nce of a battle won, even if the war wasn't over. The young Chase still stood beside me, his hand

my tongue. It wasn't a question, but a statement o

was both heartbreaking and empowering. "He won't hurt you anymore, Ali

everything his older self was not: fiercely protective, genuinely empathetic, and utterly dev

ts of his betraying self, but echoes of our past. A first edition of my favorite novel, a rare vintage vinyl that we used to listen to on repeat, a small, intricate porcelain bird tha

t of the past was still there, lurking beneath the layers of his current self, waiting to be rediscovered.

with a soft cloth, who delicately placed the bird on a shelf as if it were spun glass. He wasn't a substitute. He was the

n. It was a place we used to frequent in our early dating days, a cozy spot with checkered

ly. "Aliyah, cara! It's been too long! And you've brought your handsome husb

e, his eyes full of that pure, unadulterated love. I felt a bittersweet ache in my chest. If only. We exchanged a look,

l, antique locket-a gift from my grandmother, a fa

already reaching for the restaurant door. "You wait here, Aliyah

s the time. My fingers paused on a local news report. The headline caught my eye: "Faye Willi

her of flirting with Chase. The police were called, and Faye had resisted arrest, leading to charges of assault and public intoxication.

hrough the quiet night. "Well, wel

e looked... different. Gaunt, her expensive clothes hanging loosely on her frame. The car

laugh escaping her lips. "Don't bother. He's probabl

Just a profound weariness. "Hello,

tears? No dramatics? I thought you'd be heartbroken. After all, he chose me. H

ntered, a small, wry smile touching my lips. "And just last week, he publicly announced his c

bitch! You deliberately tried to stop us! You k

ine times, he refused. He clung to me, not because he loved me, but because he loved the illusion of control. And you

ou? So superior!" She took a step closer, her hands clenched i

ecause the man who loves you so much still wouldn't sign divorce papers for six year

savage. "You're lying! He would never!

intention of truly marrying you. You were a conquest, a distraction. A pretty, ambitious junior who i

t you?" she shrieked, and then she was upon me, pushing, clawing, a primal

lared, loud and piercing, followed by the screech of tires. Headlights blinded me, a searing white li

m my name, one desperate, one fill

pulling me back with incredible force, sending us both sprawling onto the a

up to see the older Chase, frozen at the edge of the sidewalk, his arm outstretched, his fa

ed onto the sidewalk, sobbing hysterically. "My baby! My baby!" she wailed, though h

ntly brushing dust from his jacket, checking for injuries. He lo

I whispered, my

returning to his eyes. "I

haotic scene on the sidewalk, I pulled him to his feet. We walked away, hand in ha

lent, solemn process. The young Chase stood by my side, his presence a comforting anchor. When the judge ann

sented years of pain and shattered dreams, but also a future of possibility.

ith emotion. "It's really over now." He pulled back, his eyes red-rimmed. "I'm so sorry. For everything he put yo

summer day. He was fading. This pure, devoted version of Chase, who had une

y cheeks. I reached out, trying to grasp him,

nd cold, cut through my da

entrance, his eyes narrowed, his face etched with

Polla