Chapter 2

~Three years later~

Three years have passed since the day he left me at the altar. And during those three years, I changed myself I am no longer the same Celine I used to be.

I thought I would never see him again.

But here he is now, standing right in front of me. Whole and intact, though he looks a bit thinner, like stress has taken its toll on him. He smiled at me, but I showed him no emotion at all.

“Celine?” he asked, as if he hadn’t hurt me three years ago. As if he didn’t leave me inside the church, humiliating me in front of the guests and my entire family.

I stayed silent, looking straight ahead. I didn’t smile at him. I didn’t hug him. I didn’t pay him any attention unlike before, when I loved him deeply.

But now, anger filled my heart strong anger because of how he left me.

“That’s me,” I replied, my voice still cold, my expression formal and emotionless.

We met at a corporate event. Is this fate’s irony? The same man I once couldn’t rely on is now one of the suppliers offering a partnership to my company.

How funny, right? What a life!

“Wow. You look… different,” he said, scanning me from head to toe.

“I am different,” I answered. “I am no longer the woman you left back then.” I was getting personal with my words.

I wanted to slap him, to karate chop him, but I chose to keep calm.

He fell silent at what I said. He could no longer look me straight in the eye. Suddenly, he seemed small in front of me whereas before, I was the one barely crawling through the pain.

“Celine… do I have the right to ask for forgiveness?” he asked, his face serious, almost like a begging lunatic.

I looked at him but only briefly.

“No.”

And I turned away. I didn’t want to talk to him any longer or I might lose control and slap him.

I am no longer the old Celine who could be pushed around by anyone I’m different now strong.

~ The Man Who Returned~

I never expected we would meet again.

My heart raced as I watched him approach me Eli Vergara, the man I once told I loved, yet he was also the one who hurt me. Eli Vergara, the man who ran away from me on our wedding day, leaving behind a painful message.

All of it is etched in my mind and soul.

“Celine?” he asked, as if he had done nothing wrong and as if he had the right to show up before me, as if he hadn’t hurt anyone.

I stood up from the café table where I was seated. This was supposed to be a business meeting, but my contact had canceled. Instead of food, he was the one who appeared.

“That’s me,” I replied, looking straight ahead, emotionless.

“You look… great,” he whispered. His smile was forced everything was forced, with an undertone of insincerity.

And me? I could only offer silence. What words could he possibly expect from me?

“I want to apologize,” he added. “I know it’s been years, but I think about you every day ”

“Don’t,” I cut him off.

He blinked, surprised that I could reject him so bluntly. The shock was obvious on his face.

“Don’t get sentimental, Eli. I am not the woman you left three years ago! I’m not her anymore!” I said, looking at him coldly.

He wanted to speak, but my silent stare stopped him before he could utter a word.

“Three years have passed,” I said. “You were gone for a long time. But even longer was the time I spent rebuilding myself.”

“I’m sorry,” he said I didn’t know if he meant it or not.

“Sorry? For what?” I tried to keep calm.

“Celine, I still ”

“No!” I refused to let him continue. There was no need for lengthy explanations. His guilt was clearer than the sunlight.

I stood up, grabbed my bag, and turned away.

He didn’t need to finish what he was going to say because our story was already over.

As I stepped out of

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