While I was in the hospital both men came to visit me, uking us Be they were on some kind of schedule
Gerard looked worse and worse after he threw up blood. His tee was pale, he had dark circles under his eyes and his chin was covered in messy ble. He looked sick and wort of
Whenever he came see
e to see me, he would either apologize over and over, beg me to take him back, or start acting all STÈ Às no me cerations in his hand.
Every time he showed up, I kicked him out without mercy
Thomas was different. He never said mich He just sat quiet in the som hoping it would somehow get some thing. He kept showing old pictures of us on the hospitals screen Me that would magical gr something
Eventually, I got so tired of the whole station that I stuck out of the hospital without selling aro
I was done with both of tho
I was tred of presenting and tred of the drama. I did not want to “play house”
I changed my phone number and secretly moved to a rural village in the mountains to act
My parents died when I was young, and I have never been someone who used time or mor
If I had not married Gerard so early, I probably would have chosen this kind of his fom the beginning–waching where I was really needed
The place I moved to was poor and isolated, dog in the western mountains was one, and lit ferend
However, the villagers were honest and kind, and the kids I taught were fall of energy and curiosity
After a while. I surted to get used to everything.
Every day, I taught my classes and helped out around the village, gathering herbs and berding cattle.
My life was pretty enjoyable and fulfilling.
A moth laner, Thomas showed up
Right after I fished teaching a class, he suddenly apporod at the door.
He looked thuner than before, and he had a red look on his face
“Leonic, are you doing okay here he asked
“Yeah. Pretty good.” I answered casually
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Thomas nodded, then said in a low voice, “Leonie, Claudia’s sentence came through. She got 13 years in prison. Also, Gerard has late–stage stomach cancer. He doesn’t have much time left.”
“Oh,” I said calmly as if it did not matter to me at all.
Thomas stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Leonie, I checked with the hospital. You didn’t lose your memory after the accident. You didn’t forget me, did you?”
“Yeah, I didn’t.”
Thomas did not expect me to admit it so easily. He looked shocked and asked, “Then why didn’t you acknowledge
me?”
I looked him in the eye and spoke slowly and clearly, “Thomas, you knew Gerard and his friends were messing with me, and you didn’t tell me. You even joined in. Don’t you think I have every right to be mad?”
“No!” Thomas grabbed my hand and explained quickly, “I never wanted to mess with you like that. I didn’t say any- thing because I was scared I’d lose the chance. Leonie, I’ve liked you for so long.
“The first time Gerard brought you to meet us, I fell for you right away. But I knew I couldn’t make a move because you were my friend’s girl. I watched you and Gerard be happy for years, and it drove me crazy. I was jealous, but I kept quiet.
“Then you lost your memory. Gerard came up with the plan for the rest of us to pretend to be him. I said no the first nine times because I didn’t trust myself. But in the end, I gave in. I was selfish. I just wanted a chance to have you, even if it meant going against my own friends.
“Leonie, I know I lied to you, but I wasn’t trying to mess with your feelings. Please, can you forgive me?”
After listening to him, I was not surprised.
Honestly, I had already noticed Thomas had feelings for me.
Back when Gerard and I first started dating, he would take me to hang out with his friends, and I could always tell that one of them was watching me a little too closely. Whenever I caught his eye, he would quickly look away.
Later, Thomas kept popping up in my life as Gerard’s friend, of course.
We never talked much. At most, we just nodded to each other.
Yet, deep down, I could feel that silent stare following me around.
No one else knew that the quiet, serious guy in the group, the one known for never dating anyone, had been secretly wanting his best friend’s wife for ten years.
“Leonie…” Thomas looked at me with hopeful eyes and said gently, “Please forgive me this once, okay? I promise, I’ll never lie to you again.”
I smirked, shrugged, and said with a small smile, “That depends on how you do.”
After that, Thomas stayed in the mountains with me.
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The spoiled city guy gave up his fancy lifestyle and moved into a simple wooden house. He ate plain food, helped me teach kids, and even herded cattle with me.
Life was not exciting, but somehow, we still found small joys in it.
Time passed quickly.
Three months later, I got a call from an unknown number.
It was Gerard.
His voice sounded weak and a little sad. “Leonie, I’m dying. Maybe it’s karma… When I’m gone, will you come back and be my pallbearer?”
“No,” I answered, calm and emotionless. “Mr. Morgan, I don’t remember you anymore. Our marriage doesn’t mean anything to me now. If you die, I won’t be coming to your funeral.”
There was a long silence. Then, Gerard said shakily, “Leonie, I regret everything. I really do. I’ll die with that regret in my heart…”
I did not respond and just quietly hung up the phone.
What is the point of regret now?
The moment he broke his promise to me, life started punishing him little by little.
He had no one to blame but himself.
Three days later, I got another call. This time, it was from Gerard’s lawyer.
He told me that Gerard had passed away from his illness and left his entire inheritance to me.
I did not feel anything in particular.
“Oh, okay,” I said.
The lawyer continued, “Ms. Granet, before Mr. Morgan died, he had one last wish. He hoped you would be his pall-
bearer.”
I turned him down without hesitation. “I don’t have the time. Let someone else handle it.”
After I hung up, Thomas came over. He was walking slowly through the sunshine while holding a bunch of wildflow-
ers.
“Do you think they’re pretty?” he asked, smiling as he handed them to me.
“They are,” I said, smiling back as I took them.
My future might be just as simple–and just as lovely–as this little bunch of flowers.
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