It was then that I stepped in as her senior, giving her a stern talking-to and urging her to return to school.
Though she resisted at first, she eventually returned.
From that point on, our relationship grew closer but remained platonic—friends but never lovers—until Ethan's wedding invitation arrived in Sophie's hands.
Tears mixed with raindrops streamed down her face as she looked at me and said, "Kyle, I know you've always had feelings for me. Let's get married!"
At twenty-two, we entered into marriage.
Given her celebrity status, our wedding was a secret affair—something I completely understood.
By twenty-six, Sophie had given birth to Emma.
But just after her postpartum recovery, she rushed back to filming.
At that moment, my phone buzzed with two messages.
"Kyle, what's wrong with you? Are you trying to sabotage my work?"
"Just take care of yourself and Emma; I'll come home when I can."
As I stared blankly at her texts, I heard a familiar voice nearby.
"Ethan, don't be sad. Even though the baby is gone, you still have me by your side."
A young woman in a flowing white dress approached, intertwining her delicate fingers with Ethan's arm as they walked together.
He held a cardboard box containing a small white Pomeranian puppy with its eyes closed.
It was unmistakably my wife Sophie with her first love Ethan.
Ethan looked heartbroken, "Sophie, knowing that our baby had such a wonderful mother like you to take care of its affairs is the greatest comfort."
To anyone unaware of the situation, it would seem she was referring to Emma as "the baby."
Sophie cared far more for that puppy than she ever did for Emma.
She would splurge on premium dog food and toys whenever she traveled abroad while dressing Emma in cheap clothes from street vendors. "Children don't need anything extravagant; they shouldn't be spoiled at such a young age!" she would say.
She missed every one of Emma's birthdays and parent-teacher meetings and would dismiss Emma whenever she tried to follow in her footsteps.
Sophie continued to console Ethan until our eyes locked across Emma's grave.
In an instant, anger flooded the woman's eyes. "Kyle, are you really following me during my work hours?"
I ignored her and placed the bouquet of daisies I had brought on Emma's grave.
My silence only fueled Sophie's rage. "Kyle! How could I have been so blind to think I could be with a loser like you?"