“How could Ambrose fall in love with someone like you? How could your heart be so cruel? He loved you so much, and the Wright family treated you well. How could you bear to hurt him so?” Claudia’s voice escalated into hysterics, her words sharp and barbed. Ambrose, his face etched with exhaustion and regret, had her quickly removed, muttering apologies to Hazel. Even as she was being led away, Claudia continued to scream imprecations.
Ambrose, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke. “Hazel… is not at fault. I am.” His eyes met Hazel’s, his voice trembling with sorrow. He had made many mistakes—grave ones. His greed, his failure to cherish her, his selfishness, his constant disregard for her desires—all contributed to their estrangement. He thought he loved her, but he focused only on his own needs, never truly considering hers. That had been the wedge, driving them apart. As the realization struck him, Ambrose wept, a flood of regret he could no longer contain.
He lowered his head, his voice barely a whisper. “Hazel… I don’t dare hope for your forgiveness. I only ask that you don’t forget me. Even if you hate me, please, don’t forget me…”
Zaccheus paced restlessly, his thoughts a turmoil, but he remained silent. He had once dreamed of joining the Wright family’s circle, believing it would bring him success. Now, his eldest daughter had run away, and his youngest had destroyed everything. His efforts had crumbled, leaving him with only a bitter feud with the Wrights. He glanced at Gianna. She was more radiant than ever. Then he looked at Althea, whose beauty had faded with the passage of twenty years. He longed to approach Gianna, but the coldness in her eyes froze him. He could only steal furtive glances.
Hazel saw it all. She knew her father likely regretted his actions. For some, the unattainable and the irretrievably lost are the most precious things. The Wright family had expended nearly all their wealth resolving Ambrose’s situation. After extensive negotiations, substantial compensation was paid, and Ambrose was sent back to his country. Just before his departure, he stole one last longing look at Hazel. As if trying to convince himself, he whispered, “Will we meet again?”
Without hesitation, Hazel answered, her voice unwavering, “Never.” She had already filed for a restraining order, definitively ending their relationship. Ambrose would never again be allowed near her. Her former lover, now a stranger in a distant land, would never cross her path again.
Ambrose crumbled, tears streaming down his face. Before everyone, he cried out, broken and desperate. “Why did this happen? Hazel, you’ve stood by me for so long… I thought you’d never leave me. I thought you’d forgive me no matter what. I never imagined you’d slip away so quietly. I never thought I’d lose you forever. When you left, it was like the whole world shifted. I never wanted to hurt you. I was just weak. When I finally woke up, I knew I wouldn’t choose Scarlett, but I couldn’t let go of her. So, I tried to make you into her. I thought I could have both of you… but I forgot…”
He forgot that there could only ever be one Hazel. Irreplaceable, despite her flaws. She could never be anyone’s second choice.
Hearing his words, Hazel remained unmoved. She had understood everything, and the irony was cutting. Ambrose only now realized his feelings. With a quiet sigh, Hazel hooked her arm through her mother’s and they turned to leave.
“I saw the list you made, the one on the calendar. I thought, even if I couldn’t bring you back, I could at least make up for some of what I had taken from you. I never thought… I never thought it would end like this…”
The wedding that never was. The wedding photos that never existed. The Ferris wheel they never rode. The happiness they never shared. Twenty years of knowing each other, ten years of loving each other, and in the end, every moment was tinged with regret. The wishes on the calendar no longer belonged to Hazel but to Ambrose’s haunting demons.
The sky was clear. Ambrose stood despairing, watching Hazel walk away, her figure bathed in sunlight, moving step by step toward a future that was hers alone. With each step, she distanced herself from his world, resolute and unshaken, never once looking back.