Emily paled. He knew.
She turned to me, her eyes pleading. “Sarah, I
don’t know what you told Mark, but please
don’t take Coco. He’s all I have.”
She wanted me to be the villain again. But
Mark revealed her marriage and the proof of
her framing me with Coco.
As the video played, Emily’s face burned.
She’d thought her husband was rich. Now,
married to a poor, unattractive man, the video
was a humiliation.
Г
As she tried to flee, a man grabbed her.
“Emily! Hiding with my money! You came here
to find other men? You chased after me!”
“Want me to remind you how eager you
were?”
They erupted into a screaming match, then a
brawl.
Mark shielded me, leading me away.
We walked, his eyes filled with regret.
“Sarah, would you believe me if I said I’m
from eight years in the future?”
He told me about our eight years, then
lowered his head.
“I blamed you for Emily’s death. Every time I
saw you, I saw her. I avoided you.”
“But seeing your sadness hurt me. I didn’t
want that between us. I struggled.”
“You said you wanted a lifelong marriage, not
like your parents‘.”
“I failed you.”
“I didn’t know what to do. Then time travel
came. I thought I could fix things, save Emily,
and have a real family with you.”
“But I lost you instead. I’d rather live with guilt
than lose you.”
<
“Does this sound crazy?”
No. I’d lived it. His struggle was my pain. But I
didn’t tell him I’d also traveled back.
“Is this your second ending? It’s sad. But now,
Emily and I are alive. You followed your heart.
Isn’t this the best ending?”
He looked at me, voice choked.
“Not if it means losing you.”
His love overwhelmed me. I’d waited eight
years for this.
“Mark, I’m leaving.”
He froze.
く
“Don’t look for me. If what you said is true,
this is for the best.”
Eight years later, my work brought me back. I
felt a strange sense of déjà vu. This was
when I learned of Mark’s resentment, when
we both traveled back.
I visited Mark’s parents. He looked more worn
down than before. Seeing me, his eyes lit up.
“It’s been a while. How are you?”
I nodded. “Good.”
“I heard you never remarried…”
He looked at me nervously.
I nodded again.
Г
He started to speak, but I cut him off.
“Seeing my parents‘ divorce, and everything
else…marriage isn’t important to me
anymore. I prefer being alone.”
His smile vanished. He looked away, wiping
his eyes.
I’d told him I wanted a loving family, that I
feared being alone.
It was true then. After eight lonely years with
Mark, I feared family more.
Emily hadn’t fared well. Still trapped with her
fake–rich husband, spiraling downwards. They
livestreamed, but barely earned enough to
eat. People watched for the drama.
Г
His mom said they were in debt, about to lose
their home.
Mark looked at me sadly.
“I made the wrong choice. Sarah, can we
talk?”
On the balcony, he looked at me intently.
“Sarah, you time traveled too, didn’t you?”
I nodded.
Tears fell. “I made you suffer for eight years,
then left you alone. I regret it. I want another
chance.”
He wanted to go back again.
“Mark, even if you go back a thousand times,
there will always be regrets. Don’t torture
yourself.”
“You were my savior. Now, be your own.
Don’t be trapped by the past. Move on.”
A month after I left, time travel was available
again. Mark rushed back, determined to
choose me, to give me a home.
But he couldn’t change anything. He went
back again and again, losing me each time.
Each loss meant eight more years of lonely
pain.
Still, he didn’t give up. Those few days with
me in the past were his only hope.
He stepped into the time machine, closed his
eyes…
