Time flies.

The day I decided to leave, I met a girl. She looked at me with open curiosity. “Hey, handsome, you look so much like my boyfriend.” My heart ached with a complicated mix of emotions as I gazed at nineteen-year-old Luna. “I *am* him. And I was just about to leave your thirty-five-year-old self.” Luna froze, a rare flicker of panic crossing her youthful, radiant face. I watched her silently, offering no explanation, no accusations. The mistakes thirty-five-year-old Chloe made shouldn’t be laid at Luna’s feet. “No, why are you leaving, Alex?!” “I love you so much!!” A sharp pang seized my chest, an overwhelming bitterness spreading through me, suffocating me. I’d just been walking along today when I found her – Luna, nineteen years old. She had arrived from sixteen years in the past. “Is it because I’m not pretty anymore? Or your family won’t let us be together? Are you terminally ill?” Luna paced anxiously, her face etched with worry. “It can’t be that you have another woman, right?!” I… had no words. Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile, unsure how to face Luna. Our relationship, Chloe’s and mine, had long since decayed into nothingness, but nineteen-year-old Luna had no idea. She was still lost in the throes of our passionate love. “Say something! Alex!” The young girl was practically bursting with anxiety, all because she’d seen the divorce papers I’d drafted in my study. “Had I truly not made up my mind about the divorce yet?” My gaze lingered on Luna, a touch of longing in my eyes. It had been so long since I’d seen Chloe so vibrant and bright. “Luna, do you love me?” The words were barely out before a self-deprecating laugh escaped me. A man in his thirties, still asking such childish questions. “Yes! Of course, I do!” “I love you more than my own life.” Luna looked up, meeting my eyes. The nineteen-year-old’s gaze was eager, and a sweet, fresh scent enveloped me as she leaned closer. Luna’s face was filled with earnest affection, and my heart softened. But… I touched the phone in my pocket, gazing deeply at her, my chest aching. “Chloe’s on a business trip these days. You can stay here for a couple of days first.” Luna blinked, then suddenly reached out, her fingers brushing the corner of my eye. Wrinkles had formed there over the years, from time and hardships, and I didn’t care for myself. Standing next to nineteen-year-old Luna, I looked utterly mismatched. I turned my face away, embarrassed, a mocking tone in my voice. “I’ve gotten old, haven’t I?” Luna chuckled softly, a note of tender affection in her voice that I hadn’t heard in years. “You look good even when you’re old, incredibly charming.” Luna cupped my face, utterly serious. “I’ll love you even if you turn into a grumpy old man, Alex.” A long-forgotten stir of emotion rippled through my heart. At the same time, I felt a touch of irony. A beautiful start, a bitter end – that’s pretty much what it meant, I guessed. … I was getting medicine for Luna when I received the photos from the private investigator. They were high-quality pain relievers for dull bone aches, brought back from abroad by a friend. When Luna was eighteen, she’d shielded me from a baseball bat swing ordered by Brandon, and that’s how she’d developed this ailment. It hadn’t healed in over a decade, and her shoulders and back would ache with any exertion. The ointment tube slipped from my grasp, clattering to the floor. I stared at the photos, a suffocating sense of powerlessness and desolation washing over me. Chloe’s affair partner was none other than Brandon, our high school classmate. I’d known Chloe’s feelings had changed, and I’d thought I could accept it, no matter who the other person was—a powerful figure or a charming young man. But Brandon, the famous celebrity, even though I knew he’d had a crush on Chloe for over a decade, I’d never imagined it would be him. Because once, Brandon had bullied me relentlessly in high school. I still remembered seventeen-year-old Chloe, her slender shoulders shielding me, trembling with fear, yet still protecting my bruised and battered body. “Brandon, if you bully Alex again, I’ll make you pay with your life.” I closed my eyes, a single tear tracing a path down my cheek. Opening them, I felt a dizzying sense of disorientation. Luna came running, her face filled with concern. “What’s wrong, Alex?” My voice was hoarse, but I tried to keep it calm as I answered her. “Chloe, you’ve fallen for someone else.” Luna exploded. She refused to believe it. “How could that be?! I swore I’d die if I ever stopped loving you!” “Alex, this must be a misunderstanding!” In our youth, we refuse to believe in goodbyes. Nineteen-year-old Luna firmly believed her love would last until she was thirty-five. But the world changes, and hearts are fickle. She didn’t know that the girl’s love had long since died during our many years together. I looked up at Luna, remembering the photos of Chloe and Brandon, and a tiny, damnable spark of hope ignited in my chest, completely out of place. What if it really was a misunderstanding?! Luna saw the dazed look on my face and squeezed my shoulders, her eyes firm. “Alex, it must be a misunderstanding!” “Please don’t decide to divorce so easily, okay?!” “Give me another chance, please?” I took a deep breath. My worn-out body felt a surge of courage from her. “Okay.” This nineteen-year-old girl deserved every chance I could give her.

“You said I cheated with *who*?! Brandon?! How is that even possible?!” The young girl was always so impulsive. I shook my head, took a sip of coffee, my mood surprisingly light. “How could I ever get involved with Brandon? I absolutely despise him!” Luna paced back and forth, as if wrestling with an impossible riddle. I calmly gathered the scattered photos of Chloe and Brandon entering and leaving a hotel from the table. If it came to a lawsuit, these would all be evidence. “Luna,” I cleared my throat. “If you were setting a password for a safe, what would you choose?” Chloe had a safe in her study, and I didn’t know the password. Luna looked at me strangely. “Your birthday, of course. Aren’t all my passwords that?” I paused for a moment. “Oh.” The safe’s password used to be my birthday, but at some point, it had changed. I couldn’t open it anymore. Luna seemed to guess something. She quieted for a moment, pulling herself from her agitated state. “Alex, don’t be sad yet.” Luna looked a little flustered, her eyes faintly red. “There must be some misunderstanding, please believe me!” I looked at her, gave a faint “Mhm,” and couldn’t resist pulling her into my embrace. I yearned for her love, even knowing it should belong to the younger Alex she knew. But I would always believe nineteen-year-old Luna. Luna sighed in relief, instantly regaining her fighting spirit. “Let’s go! We’ll confront Brandon!” “I’m not going.” Luna suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with bright affection. “Alex, I know you’ll be uncomfortable seeing him,” “I’ll go by myself.” I was taken aback. I hadn’t been afraid of Brandon for years. Chloe’s love during those years had helped me move past that bullying. I let out a low, bitter laugh. How ironic. The person who pulled me out of the abyss was now heading into one herself. Looking at the spirited Luna before me, I sighed. Brandon, having been in the entertainment industry for years, was already a seasoned schemer. Luna probably wouldn’t even get close to him. “I’ll come with you.” I stood up, looking directly at Luna. I loved Chloe too much. Even knowing she’d cheated, even knowing I was going to leave her, I still loved her. Especially nineteen-year-old Luna—that was when our love was at its peak. Luna’s ears flushed, and she looked at me cautiously. “Alex, can I kiss you?” Before I could answer, I felt a fleeting, soft touch on my lips. Then Luna, blushing, hugged me. The young girl nestled her head into my neck, just like she used to. Her voice was muffled, like a wronged kitten. “Alex, I love you so, so much. Please believe me, I truly love you.” I clearly heard the pounding of my own heart. At that moment, I fell in love with Chloe all over again. My arms stiff, I patted her back, my voice hoarse without me even realizing it. “Chloe, if only you could love me like this forever.” Luna didn’t speak. After a long moment, she kissed my neck. A warm, loving, and careful kiss. …

Brandon was a true privileged heir; the talent agency he worked for was part of his family’s empire. I led Luna to the reception desk. “Tell Brandon that Alex Blackwood is here. I need to see him.” Soon, a secretary invited us to Brandon’s private elevator. I watched Luna’s reflection in the elevator doors, and an idea sparked in my mind. “Luna, whatever I say later, don’t contradict me.” She nodded, perfectly obedient, instantly endearing. Nineteen-year-old Luna was just like that: sweet and adorable to everyone, but a little kitten only with me. She loved to be pampered, playful but also incredibly gentle. … “Well, well, if it isn’t Alex Blackwood? The top student. How have you been doing lately?” Brandon fiddled with a luxurious watch on his wrist. He hadn’t changed much over the years, looking as if he were still in his twenties. Meanwhile, Chloe and I, having built our company from the ground up, now bore the clear marks of time on our faces. I clenched my fists, suppressing the nausea churning in my stomach, and put on a polite, respectful facade. “Brandon… I came here today to ask you one thing…” I lowered my voice, making it sound utterly humble. “Has Chloe been cheating?” Brandon’s expression hardened for a moment, then he scoffed. “How should I know? You’re her partner. Who are you asking?” I tightened my grip on the voice recorder in my pocket. Brandon was a public figure, after all; he wouldn’t easily admit to being the third party. What a shame… Dropping my pitiful expression, I reverted to my usual cold demeanor. I pulled a stack of photos from my pocket and tossed them onto his desk. Finally, a crack appeared in Brandon’s composure. But he quickly recovered, not even glancing at the pictures. “Alex, you know how advanced AI technology is these days.” “These photos must be faked by someone trying to slander me.” Brandon’s words were earnest. He had maintained a gentlemanly image all these years, but the malice in his eyes couldn’t be hidden. Over a decade ago, he was the one who led others to bully me. And he, with that seemingly upright face and privileged background, had escaped everyone’s suspicion. Everyone, except Chloe. Back then, only Chloe stood by my side. It was just the two of us here. I chuckled, then swung my arm. My fist landed squarely on Brandon’s face. “Ah—!” Brandon yelped, instinctively trying to retaliate, but I fiercely held him captive. I tilted my head, a smirk twisting my lips. “Brandon, I’ve only been living like an ordinary person for a few years, and you’ve already forgotten who I am.” I looked down at him, my gaze icy. The soundproofing here was excellent; no one outside would hear a thing. Back in high school, Chloe was just a middle-class girl. She only protected me with her body. Brandon, a rich heir, wouldn’t have feared her. That school bullying incident was ultimately resolved by my father. I’m the only direct heir of the Blackwood family. Who were the Brandons to even think they could challenge us? It was only after my father passed away and I cut ties with my family that Chloe married me. Otherwise, for a girl with no family background like her, marrying me would have been almost impossible. But I truly had cut ties with my family, and now I was just gambling that Brandon would be apprehensive. After all, if the Blackwood family decided to act, the Brandon family would have no hope of resisting. I glanced at Brandon, who looked utterly indignant, then turned and called out to Luna, who had been waiting just outside the door. Luna looked at the scene before her and, surprisingly, seemed almost delighted. She leaned close to my ear. “Alex, you’ve become so powerful now,” “I won’t ever have to worry about anyone bullying you again.” I froze. I had thought she would think I had changed. Did Chloe not like the gentle, compliant Alex she had fallen for? Luna was oblivious to my thoughts. She met Brandon’s stunned gaze, visibly shuddered in disgust, her brows furrowed. I / Brandon: … Nineteen-year-old Luna clearly despised Brandon. Brandon’s expression gradually turned venomous. He gazed covetously at Luna’s face. “Alex, what kind of person are *you* to talk?” “You brought *her* here, aren’t you just trying to replace Chloe?” He stood up, looking at Luna with a lost expression, and shakily reached out to touch her face. Then Luna slapped his hand away. I / Brandon: … Luna went on a passionate rant. “Who do you think you are, trying to touch me?! Look at your own repulsive face?!” …I rubbed my chin. Objectively speaking, Brandon’s face was actually quite handsome. Young people these days, so quick to judge, huh? I tsked softly. Luna, understanding my unspoken signal, stepped behind me and subtly hooked her little finger around mine. My heart embarrassingly skipped a beat. It was a feeling of infatuation I hadn’t felt in years. Clearing my throat, I turned my gaze back to Brandon. My intention today was simply to provoke him. People rarely reveal their true colors without a little push. I wanted Brandon to fall, and fall hard.

Sure enough, the next day I received a message from Brandon. Just a hotel name and one sentence. “Come alone.” I twitched my eyelid, then resolutely brought Luna with me. Brandon, that man, he really plays a twisted game. He and Chloe sat opposite each other at a table by the hotel’s outdoor pool. Chloe was wearing a sexy, revealing bikini, an outfit I had never seen her in before. *Slap!* I clapped my hand over Luna’s eyes. “Don’t look. Filth.” Luna’s body stiffened, but she remained obediently covered. She reached up and squeezed my shoulder, her voice hesitant. “Alex, don’t be sad. Let’s just observe a little longer.” I nodded, a wave of bitterness rising in my chest. Luna and I were hidden by lush greenery, a distance away from Brandon and Chloe. Chloe had her back to us, completely unaware that there were two more people in the courtyard. Brandon, however, seemed to sense something, frequently casting ambiguous smiles in our direction. I stood frozen, my breath catching in my throat. That was Chloe. The woman I had loved for half my life. Brandon stood up, gallantly pouring Chloe a drink. I couldn’t hear what they were saying. But after pouring the water, Brandon casually took Chloe’s hand and sat beside her. Chloe, without a moment’s hesitation, leaned back into his embrace. I closed my dry, aching eyes, a sudden, physiological nausea surging through me. I clapped a hand over my mouth, quickly pulling Luna away. I vomited until I was dizzy and disoriented, physiological tears streaming from my eyes. Luna stood behind me, distraught, her eyes red, seemingly even more upset than I was. After I finished, Luna cautiously reached out, her fingers trembling. She said, “Alex, can I hold you again?” I looked up. In the streetlight’s glow, the tears in her eyes were crystalline and blinding. Her eyes still held pure affection and a thick, unshakeable guilt. So I buried my head in her embrace, my tears soaking her neck. “Ch-Chloe…” I choked out the name, holding Luna incredibly tight, losing control in despair for the first time. “Chloe, you really did cheat… Chloe…” Today was supposed to be the day Chloe returned from her business trip. She’d told me she’d booked the wrong flight and would be back tomorrow. Yet, here she was, secretly meeting Brandon at a hotel. More than the photos, the truth I witnessed with my own eyes was what ripped my heart apart. Luna’s hand gently patted my back, again and again. She kept repeating, “Alex, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Luna was utterly serious. “Alex, let’s get a divorce. I’ll help you.” “My Alex doesn’t deserve this kind of humiliation.” I dizzily opened my eyes to look at her. How could a person change so drastically? Nineteen-year-old Chloe, who had loved me so genuinely. It hit me then: love truly can just… fade away. I nodded silently. Luna cupped my face, gently leaning down to kiss away my tears. But her own tears fell on my face. She said: “Alex, I’m sorry.” “I don’t know how things ended up like this…” If life could always be as it was at first sight, what would be the sorrow of autumn winds? Casual change is human nature; yet, hearts easily betray. When I married Chloe against all odds, my uncle said it was life teaching me a lesson, and its name was regret. It was a lesson so profound, I would never forget it. I was disoriented last night; Luna was the one who brought me home. When I woke up, Luna wasn’t there. Instead, Chloe sat in the living room, her face ashen. She was still wearing the dress I bought her. I sat down after a moment of silence.

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