Chapter 25
As winter faded and spring brought warmth, my family received news from our lawyer in Boston.
After multiple rounds of hearings, appeals, and a second trial, Elle’s crime of soliciting assault was confirmed beyond doubt, and she was legally sentenced. Seeing the wrongdoer receive her just punishment was undoubtedly the best comfort for a victim.
Coincidentally, this day was also my father’s birthday.
100%
My mother personally cooked a table full of dishes, and the three of us raised our glasses in celebration.
We’d been in Spain for ålmost half a year, and I’d grown accustomed to life here. Though there were still many inconveniences, the joy of constantly discovering interesting things in exploration made it all worthwhile.
I’d made many new friends and slowly found my true interests.
On this wonderful day, I was also excited to announce an important decision to my family.
“Dad, Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to form a band with some friends. I’ll be the guitarist. We’ve already written our first song, and we’re performing next week. On behalf of the entire band, I’d like to sincerely invite you to be there!” Coming from a musical family, my father was thrilled to hear I was pursuing music. “Wonderful! Autumn, if you encounter any difficulties in your creative process, just ask. I’ll tell you everything I know and fully support your dream!” My mother also applauded, her eyes full of pride.
“Your father always hoped you’d follow in his footsteps, but we always thought you were young with infinite possibilities ahead. We didn’t want to box you in, so we never mentioned it. Now that you’ve chosen this path on your own, go ahead with confidence. Dad and Mom will always be your strongest support!”
Having my family’s trust and support was all I needed.
For the next few weeks, I practiced until the early hours of the morning every day, working incredibly hard for the performance.
The day before the show, I went home early to ensure I’d be in good shape.
In the early evening, the sky was ablaze with sunset colors, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
I got out of the car with my guitar on my back, and as I looked up, I unexpectedly saw someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.
1/5
11:37 AM Thu 24 Apr
100%
25
In the two months since I’d last seen him, Ryder looked even more haggard, so thin his eye sockets were sunken, his complexion as gray as if covered by a layer of dark clouds.
At first glance, I didn’t even recognize him. Only when I heard his voice did I realize who it was.
“Autumn, long time no see. How have you been?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ryder realized they weren’t appropriate.
The lively, smiling face before him looked exactly like I had at eighteen.
I was doing well.
Unlike him, drowning in endless guilt and regret with no escape.
And that was indeed the case.
The way I looked at him now didn’t have the deliberate coldness and avoidance of before.
What remained was only the calm indifference one would show a stranger. I had truly let go of everything.
Whether it was love and hate or grievances and resentment, they were all in the past.
So I merely glanced at him briefly.
“Very well.”
Seeing I was about to leave, Ryder desperately held up the letters in front of me. “Autumn, I found the letters you wrote to me when you were a teenager. Back then…”
Seeing these slightly yellowed papers, my sealed memories stirred a little.
But after a moment of surprise, I used just one sentence to make my position clear. “Then was then, now is now.”
“But you said as long as I cared for you even a little, you’d wait for me forever. Now you’re the only one in my heart. Please give me one more chance?”
By the end, Ryder’s voice was choked with emotion.
I said nothing, just took all the letters.
Then, to his disbelief, I personally tore these memory–laden letters into pieces. “There. Now everything’s reset to zero. We have no connection anymore. Please don’t disturb me again in the future.”
I raised my hand, and the fragments scattered like snowflakes.
In an instant, they vanished in the wind.
I didn’t look at his face, just walked purposefully toward the house.
2/5
11:37 AM Thu 24 Apr
100%
25
As the door closed behind me, dusk deepened, and the lights in the yard came on one by one.
The warm yellow light illuminated the flowering crabapple tree in the yard, swaying gently in the evening breeze.
A soothing piano melody drifted from the living room. Hearing this cheerful rhythm, my steps lightened.
“You’re back? How are the preparations for tomorrow’s performance going?” Hearing my mother’s gentle voice, I set down my guitar and walked over to my parents, my tone excited.
“You’ll just have to wait and see!”
I was ready to step onto a brand new stage.
Ready to embrace my own brilliant future.Chapter 25
As winter faded and spring brought warmth, my family received news from our lawyer in Boston.
After multiple rounds of hearings, appeals, and a second trial, Elle’s crime of soliciting assault was confirmed beyond doubt, and she was legally sentenced. Seeing the wrongdoer receive her just punishment was undoubtedly the best comfort for a victim.
Coincidentally, this day was also my father’s birthday.
My mother personally cooked a table full of dishes, and the three of us raised our glasses in celebration.
We’d been in Spain for almost half a year, and I’d grown accustomed to life here. Though there were still many inconveniences, the joy of constantly discovering interesting things in exploration made it all worthwhile.
I’d made many new friends and slowly found my true interests.
On this wonderful day, I was also excited to announce an important decision to my family.
“Dad, Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to form a band with some friends. I’ll be the guitarist. We’ve already written our first song, and we’re performing next week. On behalf of the entire band, I’d like to sincerely invite you to be there!” Coming from a musical family, my father was thrilled to hear I was pursuing music. “Wonderful! Autumn, if you encounter any difficulties in your creative process, just ask. I’ll tell you everything I know and fully support your dream!”
My mother also applauded, her eyes full of pride.
3/5
11:37 AM
Thu 24 Apr
100%
25
“Your father always hoped you’d follow in his footsteps, but we always thought you were young with infinite possibilities ahead. We didn’t want to box you in, so we never mentioned it. Now that you’ve chosen this path on your own, go ahead with confidence. Dad and Mom will always be your strongest support!”
Having my family’s trust and support was all I needed.
For the next few weeks, I practiced until the early hours of the morning every day, working incredibly hard for the performance.
The day before the show, I went home early to ensure I’d be in good shape.
In the early evening, the sky was ablaze with sunset colors, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
I got out of the car with my guitar on my back, and as I looked up, I unexpectedly saw someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.
In the two months since I’d last seen him, Ryder looked even more haggard, so thin his eye sockets were sunken, his complexion as gray as if covered by a layer of dark clouds.
At first glance, I didn’t even recognize him. Only when I heard his voice did I realize who it was.
“Autumn, long time no see. How have you been?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ryder realized they weren’t appropriate.
The lively, smiling face before him looked exactly like I had at eighteen.
I was doing well.
Unlike him, drowning in endless guilt and regret with no escape.
And that was indeed the case.
The way I looked at him now didn’t have the deliberate coldness and avoidance of before.
What remained was only the calm indifference one would show a stranger.
I had truly let go of everything.
Whether it was love and hate or grievances and resentment, they were all in the past.
So I merely glanced at him briefly.
“Very well.”
Seeing I was about to leave, Ryder desperately held up the letters in front of me. “Autumn, I found the letters you wrote to me when you were a teenager. Back then…
Seeing these slightly yellowed papers, my sealed memories stirred a little.
4/5
11:37 AM Thu 24 Apr
5:0
100%
25
But after a moment of surprise, I used just one sentence to make my position clear “Then was then, now is now.”
“But you said as long as I cared for you even a little, you’d wait for me forever. Now you’re the only one in my heart. Please give me one more chance?”
By the end, Ryder’s voice was choked with emotion.
I said nothing, just took all the letters.
Then, to his disbelief, I personally tore these memory–laden letters into pieces. “There. Now everything’s reset to zero. We have no connection anymore. Please don’t disturb me again in the future.”
I raised my hand, and the fragments scattered like snowflakes.
In an instant, they vanished in the wind.
I didn’t look at his face, just walked purposefully toward the house.
As the door closed behind me, dusk deepened, and the lights in the yard came on one by one.
The warm yellow light illuminated the flowering crabapple tree in the yard, swaying gently in the evening breeze.
A soothing piano melody drifted from the living room. Hearing this cheerful
rhythm, my steps lightened.
“You’re back? How are the preparations for tomorrow’s performance going?” Hearing my mother’s gentle voice, I set down my guitar and walked over to my parents, my tone excited.
“You’ll just have to wait and see!”
I was ready to step onto a brand new stage.
Ready to embrace my own brilliant future.
