They held all the emotions he’d felt at the time, all the love he had poured into me.
I had treasured them, telling myself that someday, when I was old and gray, I would read them again and relive the memories of our youth.
But now, that time had passed.
I grabbed a fire pit and a lighter, tossing each letter into the flames.
The flames crackled and leaped higher, their warmth soothing the emptiness in my chest and gradually, my heart began to quiet.
When Cooper returned, he caught sight of the scene.
His heart skipped a beat and he rushed over in instinctive concern.
“Wife, what are you burning?”
At the sound of his voice, I rose slowly to my feet, my gaze steady.
“I was just cleaning up and found some things I no longer need. I thought I’d burn them.”
Worried that I might get too close to the fire, he gently pulled me back a step.
“These things can be handled by the servants. Be careful, don’t hurt yourself.”
His focus was entirely on me, so he didn’t notice the letters that hadn’t fully burned in the fire pit.
If he had glanced just a moment longer, he would’ve seen that one of the burnt letters still bore his name.
“Wife, I’ve wrapped up most of the work stuff. I have some free time today and I want to spend it with you. Where would you like to go?”
He smiled softly and pulled me into a warm embrace, his dark eyes sparkling with affection.
No matter where I wanted to go, he would always be by my side.
Just like before, he never hesitated to follow my spontaneous whims.
I paused for a moment, feeling restless in the house.
“Let’s go play baseball. I haven’t played in a while.”
Cooper nodded, quickly finding me some sportswear before leading me to the baseball field.
But, of course, fate had other plans. As soon as we arrived, I found Cooper's friends already there.
Beside him stood Kaia, dressed in sportswear, her presence completely unbothered by my arrival.
She flashed me a bright, knowing smile. “So, this is Miss Sanders. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Cooper’s expression darkened as he glared at her, his voice cold as he corrected her. “This is my wife. You should call her Mrs. Green.”
The smile on Kaia’s face instantly stiffened, her expression turning bitter, but she complied. “Mrs. Green.”
I offered a quiet “Hmm” in response and made my way to the changing room.
When I came out, Cooper was nowhere to be found.