The Fragile Threads of Love and Fate

---

He held her tightly in his arms, a gentle kiss falling on her soft hair. "Wait for me," he whispered. She nodded, quietly hiding the bitter tears, knowing that this promise was as fragile as a thin thread in the dark night. Once the sun rose, once the cold clock struck 9 o'clock, he would leave, taking all the love with him, leaving her with nothing but an empty word: "wait."

He was a brilliant young man, admired by many with a bright career and a wealthy family. And she, just an orphaned girl with no place to call home, her future uncertain with an unfinished college degree. Their love, like many mismatched romances, was scrutinized by judgmental eyes. People said she was reaching too high, that her ambitions were beyond her grasp. But love doesn't care about society's barriers, does it? He chose to stand by her, ignoring the scorn. Happiness came, even if fleeting, like a beautiful dream. But then that dream crumbled when his parents forced him abroad, using their health and even their lives to coerce him into choosing. Faced with the weight of family, he surrendered. She couldn’t blame him. How could she, when he had to choose between love and family, and he chose what mattered most?

The day he left, she silently watched as his footsteps faded into the distance, her heart shattering. Without him, her world returned to the familiar loneliness. Yet, she kept her promise, still waiting…

---

Four years passed. For most people, it was just a fleeting moment, but for him, it felt like an eternity. He had everything a successful person could want—except love. She had vanished from his life, without a trace. Then one day, news reached him that she was getting married, like a knife stabbing into his heart. Could that wealthy man make her happy? He didn't want to believe it, but the wedding invitation delivered to him left no room for doubt.

The day he returned, his last hope was just to see her happy, even if it meant happiness with someone else.

The autumn leaves fell gently, the sky turning cold. She pulled on a thick coat, lowering her hood to hide her face. Hastily grabbing the crumpled money from the hotel bed, she quickly exited. Her hurried figure caught his eye, and he froze. Despite the years that had passed, despite her attempts to conceal herself under heavy makeup and hoods, he recognized her. The girl who had once belonged to him now stood at the crossroads of life, ensnared in the cruel whirlpool of money and heartbreaking choices.

A surge of anger flared up in him as he saw her get into a luxurious car, cold and distant, as if the woman he once loved no longer existed. She was still beautiful, but the withered look and despair were evident in every step, every glance. And just like that, in an instant, all his beautiful memories of her dissolved, replaced by contempt and fury.

He stormed towards her like a madman, pulling her into his car. In the brief moment of reunion, she still forced a wry smile, her eyes sharp and indifferent. But behind that strong exterior lay wounds, bruises on her body, exposed under the hotel lights as her dress fell. He paused, horrified by what he saw. She was no longer the pure, innocent girl he once loved. Before him stood a different person, stained and broken beyond recognition.

She laughed, a bitter, defiant laugh, watching as he threw money onto the bed and left in bitter silence.

---

The following days, he buried himself in work, while she continued her sordid life. They lived in completely separate worlds, only thinking of each other at night, with memories that had long faded. But in truth, despite the distance, they were still bound by an unbreakable thread of fate.

And then, one day, fate brought them together again in a tragic twist. On the old road they once walked together, he witnessed her being assaulted, pushed onto the street, then hit by a speeding car. Blood pooled on the ground. He rushed to her, cradling her weakening body, his hands trembling as she handed him a small bag.

Inside, there was nothing but a photo of a little boy—her son. She looked at him, weakly smiling, and whispered, "Save my son… will you?"

Before she could finish, her eyes closed forever, the final smile still on her lips. The sky began to rain, masking the belated tears on his face.

---

Sitting alone in the quiet room, he opened the old, tattered notebook with shaky handwriting, reading through pages and pages filled with her pain and suffering. Each line cut into his heart, revealing the truth she had endured for the past four years.

Today, he finally understood. Love can't always wait. She had loved, sacrificed, and endured. But life, in its cruelty, had taken everything from her.