She left, and he realized far too late that she had been his only true love.
Antoine sat in his car, eyes fixed on the restaurants doorway. His hands shook, though he didnt notice. A low whine rattled his ears, a sign of his nervous tension. Tonight was the reunion of the class of 03twenty years since theyd walked out of high school, twenty years since hed ruined what might have been his happiness.
Back then, he had suspected Élodie of cheating. A picture that seemed to show a new suitor turned his stomach. She never defended herself. She stayed silent. He shouted, accused, emptied every bottled-up rage. Then she walked awayno screams, no explanations.
Six months later, he married Camille, out of spite, to prove to Élodie that he could be happy without her. The marriage, however, was flat, taut like a stretched rope. Everything was in place: wife, child, job. Yet his heart stayed mute.
Now, that night, he would see her againÉlodie, the one he had truly loved.
He stepped into the hall and felt her immediatelynot seeing her first, but sensing her. Her energy, her light laugh. She was still mesmerizing: a floral dress, curls framing her shoulders, that confident gaze. And in an instant, everything shifted again, just as it had before.
Élodie he called as she stepped away to answer a phone.
Yes, Antoine? her voice was calm, almost teasing.
I need to know everything. How did you live without me?
Are you sure you want to hear it? No pain lingered in her tone, only a deep weariness, worn thin.
I cant live without you. Without us
Theres no *us* anymore, Antoine. Its been that way for a long time.
And our child? he blurted.
She paled, closed her eyes, then spoke, quietly but firmly:
Youre talking about the baby I lost after your accusations? The one I couldnt save because I cried too much? Yes, I was pregnant. But you claimed it wasnt yours. You believed that photo. Not me. Not your heart. You believed Camille.
He lowered his head. He had destroyed everything that day.
I survived, Antoine. Broken, scarred, but I survived. I left. I started anew. A man helped mea man who saw only me, not my mistakes, not my blame, not my past. Today we have two adopted children. Theyve been mine from day one, and Im happy.
Forgive me
Why? For destroying me? I forgave you. It took me longer, but now Im no longer the woman you once knew. Im not yours. You realized too late what youd lost.
She turned on her heels and walked away, light steps, back straight, full of confidenceeverything he had failed to protect before.
He stood frozen, amid the quiet of parked cars, his heart in shreds, knowing one truth: you cant turn back. Sometimes its simply too late, and even if youve carried her in your heart all your life for her, youre nothing at all.
