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Martin sat alone in the coffee shop, lost in a daze. He didn’t leave until it closed for the day. He didn’t know what he should do, and his heart was flooded with sorrow.
The more he felt that way, the more it became clear to him that Jasmine was an integral part of his life. And yet, he lost her.
Things might’ve turned out differently if he had realized sooner that he was in love with her, or if he hadn’t disappointed her. Countless different scenarios played out in his mind, but it
was too late for him to make a difference.
Martin wandered the foreign streets aimlessly. A bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by torrential rain. Every pedestrian ran back home to seek shelter from the rain, but he didn’t know where he could go now.
He trudged through the road in the rain, murmuring Jasmine’s name, soaked to the bone. All
of a sudden, his phone rang. He pulled it out with anticipation, only to find that it was a text
from Nora.
“Martin, come home.”
Reading the text seemed to have sapped all his strength. How on earth did things turn out this way between him and Jasmine?
Martin fell to his knees, sobbing and screaming in the torrential rain, but the downpour drowned out all voices, including his heartbreaking cries.
He stumbled his way toward an apartment before stopping in front of its tightly shut door. He didn’t dare to knock on the door. Instead, he curled up and stayed outside. Jasmine lived there, and this was the only place where he could feel a sliver of relief.
It had been days since Martin had slept. Under the pouring rain, he actually drifted off to sleep in a daze as he lay down on the ground outside the door.
In his dream, Jasmine forgave him and followed him back to Corvalis. Things finally returned to the way they were. The only difference was that he did right by her this time.
He immediately made an official announcement about their relationship and even proposed to her. There were tears in her eyes as she threw herself into his arms, telling him that she had waited for this day for a long time.
Martin curled his lips into a grin as if he had finally found happiness. Then, he slipped into unconsciousness in the downpour.
By the time he opened his eyes again, the headache was sharp and terrible, and he was having
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trouble moving his body. With much difficulty, he opened his eyes and found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
He wanted to get out of bed, but he immediately heard a warm, delicate voice next to him.
“Hold–still.”
It was Jasmine.
The second Martin heard her voice, he threw caution to the wind. He sat upright on his bed and pulled her into his arms, squeezing her as if he had finally found something that was once lost to him.
“Jasmine, you forgave me! I know what I did wrong, and I’ll make it up to you for the rest of my life. Trust me, I know how wrong I had been. I can’t live without you. I…” he said, bursting
into tears.
0
Regret rose in his chest like a fierce tidal wave, leaving him with a bitter heartache. He locked his arms around her tightly, not willing to let go.
“Martin, stop it. I did it for Nora’s sake. She would’ve been heartbroken if you died outside my doorstep.” Jasmine frowned as she broke free from his embrace.
Only now did Martin get a close look at her face. There was nary an emotion in her anything, they were laced with disdain.
eyes. If
Her expression was like a blade to his heart. His face was pale, and his hands hovered with uncertainty. All he could do was stare at her, the woman he loved but could never get.
Overwhelmed with anguish, Martin called out to her in a hoarse voice, “Jasmine!”
She didn’t respond to him, her eyes cold and distant. “I called Nora, and she’s going to come here to pick you up. Martin, stop looking for me. Without you, my life here has been wonderful.
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“But Jasmine-‘
“1
“Let our past stay buried. It’s over between us the moment you chose Alessa over me.”
“Jasmine!” Martin’s tone grew more sorrowful every time he uttered her name. He looked at her intently. They were within arm’s reach, and yet it felt like she was out of his grasp forever.
“Is there absolutely no chance between us?” he asked, holding onto the last sliver of hope.
At last, Jasmine looked him in the eyes as she responded, enunciating each word. “No. That ship has sailed.”
Her words felt like a sharp knife to his heart, and the pain was too much to bear. Martin wanted to reach out and touch her cheeks one last time, but she stepped away, denying him
Chapter 20
even that small comfort.
Martin’s eyes reddened, and tears fell to the floor.
“Okay. Okay…” He trailed off, his heart aching so much that it nearly broke him.
