Chapter 9

Another six months passed, and Ryan never showed up again.

Then, on a rainy day, I got a call from his mother.

"Lena, Ryan is dying. Please, come see him one last time..."

She explained that Ryan had saved a little girl from being hit by a car, but in the process, he was struck himself. The doctors had said there was no hope left.

"Lena… Lena… I love you so much... I miss you so much..." I could hear Ryan's faint voice through the phone.

In the end, my heart softened, and I agreed to see him one last time.

After over a year apart, I returned to the place we used to be.

Ryan was lying in bed, his face a mess of stitches and scars.

"Lena? Is that really you? Or am I just imagining things before I die?" His swollen eyes filled with tears.

"Lena, I saved my daughter. I made up for my mistake," he mumbled, his mind flickering in and out of clarity.

"No, you didn't," I replied flatly. "You didn't save your daughter. She died over a year ago."

Despite knowing he was dying, I couldn't bring myself to comfort him.

"Didn't I save her?" He wept, his lips trembling. "Lena, I know I'm dying. Can you forgive me?"

I stayed silent for a moment before shaking my head. "I won't forgive you."

He wasn't surprised. "I don't deserve to be forgiven. I had a happy family, but I destroyed it all myself."

He paused, then looked at me with sorrow in his eyes. "Lena, I have one request. When I die… please, bury me next to my daughter."

"No," I said, my voice firm. "I won't."

His face fell with disappointment as he grasped my hand with what little strength he had left. "Lena, I love you so much. I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry."

Soon after, he closed his eyes forever, carrying with him nothing but regret as he passed into the next world.

What people fear most isn't death; it's regret.

And every ounce of his regret was well-deserved.