Fabian nodded. There was a faint smile on his face. “Don’t worry, Dad. I will.”
But only he knew the turmoil raging inside him.
Every night, when the world grew quiet, his mind would pull him back to Valerie–her smile, her tears, her tenderness, and her betrayal.
Those memories were like a knife, cutting into him over and over and leaving him breathless from the pain.
Then one day, he received an invitation to a class reunion.
Fabian stood by the floor–to–ceiling window while holding the invitation between his fingers. He was frowning.
He hadn’t planned on going. The memories of his youth were locked away and buried deep. He had no desire to dig them up.
But Sasha came bouncing over. She looped her arm through his and said coyly, “Fab, we haven’t seen our old classmates in ages. Let’s go! We don’t have anything else going on anyway.”
Fabian looked down at her, meeting her eager gaze.
After a brief silence, he finally nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”
The reunion was held in a private dining room of an upscale restaurant.
By the time Fabian and Sasha arrived, the room was already packed. Seeing them, their classmates quickly stood up to greet them with warm smiles on their faces. “Fabian! Sasha! Welcome! You look perfect together!” Julian Alston, their old class president, walked up to them with a wide grin. His tone was filled with flattery. Sasha smiled sweetly. She linked her arm through Fabian’s as if she were the happiest woman alive. Fabian, on the other hand, simply nodded without much expression. The atmosphere quickly turned lively. Drinks flowed as everyone reminisced about their school days.
Fabian sat in a quiet corner. He was holding a glass of red wine but hadn’t even taken a sip.
“Fabian, why so quiet?” Julian suddenly clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. “What? Been apart too long and feeling distant?”
Fabian offered a faint smile. “No. I’m just listening to everyone.”
Julian laughed, then reached into his bag and pulled out a stack of envelopes. “By the way, does anyone remember the letters we wrote to our future selves ten years ago? Well, today marks exactly ten years. I brought them all. Let’s see if our dreams came true!”
A chorus of excitement filled the room as everyone eagerly gathered around. They were all excited to see what their you
Sasha was just as intrigued. She reached out and snatched Fabian’s letter from Julian’s hand.
“Fab, let’s see what you wrote!” She giggled as she tore open the envelope.
As she scanned the page, her smile froze. The letter was filled with words–every single one of them about Valetic. “To Fabian, ten years from now;
selves had written.
“If you’re reading this, I hope you still remember Valerie. The lady with the radiant smile, the one you once swore to protect forever, and the one you loved more than anything. “Did you two get married? If you did, was the wedding at Eleyburn? She always said she wanted to get married in the most sacred place beneath Azure Summit, where the gods could bear witness to your love.
“Do you have kids now? She once said she wanted two–a boy who looks like you, and a girl who looks like her, I bet they’d be adorable.
“If you’ve forgotten her, then please remember her now. Because she was, and always will be, the love of your life.”
Sasha’s hands trembled as she held the letter. Her expression darkened.
She looked up at Fabian before calling out shakily, “Fab…”
As Fabian’s eyes landed onthe letter, a flicker of emotion flashed across his face. He took the letter from her hand and said calmly, “It’s all in the past.”
With that, be tore the paper up. Then he tossed the shreds into the trash without a second glance.
The room fell into an awkward silence. Their classmates exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to say.
julian forced out a chuckle and tried to smooth things over. “Oh, well.. it’s all in the past, right? Fabian has clearly moved on truean, after what Valerie did, she doesn’t even deserve to be remembered!”
A few others quickly chimed in, “Exactly! Fabian has Sasba now, and they’re happy together. No need to dwell on old memories.”
Sasha’s expression was still stiff, but she managed a weak sndle She said nothing more Meanwhile, Pablan remained expressionless, as it none of it had anything to do with huu. When the reunion ended, Fabian and Sastra prepared to leave,
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