“Those with real ability will rise on their own. Anyone looking for shortcuts, forget it.”
The room filled with applause, growing louder and more enthusiastic.
A few months later, Sylvester’s parents came looking for me.
The moment we met, his mother fell to her knees.
“Sapphire, please… please forgive Sylvester!”
Startled, I rushed forward to help her up. “Mrs. Mullins, don’t do this.”
His father handed me an envelope. “This is a letter from Sylvester. He says he was wrong, truly wrong.”
I took the letter, my heart a mess of emotions.
Once upon a time, I had dreamed of receiving a love letter from Sylvester. Now, all I held in my hand was his letter of regret.
“Sapphire, for the sake of all the years you two have known each other, please… give him another chance,” his mother begged through tears.
I shook my head. “Mrs. Mullins, some things once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
When I got home, I opened the letter.
It was long. Sylvester had written about every memory we shared, from the moment we met to the time we fell in love.
He wrote about our first date. When I was so nervous that I knocked over my coffee. He wrote about the night we watched a movie together, and I cried when the story moved me. He wrote about our fights. How after one of them, when I refused to talk to him, he waited outside all night just to apologize.
Every word carried the weight of his regret.
[Sapphire, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I need you to know that losing you was the greatest mistake of my life. If I could turn back time, I’d never let Melinda come near me, and I would never have hurt you. I’m willing to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if only you’d give me one more chance.]
By the time I finished reading, tears were streaming down my face.
But they weren’t for Sylvester. They were for the woman I used to be, the one who loved him so deeply.
I walked to the shredder and slid the letter inside.
The machine buzzed to life, turning his words into strips of paper. And with it, the old Sapphire was shredded too, gone for good.
That evening, I refused the driver’s offer to pick me up and chose to walk home alone.
The sun was setting, painting the streets in shades of orange, while cars weaved in and out of traffic.
I passed by a flower shop and stepped inside. The shop owner greeted me warmly.
།
7:43 pm D traffic.
I passed by a flower shop and stepped inside. The shop owner greeted me warmly.
“Miss, what kind of flowers would you like?”
“Sunflowers,” I said.
“Ah, sunflowers. They stand for rebirth and hope,” she replied with a smile.
I nodded, cradling the bouquet in my arms as I stepped back out into the street.
On the way home, I ran into Carly, a former colleague.
‘Miss Shepherd!” she rushed over, excitement lighting up her face. “You’re our role model now!”
I laughed softly. “Don’t say that. I only did what needed to be done.”
‘You don’t get it. Everyone at the company’s been talking about you. They say you’re a real powerhouse.”
A powerhouse?
I shook my head. No. I wasn’t some legendary figure. I was just an ordinary woman who refused to be trampled on.
Back at home, I placed the sunflowers into a vase. Their golden petals glowed under the warm light, a reflection of the calm in my heart.
I didn’t need to prove anything anymore. I didn’t need to announce anything to anyone.
Simply being able to enjoy this moment in peace meant that my new life had already begun.
Just then, my phone rang. It was Dad.
‘Sapphire, the company’s stock price has gone up again,” he said.
‘Mm,” I replied casually.
‘And… there are a few good young men who’d like to meet you.”
I chuckled. “Dad, I’m not interested in dating right now.”
“You’re right. Focus on your career first. Love can wait.”
After we hung up, I stood by the window and looked out at the city.
Lights flickered everywhere, each one representing a family, a story.
And my story was only just beginning.
As for the dust of yesterday, it could no longer stir up a single ripple in my heart.
I, Sapphire Shillingford, had come back to life.
