It was evening when Splendour returned to town.
The rain had just stopped, leaving the streets washed clean and smelling of dust and heartbreak. She hadn't told Alfred she was back. Maybe she didn't want him to wait outside the park like he always did holding her favorite drink, that same soft smile on his face.
But as she stood in front of his apartment door, her fingers trembled. Her heart was heavy, her throat dry. She could hear faint music from inside their song, the one they used to sing on late nights when dreams were free and love was simple.
She knocked once.
The door opened.
Alfred froze. His eyes widened, his breath caught halfway in his chest.
"Splendour?" he said softly, like her name was a prayer he had stopped expecting to be answered.
She forced a smile, but it faltered before it reached her eyes. "Hi… I came to see you."
He blinked fast, as if to be sure she was real. Then, before he could stop himself, he pulled her into a hug — tight, trembling, desperate. She stood there, stiff at first, before slowly resting her hands on his back. He smelled like home.
"Why didn't you tell me you were back?" he whispered, voice shaking. "Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"
She swallowed, feeling tears build up behind her lashes. "That's why I came, Alfred. There's something I need to tell you."
He pulled away, eyes searching her face for warmth for hope. "You're scaring me."
She took a step back, her hands clasped together. "Please, just listen."
He nodded slowly. "Okay. I'm listening."
Splendour drew in a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot lately. About us… about everything we've shared. You've been more than I ever prayed for — patient, kind, true."
Alfred smiled faintly, but it didn't last. He could feel the tremor in her voice. "Then why do I feel like you're about to break me?"
Her eyes filled instantly. "Because I met someone else, Alfred."
The words fell heavy like thunder after lightning.
He stared at her, unblinking. The silence stretched. Then came a faint, broken laugh the kind that doesn't reach the heart.
"You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking."
She shook her head, tears sliding freely now. "His name is Kingsley. He asked me to marry him."
Alfred stumbled back a step, his hand flying to his chest as if steadying his heartbeat.
"Marry him? You can't Splendour, we're engaged! You— you made a vow to me! We made a covenant!"
His voice cracked. The room felt too small for the storm inside him. He turned away, gripping the edge of the table, trying to catch his breath.
Splendour cried silently. "I didn't plan this, Alfred. I tried to fight it. But I can't lie to you anymore. My heart… it doesn't beat the same when I hear your voice. And I hate myself for it."
He turned, eyes red, tears spilling freely now. "So what? You just walk in here and tear us apart? After seven years, Splendour? After everything?"
She covered her face, sobbing. "Please don't make this harder than it already is."
But Alfred moved closer, his voice trembling, desperate pleading.
"No, no, you can't do this to me. You're my everything. Please, don't go. Don't do this to us. I'll change, I'll do better, I'll give you more. Just… don't leave me."
He dropped to his knees, clutching her hand, his tears falling on her fingers. "Please, baby. Don't go."
Her heart shattered at the sight. She knelt too, crying harder, her voice shaking. "You've been nothing but good to me, Alfred. But I can't keep loving you out of guilt."
"Then love me because I love you!" he begged, gripping her hands tighter. "Because I never stopped praying for you, Splendour. Because I still see you in my dreams!"
She pulled away, trembling. "And that's what hurts the most because you deserve someone who sees you in reality, not just in dreams."
Silence.
The kind that breaks you.
Finally, Alfred stood, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He turned away, staring blankly at the wall. "Go," he whispered. "Before I break down again. Just go."
Splendour stood, wiping her tears, staring at the man who once carried her world.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
She turned for the door. Her legs shook as she walked out, and the moment the door clicked behind her, Alfred's cry tore through the air raw, loud, unguarded.
He sank to the floor, clutching the engagement ring she'd left on the table.
Outside, Splendour paused, staring at the fading evening light. The sky looked bruised just like her heart. She whispered to herself,
"Goodbye, my almost forever