To be honest, I never thought this would happen. I have a happy family now—a husband and four children. I thought my life was complete, I was content. It's been twelve years since my ex and I broke up. Back then, we only broke up over text, because he and his sister didn't get along. He never got married or had a GF. As for me, I've learned to move on.
But this year, he suddenly returned. He still had no other companion in his life, and it was only then that I realized how much weight he was carrying. During the pandemic, we also returned to the province and continued our quiet lives. I thought he was completely out of the picture, until one night, his father knocked on the door and looked for me. My wife wondered why at such a time, but he still came with me.
When we arrived, I saw him. Thin, very pale—I almost didn't recognize him. When he saw me, he called me “Darling.” It felt like a blow to my chest. I felt like he had been thinking about me for a long time. He held my hand, and in front of my wife, he said, “I have never loved anyone but you. That's why I came home, to say goodbye and rest.” I felt crushed. I didn't know what to feel—I was ashamed of my wife, but I felt sorry for my ex.
That's when I burst into tears. She sobbed and said, “I'm happy because you're happy and your husband loves you.” I could feel the weight in her heart but also the relief. She hugged me while crying, and that's when I realized how deep her love was that she hadn't been able to show me in 12 years.
After that, I learned that he had been drowning himself in alcohol for a long time, not eating, just to forget. Two days after our last conversation, he passed away. It was painful. So many “what ifs” came to my mind—what if we hadn’t broken up? What if he hadn’t given up on his problem? But at least I was relieved to know that before he passed away, we had talked and forgiven each other.
Before he closed his eyes, he also apologized to his sister, and they even made up. My husband, he also talked to her. So even though it hurt, I also found a little peace—because I knew that in the end, he was free from the burden he was carrying.
His last memory of me was filled with tears, but there was forgiveness and love that didn't fade even after 12 years.
