Chapter 8 – The Regret

Time passed quietly. Elena’s life was now simple and peaceful. She worked, helped others, and smiled more often. One day she saw a message from an unknown number. It said, I am sorry. She knew who it was. It was Jason. For a moment her heart stopped. She read the message again but didn’t reply. She said to herself, “Some apologies come too late.”

That night Jason sat alone in his big house. His friends had left him. His company was losing money. He looked around and realized he had everything but peace. He whispered, “I lost her. I lost the only person who truly cared.”

He remembered the nights she waited for him, the food she cooked, the prayers she made. He could still hear her soft voice saying, “Please stop drinking.” He closed his eyes and said, “I should have listened.” Tears came, but no one was there to see.

Elena, on the other side, had already forgiven him in her heart. She didn’t hate him anymore. She said quietly, “He was part of my story, not my ending.” She was free now. She had found meaning in her pain. She used that pain to help others find hope.

A few months later, they met at a charity event. Jason saw her standing there, calm and confident. He walked toward her slowly and said, “Elena, you look peaceful.” She smiled kindly and said, “Peace takes time.” He looked down and whispered, “I destroyed everything.” She said softly, “No, you taught me what peace really means.” Then she walked away.

Jason watched her go with tears in his eyes. He whispered, “She was my light, and I turned it off.” That night, he couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking about the woman who once prayed for him and now lived without him.

Elena went home and wrote one last line in her notebook — Some people come into your life to break you, but they end up building you instead.

She smiled and closed the book. She whispered, “I’m finally free.”

Her eyes were calm, her heart was strong, and her story was complete.

The End..