Chapter 1: The Unexpected Encounter
I never planned on getting married or having children. In fact, I had always believed that I was better off living alone. As a child, I had witnessed the destruction of my parents' marriage and the toll it took on both of them. I had vowed never to go through the same thing.
But life has a way of surprising you when you least expect it. It was a typical Monday morning, and I was rushing to catch the train to work. As I entered the train, I noticed a woman sitting alone in a corner, her face buried in a book. Something about her caught my attention. Maybe it was the way she held herself or the way she was completely absorbed in her reading. I couldn't help but be curious.
As fate would have it, the train was delayed, and I found myself seated next to her. I struck up a conversation, and we talked about the book she was reading. It was a classic, one of my favorites. We talked about our mutual love for literature, and before I knew it, the train had arrived at our destination.
As we got off the train, I realized that I didn't even know her name. I turned around to ask her, and we exchanged introductions. Her name was Emily. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.
But something about that chance encounter stuck with me. I found myself thinking about her throughout the day. I even found myself smiling at the thought of her. It was a strange feeling, one that I had not experienced in a long time.
Little did I know, that chance encounter was the beginning of a journey that would change my life forever.