Ethan sat at the kitchen table, tapping his fingers on a cold cup of coffee. The apartment felt so quiet today. Usually, it buzzed with life. Outside, the city was busy and loud. But inside, time seemed to freeze. Without Claire, everything felt too big and empty. Losing her left him feeling lost. Every minute without her reminded him of what he had lost.
His chest felt tight. Guilt and regret mixed inside him. It was hard to breathe. It had only been two days since she left, but he could still hear her voice. Every corner of the apartment held memories of her. He had never thought things would fall apart like this. He always thought he was in charge of his life and feelings. Now, he knew that idea of control was just a dream.
Thinking about their marriage hurt. It wasn't real. It had been more of a deal than a loving bond. There were no promises, no love, just obligation. They both thought it would work. But Ethan was wrong. He didn't see how everything would change or how important Claire could become.
Frustration bubbled up in him. The confusion he felt was like trying to walk through fog. For years, he had pushed down his emotions. Now, they all rushed to the surface—anger, sadness, and failure. When did everything shift? When did Claire go from just a name on paper to someone who mattered? He had taken her for granted, thinking she'd always be there. That was unfair. She deserved so much more.
Just then, his phone buzzed. It was Mia, Claire's best friend. She had tried to help him understand. Part of him wanted to ignore her, but he needed to hear her out.
He opened the message: "I heard what happened. I'm sorry, Ethan. I know you're hurting, but you need to face the truth. You can't keep running from it."
Ethan stared at his phone. Was he really running away? Ignoring the truth? He didn't know the answer, but he couldn't keep pretending. The mistakes he made wouldn't disappear. Apologies were late, but he could try to understand.
With a heavy sigh, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He replayed the last few months. It all started as a simple agreement between families, a marriage meant to be formal. But it gradually changed. Cracks appeared, slowly at first, then all at once. He was too busy to notice Claire struggling. He didn't see that she needed more than a contract.
He had sent her many desperate messages: "I love you. Please don't leave. We can fix this." Each one went unanswered. Claire made her choice, and deep down, he knew it was the right choice for her.
The phone buzzed again. His heart sank when he saw Claire's name. He took a shaky breath before opening the message.
"I hope you're okay. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I need to do this. For me."
Her words hit hard. She was really gone. Ethan felt a sharp pain in his chest as he read her message again. There was nothing left to say. She was making a choice that hurt but was needed for her own good.
His hand shook as he set the phone down. He looked around the empty space where Claire used to be. He wanted to scream, to reach out and beg her to come back. But he knew that wouldn't help. The silence felt heavy. He couldn't change the past or undo the hurt he caused.
Ethan got up, his mind racing. He couldn't stay there any longer. The walls felt too close, each memory of Claire hurt more than the last. He needed to step outside, maybe the chaos of the city would help him forget, even if just for a moment.
He walked to the window and gazed at the city skyline. The lights in the distance sparkled coldly. For a second, he felt completely lost. Where had it all gone wrong? He couldn't figure out the moment it started, but he knew he had ruined something beautiful. He had let Claire down.
He remembered the beginning—how they both agreed to this arrangement. They hadn't expected love to grow or for each other to matter. He thought he could separate his feelings from the contract. But he was wrong.
Standing in the quiet of his apartment, he realized how much he took her for granted. Claire had given him everything—her time, trust, and heart. He had been blind to it.
His phone buzzed again, interrupting his thoughts. It was Mia calling him directly. He hesitated but then picked up.
"Ethan?" Mia's voice was gentle. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know." His voice wavered, heavy with emotion. "I don't know if I'll ever be okay again."
Mia paused, letting him find his breath. "You have to face it, Ethan. You can't keep running. You need to understand how you treated Claire. That's the only way to heal."
Ethan closed his eyes, letting her words sink in. He had been running. From Claire, from the truth, from himself. It was time to face everything. To examine who he had become and who he failed to be for Claire.
"I don't know if I can fix this, Mia," he whispered, his voice thick with feeling. "I don't know if I even deserve to."
Mia's voice was steady. "You can't change what happened. But you can learn from it. You can be better."
Ethan wasn't sure if he believed her, but he wanted to. Deep down, he hoped he could change. He wanted to be better—for Claire, for himself, for who he knew he could be.
"Maybe one day," he said softly. "But for now, I need to let her go. I need to let her be free."
There was a moment of silence before Mia spoke again. "Then you need to start doing that for yourself too."
Ethan had no idea where to go from there. He didn't know if he would ever see Claire again or if the gap between them was too wide to bridge. But as he listened to Mia, he felt something shift inside him. He couldn't change the past, but he could change what lay ahead.
He stood up from the table, feeling a flicker of hope in the mess of his thoughts. It wasn't much, but it was enough to take the first step. The path ahead was unclear, but for the first time in a while, Ethan felt ready to face whatever came next.
Maybe it wasn't too late for him to be the man Claire deserved. But if he was going to get a chance, he had to start by forgiving himself.
With that thought, he took a deep breath and walked toward the door, ready to face the future.