Choosing Peace: My True Love

he violent crush of metal. David was next to me, his body thrown against m

und in his chest. He looked at me, his eyes unfoc

kling from the corner of his mout

d love, a decade of me being a stand-in for the ghost of Emily White, and it all ended with him wishing me out of his exi

been torn out of my chest.

pened my eyes slowly, confused. I wasn't in a wrecked car. I was sitting on a univer

time or the small scars from my model-building work. I was

them stood David Chen. He looked exactly as he did the day he proposed. Young, brilliant, th

moment my life to

rowd buzzed with anticipation. In my past life, this wa

eart was a

theatrical charm. "From the moment I saw you in the

he simple diamond ring that I h

d I felt nothing except a profound sense of exhaustion.

textbook wit

N

but it cut through t

he crowd. David's smile froze on his fa

did yo

ce steady. I stood up, brushing the gr

m, away from the life that had brought me so much pain. My eyes

ering student. In my past life, he was a silent friend, always there in the background, offering a quiet word of support when David forgot my

ked startled, his eyes wide with con

and determined. "I know this is

could respond, I knew I had to leave. The we

ing back to my dorm, a hand shot ou

cold fury in his eyes was identical. It was a look I knew intima

ed. He was

enomous. The crowd was gone, but his anger was a physical

he pain was so sharp, so real, that I flinched. He thou

ce trembling slightly. "I'm setting you free. You can be

fect, deceased first love. The name

st threatened him. His face tw

e spat. "You think you can ju

sture of pure disgust, he threw it on the ground at m

ormed away witho

ing at the discarded ring box. He didn't understan

pair. I felt a strange, quiet sense of peace. This time