had turned into.
The boy who used to cycle to the ice cream shop with me was nowhere to be found.
Six years had passed, and the daily grind had worn him down. I was just another source of irritation to him.
That was just how it was. People did not value what they had until it was gone.
“John, stop looking for me. We can’t go back to how things were.”
A single tear fell from his eye to the floor with a splash. His face was etched with remorse.
“I’m sorry.”
I finally got the apology I had once craved. There was once a time when a simple ‘sorry‘ from him would have been enough for me to forgive everything.
However, that time had passed. This apology was too little and too late.
“Yasmin, just give me one more chance. I swear I’ll make things right.”
His plea was cut short by the shrill ring of a phone.
I watched him pull out his cell, and there it was, flashing on the screen: ‘My Holly Baby‘.
Years had passed, but I knew all too well that some things and some people–never changed.
The guy’s words were as trustworthy as a ghost’s promises.
He paused, uncertainty flickering across his face before finally answering the phone.
Holly must have felt hurt because he blurted out, “I’ll be there as soon as I can.“.
1/3
Chapter 8
+25 BONUS
Once he hung up, he turned to me, his eyes brimming with regret. “Yasmin, you know Holly’s got no one else in this city but me. She’s hurt, and I’ve gotta check on her.”
“Go ahead,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Will you wait for me? I’ll explain everything when I get back.”
