“You thought I did all those things? You
thought I forced Ashley to leave? You thought
I hurt her because I was jealous and you were
going to cheat on me?”
“Jake, after eight years, you never knew me.”
Г
“Because you ‘thought‘ all that, people died!
You didn’t even give me a chance to explain!
Now you want to fix things? Don’t you think
that’s ridiculous?”
I remembered my mom’s look of regret.
The past eight years were filled with hate.
Jake went white.
He started slapping himself.
“It’s my fault! I’m blind!”
“I ruined everything!”
“I see it now. I’ve always loved you. Ashley
was nothing. I don’t love her.”
く
“Looking at that type of person is
disgusting!”
I didn’t know why he suddenly changed his
mind about Ashley.
I didn’t want to know.
“Jake, it’s over. God gave us a second
chance. We should just stop, it’s best for both
of us.”
“You see, I’m married. I have a daughter, and
a baby on the way. I’m happy.”
Jake’s face changed.
He grabbed my hand.
<
“No! We were together for eight years! You
can’t forget that!”
“You’ve only been married to Guo for five
years! He doesn’t know you! I don’t care that
you have kids. I can raise them.”
I pulled away.
“What makes me so bad? You said you’d
never change!”
“Lily, why did you leave me?”
Jake was crying, falling.
I didn’t feel bad.
I felt good.
く
“You want to know what makes you so bad?
I’ll tell you. You’re nothing compared to Guo!
He would never stop me from chasing my
dreams. I can just be myself.”
“He never doubts me. No one can break us
up.”
“Even when you said those things, he didn’t
ask. He just felt bad for what I’d been
through. That’s the difference.”
“You’ll never be him.”
I smiled.
“I didn’t want a wedding. I didn’t want to tell
anyone we got married, he agreed. He hid me,
protected me.”
Г
“I said I wanted to chase my dreams, and he
took care of everything at home. I don’t have
to give up anything.”
“He said love isn’t about sacrificing someone,
it’s about helping each other. Love is about
building each other up.”
“I see what he does, and he knows when I’m
hurting. That’s love.”
He cried.
“You’ll regret this.”
He left.
His words scared me.
<
That night, a rumor about Guo came out.
I saw what he meant.
The photos showed Guo drunk, being helped
by Ashley.
They went into a hotel room.
It was a trick.
You couldn’t see Guo’s face.
But you could see Ashley’s face.
A man and a woman, alone.
Everyone knew what was going to happen.
Then, Jake texted me.
く
“See? Guo isn’t so good.”
“Men are all the same.”
“Lily, it’s not too late to come back. I’m
waiting. If you say yes, we can go back to the
way things were. I won’t let you go again.”
I laughed.
“Let’s bet on this. We’ll see if Guo is so
good.”
Everyone reached out to me.
I didn’t want to talk to anyone.
I put my phone on “Do Not Disturb.”
Guo came back late.
He smelled like Ashley’s perfume.
He smiled.
“Honey, look at the news.”
“Did I do good? What’s my reward?”
He showered, changed, and hugged me.
We watched the news.
The video showed Ashley drugging Guo at the
coffee shop.
The story was trending.
Someone recognized Ashley and said who she
was.
L
People started attacking her.
Guo said that he was faking.
When they got to the room, he knocked
Ashley out.
He wanted to get revenge.
Nothing happened.
Ashley woke up and sued Jake.
She knew everything about him.
Jake had been running illegal businesses and
was trying to manipulate the local government
to get permits and licenses to build his
empire.
He knew that Ashley had all the evidence that
could ruin him and his family.
I saw that Jake knew Ashley wanted Guo.
He knew Ashley didn’t love him.
In the past, Ashley messaged him after his
business took off.
That’s why.
A simple trick caused three deaths.
They fought in court.
Jake’s company closed.
Ashley went to jail.
I sent Jake a message.
“You lost.”
He didn’t reply.
Then, he disappeared.
I left the hospital.
Guo and my daughter picked me up.
I turned off my phone, and looked at the
sunlight shining on their faces.
I was happy.
If you let go of the past, you can start over.
