A Second Chance At Broken Love

avid Chen, my fiancé, lay on top of me, his body a dead weight. His blood soaked through my clothes, warm and sticky

d in my head, a whis

et's not be together again

ly. Alwa

ch he volunteered for the most dangerous overseas mission he could find. He went to escape me. I f

ever

ecause I was the one left living, the one whose name was legally tied to his. He once tol

The irony was a bitter taste in my

to his parents. The black

. "David," she cried, her words muffled by her hands, "If I hadn't forced you to be with

ed towards me and shoved me hard. I stumbled back

ve Emily to despair, and you killed David! Why do you al

ho had arranged our engagement, couldn't look me in the ey

ement was the biggest

eral. Me. I regretted it most of all. I had dest

avid had asked.

air across my face. The water below looked dark and final.

act nev

ged for me in San Francisco. Sunlight streamed through the window, warm on my skin. My hands flew to my body, sear

hand. The date on the screen made my heart stop. It was the day b

as

General Thompson. I swiped

the cheerful authority I once found so comforting. "The Chen

haunted, broken woman from my memories was gone, replaced by a youn

ouldn't make t

would set t

radition. The Chens were already there, greeting guests. Mrs. Chen smiled warmly when she saw me, pullin

I saw

ked trapped, his shoulders tense. He hadn't seen me yet. For a moment, I just stared, drinking in the sight of

s already there, a familiar wall of resentment. H

ulder. "There's my girl," he said, beaming. "And

ll swirled in my mind. The path was clear. I had to rip the band-aid off now,

ady. General Thompson and the Chens followed, assuming I was going to

them all. My voice, when it

announcemen

s expression shifted from

d, my gaze fixed on General Thompson.