One Moment Lost, An Eternity Apart

“Thank you for understanding. I’ll be back soon,” he said with conviction.

But his words only confirmed my despair.

What I really meant was.

If this is goodbye—it could mean forever.

Forever could be Veronica. Or it could be me. And he chose Veronica.

I got out of the car.

Watched him drive away.

Then whispered to the wind, “There’s no need to come back.”

I spent the whole day alone at the resort.

He never returned.

It wasn’t until late that night that I received a message from him:

[Are you still there?]

[Not at all.]

[Don’t be so cautious. Veronica has depression. I’m just afraid she might do something irrational.]

Nathaniel sent message after message, explaining at length.

But I didn’t bother to read any of them.

He was worried that Veronica might not be able to handle it.

But was he not worried that I might be the one who couldn’t handle it?

He didn’t come back that night.

I shouldn’t have expected him to.

I was the one who couldn’t let go.

But this time was different, it was his choice.

Maybe it really was time for me to let go.

A month later, I secured a massive five-year order for the company from another district.

This deal alone could sustain our operations for half a decade, even without a single new client.

To celebrate, the company threw a party.

No one expected Veronica, who had already been fired, to show up.

Yet she stormed in, grabbed the microphone, stood center stage and glared provocatively at me.

Then she shouted. “Nathaniel! Ivy isn’t worth your love at all!”

Turning to him with desperate affection, she added,

“Promise me. You’ll break up with Ivy. Be with me instead!”

Everyone was stunned.

Some colleagues moved to throw her out, but I stopped them.

I walked up to Nathaniel and said, “Well, since the moment’s already here. Why don’t you just go with her?”

My words shocked the entire room.

Even Veronica stared at me in disbelief.

A heavy silence fell.

I locked eyes with Nathaniel.

His gaze was equally stunned, his expression flickering through disbelief, panic, confusion, fear.

So many emotions in just a few seconds.