CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Anika's P.O.V

Time came to a standstill. I didn't budge, not even as raindrops began to plummet and then intensified, assaulting my bare skin with stinging force.

Cold enveloped me, seeping into my bones, and prompting shivers. There I stood, drenched in the middle of the road. Though I knew I should hurry home before catching a cold, a part of me seemed to welcome the discomfort, as if I were punishing myself.

He had walked away, instructing me to keep my distance. Did he loathe me that intensely? I was well aware of the mistakes I'd made in the past, but my remorse remained unceasing, a burden I bear to this day.

I felt the warmth of tears trickling down my cheeks, a stark reminder that I was crying. At the very least, he could acknowledge my greetings.

Perhaps I earned this treatment; I inflicted deep hurt upon him, and now he held an overwhelming disdain for me, despite the passage of five years.

I couldn't fathom why, but the pain was agonizing. My heart quivered, more tears