Chapter 1: A Twist of Destiny
Some moments don't arrive with warning.
They come quietly, disguised as ordinary seconds, until suddenly everything you thought was stable collapses beneath your feet.
That was how my life ended—on a Tuesday night I almost ignored.
The rain had been falling since evening, soft at first, then heavier, tapping endlessly against my window like it was trying to tell me something. I sat on the edge of my bed, my phone resting in my palm, unread messages glowing on the screen. They were all from him.
I'll be late tonight.
Don't wait up.
I'll call you when I'm free.
I told myself not to overthink it. I always did. Love meant trust, didn't it? And after three years together, I had learned to bury my doubts beneath excuses and patience.
Still, something felt wrong.
I tried calling him again. No answer.
A strange heaviness settled in my chest, the kind that made breathing feel like work. I stood up and paced the room, my bare feet cold against the tiled floor. The clock on the wall read 10:47 p.m. when my phone finally rang.
Unknown number.
For a moment, I just stared at it.
Then I answered.
"Hello?"
There was a pause. Long. Too long.
"Is this Miss Ava Collins?" a man asked, his voice professional but strained.
"Yes," I replied, my heart already racing. "Who is this?"
"This is Mercy General Hospital. I'm calling regarding your fiancé, Daniel Reed."
My knees weakened.
"What about him?" I whispered.
Another pause. I could hear muffled sounds in the background—machines, footsteps, distant voices.
"He was involved in an accident," the man said carefully. "You need to come immediately."
The world tilted.
"I—I don't understand," I stammered. "Is he okay?"
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Please come as soon as you can."
The line went dead.
I don't remember grabbing my coat. I don't remember locking the door. I only remember the rain hitting my face as I ran, my hands shaking so badly I almost dropped my phone. Every step felt unreal, like I was moving through someone else's nightmare.
The hospital lights were too bright. Too cold.
At the front desk, I said his name, my voice barely holding together. The nurse looked at me with sympathy, the kind that tells you everything before words are spoken.
They led me down a long corridor. My heartbeat echoed in my ears as we stopped in front of a room.
"He's inside," the nurse said softly.
I pushed the door open.
Daniel lay on the bed, his skin pale, his body still. Tubes and wires surrounded him, machines breathing for him when he could not. For a moment, I waited for his chest to rise, for his fingers to twitch—anything.
Nothing happened.
I walked closer, my legs heavy, my throat burning.
"Daniel," I whispered.
No response.
Memories flooded my mind without permission—our first meeting, the way he smiled when he was nervous, the promise he made when he slid a ring onto my finger.
I'll always protect you.
Tears streamed down my face as I held his cold hand, pressing it against my cheek.
"I'm here," I sobbed. "You can't leave me. Not like this. We were supposed to get married."
A doctor entered quietly and stood behind me. I already knew what he was going to say before he spoke.
"I'm sorry," he said. "We did everything we could."
Those words broke me.
I don't remember screaming, but my throat hurt afterward. I don't remember falling, but suddenly I was on my knees, the world spinning, grief crushing my chest until I couldn't breathe.
When I finally stumbled out of the room, my vision blurred by tears, I didn't see where I was going.
I crashed into someone.
Strong hands gripped my arms, steadying me.
"Hey—careful," a deep voice said.
I looked up.
He was tall, dressed in dark clothes, his expression unreadable. But it was his eyes that froze me in place—dark, intense, and filled with something I couldn't name.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, pulling away, embarrassed by my tears.
He didn't let go immediately.
"You look like you're about to collapse," he said quietly.
"I'm fine," I lied.
Our eyes met again, and for a brief second, the noise of the hospital faded. Something shifted in the air between us—something heavy, something unavoidable.
I didn't know who he was.
I didn't know that this stranger would soon become the center of my pain… and my healing.
As I walked away, my heart shattered behind me, I didn't realize fate had already begun rewriting my story.
That night, I lost the man I loved.
And unknowingly, I crossed paths with the man destiny had chosen instead.