Chapter 24%
*Just tell me what you want, Jean, Samira said flatly. “Spare me the emotional speech. I don’t need it.”
Jean’s shoulders dropped. His voice trembled as he looked at her with pain in his eyes. “Samira please don’t be like this. I’m not trying to push you. I just… I want a chance to make things right. I don’t want everything between us to end like this.
Samira let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Between us? What was there, Jean? Was it the part where you didn’t believe me? Or when you stood by and watched them tear me apart?”
Her voice dropped, all emotion stripped away. “If anyone gets to talk about what we had, it’s me. You lost that right a long time ago. And honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself for even bringing it up.”
Jean looked like he’d been hit in the gut. His whole posture deflated, like something inside him caved in.S
Tears started falling: quiet, heavy. They hit the ground as he bent slightly forward, gripping her hand with shaking fingers and pressing his forehead to it, like it was the only thing anchoring him.
“Im sorry, Samira. I’m so sorry,” he whispered again and again. “Please forgive me. Just one more chance. I won’t mess it up I won’t hurt you again, I swear.”
She felt the wet heat of his tears on her palm and froze. For a second, she couldn’t move Jean crying?!
Not once in all the years had she seen him like this. Not even close. But still, she gently pulled her hand free. He resisted at first, but she didn’t waver.
“Jean,” she said softly but firmly, “maybe you think what we had was something special. But I’ve realized… it wasn’t that deep. At least, not for you!
used to crave your love. Desperately. But now? I don’t need it anymore. And the more you push, the more it’ll hurt us both.”
She looked down at him, her voice quieter now. “Two months have passed since everything went down. And I’ve learned something, there’s more to life than what we had. More to care about. I don’t hate you anymore. But I’ve moved on.
She turned to go, then stopped and looked back over her shoulder one last time. “My new life. it doesn’t include you.“%
After that, she turned around and walked away, not looking back, heading straight into her new life without a second thought.!!
Jean stood there, frozen in place, for what felt like forever. He heard her words, every single one, but understanding them that was something else entirely, Because a life without her didn’t feel like life at all. It felt like hell.
and Yosef took her out to celebrate. She was in a good mood, so she
A month later, Samira completed her flower arrangement course and happily accepted the invitation
But during dinner, her mind kept drifting, tom between two choices, ‘Should I open her own shop, or join a well–established company instead?‘
Yosel didn’t ask much, even though it was obvious she was a little out of it. When the meal was over, she suddenly realized how quiet he had been and felt a little bad for ignoring him.
- ed. Back
What confused her, though, was how unfazed he seemed. Back then, if she ever got lost in her own thoughts like this, Yosef would’ve shown at least a hint of disappointment
Before she could figure it out, the car came
ne to a stop. She glanced out the window and blinked. It wasn’t her neighborhood. They were in a busy commercial area
“Yosef, why are we here?” she asked.
He pulled into a parking space with a grin. “Surprise.”
After they got out, he gently put a blindfold on her. “Trust me,” he said, then guided her into an elevator!
A few moments later, the elevator doors slid open. She walked a few more steps before he slipped the blindfold off. Her eyes took a second to adjust, then she saw it. A flower art studio.
Her eyes widened. “This is ?*%
Yosef’s voice came softly from behind her, close to her ear. “This is your graduation gift. I figured you’d prefer freedom over being boxed in. This place is yours. Decorate it, run it, dream in it, however you want. You don’t have to worry about anything else. I’ve got the rest covered.”
Those last three words made her heart clench.
“Tve got the rest” That was all she had needed to hear, all those years ago, when she had nowhere to go and no one to lean on.”
Just someone saying, “I’m here for you.” But Jean never said it. Not once. And maybe that was why she could finally let go.
Her eyes filled with tears. She turned to Yosef, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a hug. And in that moment, as they stood in her new studio, it felt like the world had finally settled.
Like she had come home
She used to tiptoe around Jean, trying to reach him, literally and emotionally. But now, standing in front of Yosef, she felt grounded for the first time. Solid. Sure of herself. She smiled gently. “Let’s be together”
Yosef blinked, caught off guard. His eyes widened with a mix of shock and joy.!!
Samira didn’t wait for his response. She closed her eyes and leaned in. A moment later, she felt his strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close, like he’d been waiting for this all along.
Her last relationship left scars, but it hadn’t stolen her ability to love again. Slowly but surely, her new life w
was beginning, with a man who
never let her feel alone.k
But not far away, someone else saw the scene unfold, Jean, who happened to be there on business. He stood frozen for a second, like time stopped just for him
That moment, the one he feared deep down, had finally arrived. Like a blade that had bem dangling over him for ages, it came crashing
been
down. It cut deep.k
Still, he smiled. A sad, broken smile that hurt more than tears ever could.
‘As long as she’s alive and happy,” he told himself. Over and over again, that lie became his comfort. It helped him forget the emptiness that felt a lot like she’d died in another life!
Compared to that, seeing her with someone else didn’t seem so unbearable. Then, two months later, Jean woke up one morning to find he couldn’t move his legs.
No warning. No pain. Just gone.
The Zaccaro Family scrambled to bring in every doctor they could find. But no one could explain it, no injury, no disease, no cause ?
Miranda was about to fly him overseas for more treatment when Jean stopped her. “Don’t,” he said quietly. “It’s not worth it”
Because deep down, he already knew. This wasn’t a medical condition. It was karma X
God had finally answered his prayer, but not in the way he hoped. The paralysis kept him from chasing after Samira again. It kept him grounded in the one place he deserved to be: the past.
So he stayed there. Alone, with nothing but memories of her and the love he was too late to give.
(The End)
