Alexei turned around in complete shock. His eyes changed from dislike to surprise. Finally, he hesitantly called my name.

In that moment, my tears fell. It was like all my panic and fear finally had a place to go.

“Alexei, what’s going on?” I asked. “I had a fight with you this morning. I wanted to go back to my parents’ house, but when I opened the door, I ended up here.”

“I don’t know anyone here. I don’t understand anything here. I’m really scared. Can you please take me home?”

Afraid Alexei wouldn’t believe me, I started talking nonstop about our past.

When we were little, he climbed over the wall to bring me White Rabbit candies. When we grew up, he stole his mom’s gold necklace to confess his love to me.

“The scar on your head, you got it when you fell off my wall. The bruise on your butt, that’s from when your parents gave you a beating. And the cut on your hand… the red mark on your waist…”

The more I cried, the harder it became to stop. People started gathering around us.

Alexei frowned and took me to his office.

***

I sank into the soft sofa, looking at him sadly. “Alexei, you look so different now.”

He looked successful in his sharp suit and his big office. But when I looked closer, he seemed… unhappy. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes showed deep exhaustion.

All of the sudden, he, like everything else in this room, felt so unfamiliar to me.

Alexei didn’t answer. He only rubbed the ring on his finger gently.

After a long silence, he finally said, “I’m sorry, Emilia. I’m married now.”

I froze, suddenly remembering what the receptionist had said.

Of course! It’s been ten years. In Alexei’s world, I’ve been gone for a whole decade. Maybe, in his heart, I’ve already died a thousand times.

But… my nose stung and my tears almost fell again.

It shouldn’t be like this. In the real story, Alexei should have chased after me and apologized. We should have made up, worked hard together, waited for our baby to be born and grown old side by side.

Seeing the sadness in my eyes, Alexei turned his head away. “I’ve called my mom. They’ll come to take you. If you need anything, tell my assistant. I’m busy— I don’t have time to stay with you.”

His cold, distant tone made him feel like a stranger.

I didn’t know what to say. So, I lowered my head, eating the crustless toast on the table, trying to digest everything alone.

The more I thought, the worse I felt.

Suddenly, I heard my mother’s voice. I turned my head and saw her hair was already turning white. Yet, her eyes looked at me with the same gentle kindness as before.

“Mom…” I threw myself into her arms and started crying.

I wanted to tell her everything that had happened, but before I could speak, a delicate-looking girl stepped out from behind her.

“Sis! It’s really you! You haven’t changed at all! Where have you been all these years? Mom and Dad have been searching everywhere for you!”

Mom gently let go of my hand, looking embarrassed. She explained softly that ten years ago, I had suddenly disappeared.

They looked for me everywhere, but couldn't find a single trace. It was like I had completely vanished from the earth.

Alexei was never the same after I disappeared. He drowned himself in alcohol every day.

My father died in an accident while searching for me. My mother fell into despair and even thought about ending her life. In the end, with our relatives’ persuasion, she adopted a girl named Camille. She looked a bit like me.

At Camille’s coming-of-age ceremony, Alexei who had turned a successful man fell in love with her at first sight. He started pursuing her passionately. After years of getting closer, the two finally got married last year.

And just then, I... the me from ten years ago... suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I came into this strange new world, still covered in the dust of the past.

My mother spoke about everything so calmly, but her words felt like a heavy stone pressing on my chest.

Back then, Alexei had promised to marry no one but me. We only had one argument and now he had married someone else?

He used to love me so deeply…

As if he could read my thoughts, Alexei sighed softly. “Emilia, ten years have passed. We’ve all moved on. Back then, you vanished without a word. You almost destroyed both of our families.”

He finally asked, “You can’t be that selfish. Do you want everyone to die for you?”

“I didn’t disappear on purpose!” Looking at his familiar yet distant face, I felt tears sting my eyes. “It was just a normal morning. I opened a door and the next thing I knew… I stood here—ten years later.”

I added, “I don’t know what happened, or how to go back. And I don’t understand… how my loving family had turned so cold.”

The more I thought about it, the sadder I felt. However, Alexei simply told his assistant to send me away. He calmly handed me a black credit card.

“Camille is pregnant now. My mother needs to stay home to take care of her. It’s not convenient for you to live with us.”

“I’ve asked my assistant to book a nearby hotel for you. You can look around. When you find a house you like, just tell him to buy it for you.”

“If you need anything else, just use the card. If you don’t understand something, ask Alfred.”

Every word he said meant one thing: 'don’t come near me again'.

I stared at the VVIP black card in my hand, feeling slightly dizzy.

Back then, what Alexei and I wanted most was to buy a small home of our own in the Capital City. We dreamed of raising our child there, of having a real family, no more leaking roofs, no more desperately wanting for clothes we couldn’t afford.

Now, the house was within our reach and there’s more money than I could ever spend. Ironically, I couldn't feel happy at all. Because… I no longer had a home.

Everything here was perfect, but none of it belonged to me.

I looked around helplessly. All the sadness I had been holding in finally burst out the moment security guards came to escort me away.

“Why? Why are you treating me like this? What did I do wrong? Alexei, did you forget? You once swore in front of my parents that you’d treat me well for life!”

Thinking of the past, I wiped my tears and kept crying. “Alexei, you weren’t like this before. You loved me so much.”

“You used to bring me small cakes from your office, holding them carefully in your hands. On my birthday, when we had no money, you secretly sold your blood just to buy me a gift.”

“And once, when you lost your job, I sold our wedding jewelry to help us get by. When you found out, you cried alone for so long and said you’d become successful—so I’d never have to suffer again.”

“How long has it even been? Have you forgotten everything? Just last night we were still holding each other!”

Alexei looked at me quietly. A thousand emotions seemed to stir in his eyes. In the end, he only sighed softly.

“Emilia, that was ten years ago. I have my own family now, my own life. I can’t—and I won’t—go back to the past for you.”

Then what about me? What was I supposed to be? And what about the child inside me?

Just yesterday, Alexei was still eagerly waiting for our baby to be born. Why did he suddenly have a family with another woman overnight?

I cried until I could hardly breathe. But Alexei was determined to send me away. Even Camille couldn’t bear it and tried to persuade him to let me stay. He still wouldn’t change his mind.

He simply turned his head away and said in a tone I couldn’t quite understand, “Emilia, people can’t live in the past forever. I can’t and neither can you.”

I froze for a moment. Then slowly, I loosened my grip—on his hand and on the past I refused to let go of.

Yes… everyone else has moved on. No one should have to stay behind with me in yesterday.

I lowered my head and walked slowly toward the door. My mother tried several times to speak, to stop me. Yet, after hesitating, she stayed silent.

When I reached a familiar door, I took a deep breath. I wished that by opening it, I could return to ten years ago—to those who truly loved me.

But no.

Beyond that strange door was a strange hallway. The family I once knew looked at me with unfamiliar eyes.

Suddenly, I felt so tired. My knees gave way and I fell before I could stop myself. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw Alexei running toward me, catching me firmly in his arms.

When I opened my eyes again, everything still felt strange. It felt as if what I’d seen before I fainted had only been a dream.

I could hear my mother was speaking to Alexei nearby. “Do you really have to be this cruel? Emilia is my daughter too. I just can’t bring myself to do this.”

“Mom, we’ve finally made it through. Please, stop clinging to the past. When I married Camille, I promised I’d let go and live a good life with her. I’ve already wronged Emilia once—I can’t betray Camille too.”

My mother sighed in resignation. “Maybe… that’s for the best,” she said softly. “But Alex… please take care of yourself too.”

Their voices grew fainter and fainter until I could no longer hear them. Cold tears slipped into my palms. I wiped them away—along with my broken heart.