Five Years Being “Practical,” Then I Made My Dream Pay Off Chapter 09
The years slipped by, I visited new countries, and my videos
found an audience that truly connected with them.
Three years later, in a tiny European village, I met a freelance
photographer. We talked endlessly about life and dreams, clicking instantly.
He started appearing regularly in my videos, growing
well–known among my audience. Our chemistry became
something people rooted for.
Two more years passed, and we decided to get married.
The day I arrived back in New York, I signed for a bouquet of
roses at my front door. Tucked inside was a note: Welcome home.
News of my engagement spread across social–media
platforms. Then one woman came to find me. She introduced
herself as Walter’s mother.
Sitting across from me, she spoke earnestly. “I know you are
about to get married. I’m not here to ruin your wedding. I
only beg you to go see Walter. He is in a terrible state.”
“Three years ago, we pressured him into marrying Zoe, Back
then I had no idea he was still holding out for you. We
thought he was simply old enough to settle down. After the
wedding, he developed severe anxiety and depression, with
intense physical symptoms. He was hospitalized‘ again just a few days ago.”
“You’re the only one who can reach him, Ms. Hill. Please–I’m begging you.”
I stayed silent for a long while, then gently turned her down.
“Ma’am, I’m not Walter’s cure. What he needs most is to
rebuild himself. No outsider’s words can fix him.”
My showing up wouldn’t have helped–it would have only made things worse.
never followed up on what happened to him after that. On
my wedding day, an anonymous gift arrived. An uneasy
feeling settled in my chest. I never opened it–just tucked it
away at the bottom of a storage box.
My wedding went ahead smoothly. I later learned that
Walter had been waiting in a nearby hotel that day. When
no one came, he took his own life in the bathtub.
Three days later, members of the York family tracked me
down. They screamed at me, called me cruel. They insisted
that if I’d just left my wedding and gone to that hotel, I could have saved him.
I said nothing in reply. Instead, I posted our full relationship
story online for my followers to read.
I laid out every old hurt, every feeling, and the unopened gift, telling everything plainly.
Public opinion shifted against Walter’s sympathizers.
“No one should use their own life as leverage over someone
else. Suicide is not a way to force love. Even if I had read that
letter, I wouldn’t have gone to him–I would have called 911.
That’s what anyone should do in a crisis.”
“And I’m sorry, I never opened that letter.”
That was where the whole affair ended.
I had no plans for children for the time being. After the wedding, I set off traveling once more.
As the plane climbed into the sky, I looked out at the horizon.
There were still so many places I hadn’t seen, so much life still ahead. I wasn’t going to stop.
(The End)