C09
Dillon’s voice trembled with earnestness as he said, “I’ve taken back Knight Holdings now and I’ve completely cut ties with Alyssa. She won’t appear in your life again. Please forgive me and come back to me.”
The sincerity in his tone was undeniable, but to me, it was meaningless. Each word felt hollow, like a distant
echo trying to reach a place it never could.
For five years, he had deceived me, weaving lies and tearing apart the life I had once trusted. The scars he left behind were etched too deeply into my soul, impossible to erase.
My gaze was steady as I looked at him, the weight of the past making my words sharper. “Let’s not talk about the
past anymore. We’re divorced now. There’s nothing left between us, so saying more is meaningless.”
I watched as his expression faltered, his shoulders stiffening slightly as though bracing for impact. His lips. parted, but I didn’t let him speak.
—
“If you think apologizing and trying to win me back will work, let me save you the trouble. The pain you caused me will stay with me forever. I will never forgive you.”
Dillon froze, his mouth still open mid–sentence. The words he had prepared dissolved into silence. He stared at me, the redness in his eyes betraying the emotion he tried to contain.
He looked at me as though searching for some small flicker of understanding, but all he found was a wall he
could no longer breach.
I turned away, motioning for my elderly neighbor to follow. “Dillon,” I said, not looking back, “you’ve already hurt
me once. If you keep clinging to me, it’ll only cut deeper. If you really love me, let me go. Please.”
Scars and Lies
The words seemed to strike him like a physical blow. His body stiffened, his expression crumbling into something raw. He opened his mouth as though to argue, but no words came. Finally, he said, almost to himself, “I know I was wrong in the past. I understand you won’t forgive me now, but I won’t give up. I’ll prove my feelings through my actions.”
I didn’t reply. My silence was answer enough.
***
For days, Dillon didn’t return. I thought perhaps he had finally understood, that he would leave me to rebuild my life in peace.
But the knock that came on my door wasn’t his.
When I opened it, I was met with the sight of my parents. My mother’s eyes were rimmed red, her face pale with
remorse. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer, her desperation plain as she said, “Mia, it was our mistake.
We wronged you. You didn’t set up your sister–you were framed. The truth is, that Alyssa was a fake. Your real sister
has returned. She’s waiting for you at home right now. Can you forgive us and come home to meet her?”
Her voice cracked with every word and the tears pooling in her eyes began to fall freely.
I stood motionless, my hands gripping the doorframe. A cold, distant part of me noted how her words carried the
ring of desperation but lacked the depth of true understanding.
My father stepped forward, his shoulders slumped in shame. “Mia, I was blind not to see she was an imposter.
Because of my foolishness, you suffered for so many years. It was our fault. Please, can you give us a chance to
atone? Let us make it up to you. Your sister said she’s missed you all these years. She hopes you’ll come see her.”
Their apologies hit me like water against stone–splashing, but unable to reach the cracks buried beneath the
surface. I had known Alyssa had framed me, but discovering that she was an imposter only deepened the ache in my
chest.
For a decade, they had tormented me, believed the lies of a stranger and treated me like a stain on their perfect
image. And now, they expected a simple apology to undo the years of neglect and cruelty?
I stared at them, my face unreadable. A storm raged inside me, but I refused to let it show.
My mother began to cry harder, clutching my arm. “Please, Mia, just come meet your sister. She’s been waiting
for you, longing to see you again.”
I wanted to refuse, to shut the door and bury the past for good. But I thought of my sister–the real one. She was innocent in all this. She hadn’t betrayed me.
After a long silence, I finally nodded.
***
When I saw her again, it was as though time rewound itself.
Her eyes still held the warmth I remembered from our childhood, her face filled with an overwhelming
tenderness that broke through my defenses.
1-40-0
She didn’t hesitate. The moment she saw me, she ran to me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embr
“Sis,” she sobbed, her voice muffled against my shoulder, “I finally found you! Do you know how much I’ve
missed you? I thought I’d never see you again… but heaven must have been watching over me, because here you
are.”
Her words unlocked something in me and the tears I had held back for so long began to fall. My shoulders shook
as I returned her embrace, the years of pain and separation washing over me in waves.
She clung to me as though afraid I might vanish again. Her voice trembled, each word carrying the weight of her
emotions.
“Sis, I know what happened between you and Mom and Dad. I know they didn’t mean to hurt you, but that doesn’t
erase the nain they caused I won’t force you to come hack I want to respect your decision Rut
can you at least
3:22 PM
