10
After saying goodbye to Evan, I returned to the hospital.
Two days later, Austin woke up.
When I saw his eyes flutter open, I couldn’t hold back my tears. He gave me a tired, lopsided smile and tried to lift his hand to wipe my tears
away.
I caught his hand and pressed it to my face, my voice trembling with guilt. “I’m so sorry… I’m so, so sorry…”
Austin shook his head, his gaze as gentle as it had always been.
A few days later, representatives from the Embassy reached out to me. They explained that since Evan had been carrying a firearm without a license and had attempted murder, the police were justified under law in shooting him.
I understood and signed the documents waiving any further investigation.
I thought that would be the end of it.
But two weeks later, I found myself at the center of a storm. My name and photos were plastered all over social media, and I was branded a “cold–blooded woman” who had driven a man to his death.
Sofia was behind it all.
After learning that I was the sole inheritor of Evan’s estate while she walked away empty–handed, she lashed out in anger. She spread vicious rumors online, accusing me of cheating, claiming I had pushed Evan to the brink and forced him into a jealous rage–one that ended in tragedy.
The internet exploded. The hate came in waves, relentless and overwhelming. People called for me to be investigated, even extradited back home.
It didn’t stop there. My company came under fire too, with boycotts and public outcry threatening its reputation.
Sofia thought she’d backed me into a corner. She even had the audacity to send me a message, demanding half of Evan’s estate. If I refused, she threatened to send people to harass both me and Austin here.
It was clear that Evan had never told her about the USB drive I’d left him. She thought she had all the power.
She was wrong.
I released the videos I had saved. Every vile conversation, every compromising detail–everything Evan and Sofia had said or done.
Evan’s former business partners quickly came forward to confirm the evidence and publicly apologized to me. After all, I now controlled Evan’s entire estate, and no one wanted to risk offending me.
The tide turned overnight.
Sofia became the target of public scorn. She was ridiculed and shamed, a pariah in the same online spaces she had once weaponized against
- me.
Meanwhile, I was flooded with apologies and messages of support.
But I didn’t care about any of it. As soon as the truth was out, I focused all my energy on taking care of Austin.
What I didn’t expect was for our high school classmates to start coming out of the woodwork, sharing stories about Austin’s long–standing love for me.
It turned out that every reunion we’d had over the years was organized by him, just so he could see me, even if only from a distance.
2:30 PM J
<
I also learned that he had given up a prestigious position in Boston to stay closer to me, though he had never told me at the time. He hadn’t wanted to put any pressure on me.
His quiet, unwavering devotion was like a fine wine–it only grew sweeter the more I thought about it.
People began flooding my social media with comments, begging me to give Austin a chance. They said he deserved to be loved in return.
Afraid the attention would make me uncomfortable, Austin snuck onto his own account and made a post:
*“The moon belongs in the sky, shining freely. It shouldn’t have to lower itself for those who admire it.
“Please don’t pressure her. The last thing I want is for my feelings to become a burden.”*
I stood in the doorway of his hospital room, watching him type out the message with trembling hands. He looked so pale and fragile, yet his love for me radiated with quiet strength.
For the first time in a long while, my battered heart felt as though it was starting to heal.
Three months later, Austin was discharged from the hospital.
He had to return to his work back home–there were patients waiting for him, people whose lives depended on his skill as a surgeon.
At the airport, he seemed like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite bring himself to speak.
I knew if I didn’t take the lead, this fool would leave without saying what was in his heart.
So I broke the silence. “Dr. Taylor, I’ll be back in a year and a half.”
His eyes lit up, and he nodded earnestly.
I looked into those clear, honest eyes of his and asked, “Does your promise still stand? That you’d wait for me?”
He froze for a moment, then his expression shifted as he realized what I meant. Pure joy spread across his face, though he quickly tried to rein it in.
“Yes,” he said firmly, though his voice was cautious. “But… I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything. Hannah, I-”
I cut him off by flicking his forehead, pretending to be annoyed. “You know me better than that. Do you really think I’d settle for someone just because I felt guilty?”
His grin was so wide it was almost ridiculous. He looked like a kid who’d just been handed the world.
I waved at him. “Goodbye, Dr. Taylor. Don’t forget to miss me. I… I’ll miss you too.”
As I turned to leave, his voice rang out behind me, loud and clear.
“Hannah! I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world! I promise–I love you! I love you! I love you!”
The entire airport erupted in applause.
My face burned with embarrassment as I hurried away, but I couldn’t stop smiling. His voice, his laughter–it echoed in my ears long after I’d left.
Outside the airport, the night air was cool, and the moon hung softly in the sky.
I tilted my head back, letting the breeze brush against my face.
Then, with arms outstretched, I embraced the future that awaited me.
The End.
