The second he read it, his entire body went still.
‘Elias, you never answered my calls. I wanted to see you one last time. The doctor said I might not survive the surgery, but I couldn’t bear to tell my parents about it. But I still love you, even now.
Do you remember the first time I met you at that party three years ago? My car broke down in the middle of the road during the rain, and you stood beside me for four hours until help came. And a few months later, when those hooligans were harassing me and you got into a fight to protect me? You ended up needing five stitches because of me.
You made it impossible for me not to fall in love with you. Impossible for me to ever forget you.
When I married you, I thought the opposite of love was hate. But now I understand. The opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s being discarded. Being ignored.
And you did discard me.
I wanted to live with you, but maybe it won’t be possible in this lifetime. I still hope we’ll meet again someday on another rainy night and spend those four hours together again.
But this time… I hope I don’t fall in love with you.
Because I never want to feel this much pain ever again.’
Elias stared at the screen without moving.
His breathing turned uneven.
The words blurred in front of his eyes, and only when a tear landed against the phone screen did he realize he was crying.
His fingers tightened around the phone as if he was trying to hold himself together.
Amara looked at him quietly before placing her hand against the arm wrapped around her waist.
Then she pushed it away.
“It’s already over,” she said softly.
Her voice carried no emotion at all.
“I don’t want to remember any of it anymore, so it’s fine. Whatever happened… happened.”
Elias immediately lifted his head to look at her, his eyes red and filled with disbelief.
But Amara looked calm.
“I understand now,” she continued quietly. “You’re busy. You have a company to run, a life to manage… and I was never going to be the person you wanted the most.”
A faint bitter smile appeared on her lips before disappearing just as quickly.
“But I’ve accepted it.”
Elias stared at her in silence, his chest tightening painfully with every word she spoke.
Amara looked away from him slightly.
“I loved you more than you ever loved me,” she admitted calmly. “And I can’t keep living like that.”
Her fingers curled lightly against her own sleeves as she spoke, but her expression never changed.
“So it’s time for me to move on.”
Elias’s throat tightened.
“Amara—”
