The next morning, I scheduled a courier to deliver the necklace. It was set to arrive three days later, right when I’d be boarding my flight.
But I hadn’t expected Kevin to drag his parents into it, knowing full well I wouldn’t have the heart to say no to them.
They looked older than I remembered–more gray around the edges–but they still carried that quiet strength. Seeing them brought a kind of comfort I didn’t realize I’d been craving.
Eleanor rushed over the second she saw me, eyes red and puffy like she’d been crying all night.
“Avery, you left without saying anything back then. We were sick with worry. Kevin searched everywhere for you. I know he was wrong, but if the two of you aren’t meant to be, then I guess it’s just our misfortune.“}
I reached out to calm her. “It’s alright, Auntie. Back then, I had a confidentiality agreement tied to funding. I wasn’t allowed to say anything. I’m so sorry. You’ve always been in my heart. And if I can, I’ll come back to visit. But right now, there are things I have to take care of.
I was about to stand up when Kevin slammed the table with both hands, his eyes red and wild.”
“You’re not leaving! Not today!“}
He looked straight at me, voice breaking. “Avery, it took me ten years to figure out that the person I love is you. I finally found you, and now you’re just gonna leave without a word? If you do, I’ll do whatever it takes to stop that project from happening. I don’t care if I have to burn down the entire Johnson Group!”
In desperation, Kevin pleaded, “I know I screwed up. But you didn’t even give me a chance to explain. You just disappeared and left me
with a death sentence.”
Gregory and Eleanor stayed silent, shaking their heads slowly, defeated.”
I met Kevin’s eyes. I didn’t say a word, but the look on my face said everything. He flinched like it physically hurt him.
Still, he tried to pull himself together, wiping at his eyes, then forcing a shaky smile.
“Avery, you’re so damn heartless. I searched for you like a lunatic for ten years. You loved me once. God, I know you did. I was wrong, but I’m trying to make things right. I’m begging you. Just give me one chance. Is that really so hard?“}
The project I was leaving for wasn’t just any assignment. It was top–secret government work and untouchable. There was no way Kevin could stop it, no matter how much power he thought he had.
But hearing him say that still got to me. It still hurt.
My eyes drifted to the shattered plate and the food spilled on the floor.
I laughed, even as my eyes welled up.
“You remember the first time I cooked for you?” I asked. “It ended just like this–food all over the floor. You didn’t eat a single bite. Tiffany called, and you walked out. I stopped you, and it’s not to keep you from seeing her, but because I just wanted you to try one bite of something i made for you But you flipped the whole damn table.“>
I looked at him and continued, “There were a lot of moments like that. And eventually, I realized I couldn’t keep blaming you. It’s miserable, isn’t it? Being tied to someone you don’t love. I used to cling to the little kindness you gave me. That warmth kept me going. But later, I realized I had so many other ways to repay what I owed you, and I picked the worst one. Guilt. Obligation. I used those to trap you.”
Then, finally, I said, “Once I leave, it will be delivered to you.”
Kevin looked at me seriously, then his energy drained away. He knew I had truly given up on him.
The fight left him all at once. He collapsed into the chair behind him and cried like a kid who just realized the world isn’t fair.§
I turned to his parents and gave them a deep bow before leaving quickly, like I was running from something I didn’t want to feel.§
Behind me, Kevin’s sobs echoed, but they got fainter with every step I took.
…D
The day before my flight, Kevin texted me. I didn’t know how he’d found my number.
Every word he sent was a sincere apology.
At the end of the message was his final plea:
[Avery, I’m at Saint Jude’s Sanctuary. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.]}
Without a second thought, I deleted it and powered off my phone. That night, I stayed up late, finalizing everything for the trip.
The next morning, while heading to the airport, my phone kept buzzing incessantly. When I eventually turned it back on, I found dozens of messages from Kevin.[
All of them were saying the same thing: [I’m sorry.]
The last message read: [Avery, you’re such a fool.]
A small smile tugged at my lips as I realized the courier had reached him.}
With the secret out, the artificial conjunction project was no longer just mine to bear.
I had sent him everything, the whole story of my role in the experiment, what I’d been through, and that necklace.
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9:39 PM
I turned to his parents and gave them a deep bow before leaving quickly, like I was running from something I didn’t want to feel. Behind me, Kevin’s sobs echoed, but they got fainter with every step I took.
The day before my flight, Kevin texted me. I didn’t know how he’d found my number.”
Every word he sent was a sincere apology.
At the end of the message was his final plea:
[Avery, I’m at Saint Jude’s Sanctuary. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.]
Without a second thought, I deleted it and powered off my phone. That night, I stayed up late, finalizing everything for the trip.
The next morning, while heading to the airport, my phone kept buzzing incessantly. When I eventually turned it back on, I found dozens of messages from Kevin.§
All of them were saying the same thing: [I’m sorry.]}
The last message read: [Avery, you’re such a fool.]
A small smile tugged at my lips as I realized the courier had reached him.
With the secret out, the artificial conjunction project was no longer just mine to bear.
I had sent him everything, the whole story of my role in the experiment, what I’d been through, and that necklace.§
I wanted him to understand. And I think he finally did.
…E
Ten years later, I came back to the States with the final results of the experiment in hand.§
As I walked through the airport, a giant screen was playing the local news.
“Kevin Johnson, former CEO of the Johnson Group, has sold the company at a drastically reduced price. All proceeds have been donated to support national research projects.“}
“Mom,” my daughter asked, tugging my hand, “do you know that man on TV?“}
I blinked, shaken for a second, then smiled softly. “No, sweetie. Let’s go.”
And we walked off.
Behind us, a man in sunglasses passed by quietly, his tears streaming down his face as he watched us disappear into the crowd.} The End.
