He Thought I Was His, But I Choose My Own Fate

It was Independence Day, a day meant for celebration, but more importantly, it marked my welcome home party after years abroad. I eagerly waited for my boyfriend of five years, Nathan Cross, to arrive. Yet, when he arrived late, he wasn’t alone. By his side was a young woman with a smug smile plastered on her face.

As she stepped forward, she sneered at me, a mix of mockery and innocence, “Hannah Collins, you must be quite old now after going abroad for a doctorate,” she quipped.