Damien glanced at Amelia through the rearview mirror and spoke in a low voice.
"Baby, next time … I promise I’ll make our relationship public."
Amelia smiled gently as she said calmly, "It’s okay. Our marriage was just an agreement. I understand."
Her calm response made Damien uneasy.
He hurriedly reassured her, "At the earliest, in a week, I’ll-"
"We’re here," Amelia cut him off, looking out the window.
The car had already stopped at her door.
One day became a week. A week became a month. A month became a year.
Amelia had learned not to wait for promises that would never be kept. Five years of marriage. She would treat it as nothing more than a dream. And now, after waking from that dream, it was time to pack up and move on.
The city lights flickered outside, just like the hope she had clung to for the past five years, always igniting, only to be extinguished again and again. Now, she had finally learned. There was no point chasing a light that would never shine on her.
It was dark when Damien hugged Amelia from behind, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
"Baby, I’ll accompany you home to see your parents in a few days, okay?"