- 16.
Mrs. Miller was the first to notice me.
“Sarah, you’re back! Come and talk to Chloe.
She’s been so difficult lately.‘
وو
She took my hand, her tone pleading.
I pulled my hand away. “I’m tired. I’m going to
rest in my room.
Mrs. Miller’s face fell, but she didn’t press the
issue, turning back to appease Chloe.
She was a far cry from the domineering
woman I remembered.
Back in my room, I pulled Ethan’s New Year’s
gift from my bag: a red cashmere scarf.
I wrapped it around my neck, looking at
myself in the mirror.
A smile touched my lips.
- 17.
That evening, a knock came at the door.
I opened it to find Jake standing there,
looking haggard and anxious.
“Sarah, we need to talk.‘
“”
I stepped aside to let him in.
He wrung his hands, then blurted out, “Sarah, you’ve always been the wife I truly wanted.”
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Chloe’s temper has gotten worse, and she
spends money like water. I…”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Waiting for me?
Jake, do you even believe that yourself?”
“You were ‘waiting‘ for me while you got
Chloe pregnant. What do you take me for?”
He flushed, panic in his eyes. “Sarah, let me
explain…”
I cut him off. “There’s nothing to explain.”
“You and Chloe are having a baby. Thorn’s
“You and Chloe are having a baby. There’s
nothing left to say.”
“I wish you both the best.”
He was silent for a moment, as if
remembering something.
“I’ve been having dreams… dreams where
you’re the one I married.”
“You were so kind and gentle, taking care of
my parents back home.”
He paused, his voice tinged with pain. “But in
the dream, I only had eyes for Chloe. I
neglected you, I hurt you. I was a jerk.”
“And I made our son force you to divorce
I was shocked. He was dreaming of our past
life.
He covered his face with his hands. “I
wronged you in that dream. And now I want
to make it up to you…”
I fought to control my anger, my voice icy.
“If you really want to make amends, then take
care of Chloe and your child.‘
“”
“And leave me alone. That’s best for both of
99
us.”
His eyes dimmed, a hint of reluctance in his
voice. “But I keep feeling like… you’re
supposed to be my wife.”
My patience finally snapped. “Jake, you need to leave. This isn’t something you should be saying, and this isn’t where you should be.”
He stood up dejectedly and walked out of my
room, his steps heavy.
I watched him go, feeling nothing.
In both lifetimes, he wavered between two
women, greedily wanting both.
I began to think. Since Jake and Chloe were
living here now, there was no reason for me
to stay.
The Miller house was never my home.
- 18.
The next morning, I packed my bags and
knocked on Mrs. Miller’s door.
I pressed a bank card into her hand. “Thank
you for everything you’ve done for me over the years.”
“This is the money I’ve saved. Please accept
it as a token of my gratitude for raising me.”
Mrs. Miller hesitated, trying to push the card
back. “Sarah, I can’t…”
“Take it,” I said, picking up my suitcase. “I
need to get back to school. Goodbye.”
I left the Miller house without looking back,
feeling no regret.
The line at the ticket counter was long. When
I finally reached the front, there were no
tickets left to Miami.
The next available train wasn’t until the day
after tomorrow.
I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
Where was I supposed to go?
I couldn’t sleep on the streets.
Just as I was starting to panic, Ethan
appeared, carrying several bags.
“Sarah!”
His face lit up with a surprised smile as he
hurried over.
I was taken aback. “Ethan! What a
“Yeah. What are you…?” He trailed off, then his eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you have nowhere to go?”
Ethan’s voice was filled with concern. “Why don’t you spend the holidays with my family?”
I hesitated. “Oh, I couldn’t impose…”
“Nonsense,” he said with a grin. “It’s just me and my grandma. It’s pretty quiet. You’d liven
things up.”
“Besides, I don’t like the idea of you being all
alone during the holidays.”
He paused, then added, “Please, Sarah. Just
keep my poor grandma company. She gets so
His pleading expression made me laugh.
Unable to refuse, I finally agreed.
- 19.
Stepping out of the train station, a gust of
cold wind made me shiver.
Ethan immediately took off his coat and
draped it over my shoulders.
A faint woody scent enveloped me.
“Cold? Millerton’s much colder than Miami.”
I shook my head, warmth spreading through
- me.
Ethan’s house was in the old part of Millerton,
a charming two–story building.
As we stepped into the yard, the delicious aroma of dumplings filled the air.
A silver–haired woman stood at the kitchen
door, beaming at us.
“Ethan, you’re home! And who is this…?”
Her gaze fell on me, and her eyes twinkled. “My, my, you’ve brought home a beautiful young lady this year!”
I blushed, looking down shyly.
“Grandma, this is Sarah Miller, a friend of
mine,” Ethan said with a smile.
“Well, well, well. Come in and get warm.”
Grandma Carter bustled back to the kitchen,
and Ethan carried my suitcase to the guest
room.
The room was small but cozy, the bed linens
smelling of sunshine.
وو
“Rest for a bit. Dinner will be ready soon,
Ethan said softly, setting down my suitcase.
I nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed,
watching the snow fall outside. A sense of peace and tranquility settled over me.
Maybe this was what it felt like to have a
home.
- 20.
That night, we sat around the dining table, enjoying steaming hot dumplings.
Grandma Carter kept piling food onto my
plate.
“Sarah, dear, you must come visit again.
You’re always welcome here.‘
“”
I smiled, my heart warmed by her kindness.
After dinner, Ethan suggested a walk in the
nearby park.
The winter park was deserted, save for a few
couples huddled together, enjoying the quiet.
We walked slowly along the lake, neither of us
speaking.
Snowflakes fell softly, dusting us like a fine
layer of powdered sugar.
“Thank you, Ethan,” I said softly, breaking the
silence.
“For what?”
“For taking me in, for giving me a warm place
to stay.”
Ethan looked at me, a playful glint in his eyes.
“How about you marry me as repayment?”
I blinked, then let out a mock–haughty sniff. “In your dreams!”
Despite my words, a ripple of something went
by vvulus, a
VI
IL
through me.
“So, how are you going to repay your hero? I
did rescue you from the perils of the train
station, you know.”
His exaggerated tone made me laugh. “Hero?
Sounds more like you’re trying to extort me.
He pretended to think for a moment, then
said with mock seriousness, “Let me see…
how about you cook me dinner every day until
school starts?”
I rolled my eyes. “In your dreams! I’m not a
very good cook.”
He grinned. “That’s okay. I’m not picky.”
“Besides even if your seeking is terribl
י
“Besides, even if your cooking is terrible, I’ll
eat every last bite.”
His playful teasing made me laugh. “Is that how you show gratitude? Sounds like you’re
just trying to take advantage of me.”
“Aw, I guess my charm isn’t working.” He sighed dramatically, then suddenly leaned
closer. “Maybe I should try harder?”
I felt my cheeks flush, and I stepped back.
“Don’t… don’t do anything crazy!”
He laughed at my flustered reaction.
(6
‘Just kidding.” He reached out and gently
ruffled my hair. “Come on, let’s go back.
Grandma will be worried.‘
Back at the Carter house, Grandma had
prepared hot ginger tea to warm us up.
Sipping the tea, surrounded by the cozy
atmosphere of the Carter home, I felt a flicker
of hope for the future for the first time.
Maybe letting go of the past and starting over
wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
On New Year’s Eve, fireworks lit up the night
sky.
The deafening sound of firecrackers echoed
through the air.
Standing by the window, I felt a strange sense
of being in a different world.
“Happy New Year, Sarah.
99
Ethan stood close, his warm breath tickling
my ear.
I turned to meet his gaze.
Time seemed to stop, my heart skipping a
beat.
“Happy New Year, Ethan.
وو
He leaned in, whispering, “I like you, Sarah.
99
Outside, the fireworks continued to explode,
their vibrant colors reflected on my face, and
on Ethan’s.
