Echoes of the Past

As Dylan's hand met Jeena's, she felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Three years had passed since their abrupt breakup, and she had done her best to bury the memories deep within her. Yet, seeing him now, as the CEO of a prestigious company, stirred a whirlwind of feelings she had hoped to forget.

"It's been three years since I broke up with Dylan, and I haven't had any contact with him since then. I never imagined we'd meet again, especially for a work-related matter. He had become the CEO of a well-renowned company since we broke up, so I couldn't believe what I was seeing. We locked eyes, and all those old memories came rushing back to me, despite my trying to forget them," Jeena thought, her mind a tumult of emotions.

"I don't want him to know the reason for our breakup. It's better for both of us," she resolved silently, steeling herself against the flood of memories threatening to overwhelm her.

Dylan's handshake jolted her back to reality, her professional facade slipping seamlessly into place as Ken redirected their focus to the matter at hand. "We should start our meeting," he declared, pulling Jeena's attention away from her inner turmoil.

With a tight nod, Jeena forced herself to concentrate on the task before them, pushing aside the lingering echoes of their past. As they delved into the intricacies of the discussion, she exchanged ideas with Dylan, their interactions marked by a veneer of professionalism that belied the turbulent history they shared.

Yet, beneath the surface, the tension simmered, a silent reminder of the unspoken truths that lingered between them. And as the meeting progressed, Jeena couldn't shake off the gnawing fear that their carefully guarded secrets would eventually come to light, threatening to unravel the fragile peace they had both fought so hard to maintain.

As the meeting drew to a close, Dylan struggled to maintain his composure in the presence of Jeena. Despite his best efforts to focus on the task at hand, his gaze kept drifting towards her, his heart heavy with unresolved emotions. Each glance exchanged between them reignited a torrent of memories, leaving him feeling both hurt and angry at her apparent indifference.

With the meeting finally concluded, Dylan and Jeena found themselves walking out together, their steps echoing in the hallway as they navigated the awkward silence that hung between them. Despite their efforts to avoid each other's gaze, their eyes inevitably met once more, sending a wave of conflicting emotions crashing over them.

In that fleeting moment of connection, Dylan felt the weight of their shared history pressing down upon him, the ache of their unresolved past threatening to consume him whole. Yet, even as he longed to reach out to her, to confront her about the pain she had caused him, something stopped him in his tracks.

A man stood outside the building, a little child by his side, calling out to Jeena with a familiar term of endearment – "momma." The sight struck Dylan like a bolt of lightning, the truth of Jeena's betrayal laid bare before him.

The pain and anger that had simmered beneath the surface erupted within him, a searing reminder of the suffering he had endured because of her. In that moment, as he watched Jeena walk away without a second glance, Dylan knew that their paths had diverged irreparably, their shared past nothing more than a bitter memory etched in his heart. And as he turned away, his footsteps heavy with the weight of his newfound realization, he vowed to leave her behind and forge a new path for himself, one untainted by the ghosts of their past.

As Dylan watched Jeena, Aaron, and the child, a surge of fury coursed through him, fueled by years of pent-up resentment and hurt. He couldn't fathom how Jeena could move on so easily, leaving him to suffer in silence while she found happiness with another man. The sight of her smiling at the child, seemingly content in her newfound family, only served to deepen his anger.

With a determination bordering on recklessness, Dylan marched towards them, his steps echoing with purpose as he confronted the reality of Jeena's new life. "Hi, I'm Dylan. You must be Jeena's family," he declared, his voice tinged with bitterness.

Jeena's shock was palpable as she struggled to comprehend Dylan's sudden appearance. Aaron, the man standing beside her, responded with curiosity. "Oh! I'm Aaron. But who are you to Jeena?" he inquired, his gaze shifting between Dylan and Jeena.

Caught off guard, Jeena hesitated for a moment before offering a vague explanation. "He is the client I will be working with," she replied, her words laden with a hint of unease.

Dylan's eyes bore into Jeena's, silently questioning her intentions, silently demanding an explanation for the pain she had inflicted upon him. But before he could press further, Jeena made a hasty retreat, urging Aaron and the child to leave.

Left behind in the wake of their departure, Dylan seethed with resentment, his anger simmering beneath the surface as he watched them disappear from sight. "Just a client?" he scoffed bitterly, his mind ablaze with thoughts of revenge. "I will make you regret leaving me for that man," he vowed silently, his fists clenched in frustration.

As Aaron questioned Jeena about the man they had encountered, she hesitated, grappling with the weight of her past actions. Though she longed to confide in her cousin, she couldn't bear to reveal the full extent of her mistakes. "He is someone whom I really hurt in the past," she replied cryptically, hoping to deflect any further inquiries.

But before the conversation could continue, the little boy, David, approached Jeena with a question that caught her off guard. "Momma, that uncle we saw just now, can he be my father?" David's innocent inquiry pierced Jeena's heart, stirring a mixture of emotions within her.

Shocked by his question, Jeena enveloped David in a tight embrace, her heart breaking at the realization of his longing for a father figure. "Why do you ask that? Did someone say something to you?" she inquired gently, her voice trembling with concern.

Through tear-filled eyes, David expressed his longing for a father like those of his friends, someone to share special moments with and shower him with love and affection. Jeena's heart ached as she listened to his words, grappling with the painful truth of his reality.

In an effort to comfort him, Jeena offered words of reassurance, reminding him of the love she held for him. "It's alright, David. It's normal for you to be wondering about your father," she said, her voice soft yet resolute. "Your friends might have their fathers who take them out and buy them ice cream, but they don't have someone like me who loves them as much as I do."

David's response, filled with love and affection for his mother, brought a bittersweet smile to Jeena's lips. She hugged him tightly, determined to fill his life with the love and support he deserved, even in the absence of a father figure. Though she knew she couldn't erase the void left by his absent father, she vowed to do everything in her power to make him feel loved and cherished, now and always.

Upon reaching home, she headed straight to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed.

As her eyelids began to droop, her thoughts returned to her short interaction with Dylan. She felt her stomach sink at the realization of those old memories. Despite their past, her heart longed to know about the man her ex had become.

She had expected him to disappear from her life forever, never to be seen again.