When Whitney's eyes fluttered open again, Colton was there by her hospital bed, his eyes red with fear.

He clutched her hand, his voice a shaky whisper.

"Whitney, I had no idea about the avalanche... I'm so sorry, so very sorry..."

His fingers were icy, yet his palm was slick with sweat, as if he were afraid she would slip away.

"Yell at me, hit me, do whatever you need to do..."

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open with a loud bang, and Janice stumbled in, her eyes puffy and red.

"Mrs. Jones, this is all my fault. Please don't be mad at Mr. Jones..."

Her tears flowed freely, painting her as the picture of misery.

"Mr. Jones was out of his mind with worry for you. When he heard about the avalanche, he didn't think twice before running into danger to find you, and now he's all bruised and battered..."

"Stop!"

Colton cut her off, spinning around to pull her into a comforting hug. "This isn't your fault, and the doctor said tears are bad for the baby."

Whitney watched them, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.

The irony was not lost on her. She had just dodged a bullet, cheated death, and there he was, fussing over another woman's tears.

Whitney rasped, "Leave. I want everyone out."

Colton froze, "Whitney..."

"Out, I said!"

Her hand shot out, seizing the water glass from the bedside table and hurling it to the floor where it shattered, shards flying.

Finally, Colton retreated with Janice, glancing back at Whitney repeatedly before the door closed behind them.

In the days that followed, Colton tried everything to win her back.

He sent flowers flown in from who knows where and designer bags. He constantly checked in with her, but she stayed quiet.

She was not mad anymore, nor did she offer him a smile. She looked at him as if he were a stranger.

On discharge day, Colton showed up to take her home.

Dragging her suitcase, Whitney beelined for a cab.

Colton had been waiting since dawn at the hospital doors.

She had no intention of riding with him and turned to walk away.

That was when he pulled a whip from the trunk and held it out to her.

"Whitney, go ahead. Hit me."

She froze.

His voice was rough. "If it'll make you feel better, if it means you can forgive me… Hit me all you want."

He paused, then softened his demeanor. "We've got a family dinner tonight. Let's not fight, okay?"

She looked at him, the urge to laugh rising again.

Did he really think they were still the same? That he could mess up, she would get mad, he would sweet-talk her, and all would be forgiven?

He was so wrong.

She did not take the whip. Instead, she turned around and climbed into his car.

She had not forgiven him. She simply did not care anymore.

All along the ride, Colton kept the conversation going nonstop. He chatted about everything from the latest office gossip to funny childhood memories, even teasing about the time Whitney took a tumble into a fountain on their first date.

In the past, she would have turned beet red and playfully shushed him. However, she just gazed out the window, wordless.

The old Jones mansion was all lit up.

The moment Whitney walked into the living room, she spotted Janice cozy on the couch, chatting with Colton's grandmother, Tessa Scott, who was holding her hand with warmth.

Colton quickly took Whitney's hand. "Grandma really wanted to see her. I was worried you'd be upset, so that's why I kept it to myself..."

Whitney pulled her hand away softly. "It's fine."

She really did not mind anymore.

Tessa, still holding Janice's hand, beamed with affection, but her smile faded to a frosty expression when she turned to Whitney.

"After all this time married and not a single child! Janice, on the other hand, is such a delight. Janice, make sure you visit me more often..."

Whitney's hand froze for a second. There was a time when Tessa had doted on her just as much. When did things start to change?

It was probably the moment she admitted she did not want kids.

However, the decision to remain childless was not hers alone.

She could still recall the stormy night after he proposed; her anxiety about marriage had her hiding out at her best friend's place, avoiding Colton. He had scoured the city for her in the pouring rain, finally breaking into her friend's house at three in the morning, kneeling before her, soaking wet.

"Whitney, what did I do wrong?"

She was a mess of tears. "I'm scared... I'm scared it'll hurt... I'm scared of getting married, and I'm terrified of having kids..."

What had Colton said back then? He cradled her face, promising her with every word.

"Then, we won't have kids. If our folks give us grief, I'll just say I'm the one who can't."

However, the man who had once vowed he would never father a child was gently mixing prenatal formula for Janice.

Whitney could not stand another word and walked out to the backyard pool.

The night air was refreshingly cool. She had just settled by the poolside when Janice came up behind her.

"Mrs. Jones," she said, stroking her swollen belly with a sweet smile, "Mr. Jones promised to buy me a villa in Springfield after the baby's born.

"And did you know," she whispered conspiratorially to Whitney, "why Mr. Jones couldn't control himself that night after he got drugged? At the party, I wore a white dress, just like your favorite one. He thought I was you. So, in a way, I have you to thank for my good fortune..."

Whitney was about to respond when,

Splash!

Janice toppled headlong into the pool, water spraying everywhere.

"Help! My baby……" Her desperate cries rang out as she thrashed in the water.

By the time everyone rushed over, they were met with this sight:

Janice flailing in the water, Whitney standing by the pool, her face a mask of indifference.

The whole Jones family was in an uproar.

Colton dove in to rescue Janice, but not before Tessa's slap struck Whitney across the face. "You wretch! Apologize now!"

Whitney's head snapped to the side, blood trickling from her lip. She turned back slowly, a smile playing on her lips. "Fine, I apologize."

With that, she seized Janice, who had just been pulled out of the water, and shoved her back in!

A scream pierced the air. It was Tessa's.

Whitney slid the bracelet off her wrist, a precious heirloom of the Jones family that Tessa had clasped on her the day she became one of them.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent it crashing to the floor. The sound echoed sharply in the silence. Bracelet skittered across the tiles, its sparkle pale and lifeless in the moonlight. She did not look back, even as Colton's voice, filled with disbelief, called out to her.

She had barely set foot inside her house when the door slammed open. Colton stormed in, his suit soaked, his hair dripping, a clear sign he had come after her without a second thought. He was out of breath, his eyes a whirlpool of anger and fear.

"I did nothing wrong," Whitney said, her voice icy. "If you need an apology that badly, then maybe we should just get a divorce."

The word divorce hit him like a physical blow, draining the color from his face.

"Don't you dare say that!" he blurted out, desperation edging his voice. He closed the distance between them and pulled her close. "You know that would kill me!"

She could not help but laugh bitterly at the look in his eyes. "And what about me?" she whispered. "Did you ever think about my life, Colton?" He froze, the words catching in his throat. "I get it, you're torn about Janice and the baby, with grandma's ultimatum and owing Janice for saving your life. However, where do I fit into this, Colton? Can't you see my side?"

He opened his mouth, maybe to argue, maybe to explain, but nothing came out. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her, holding on as if she were his lifeline.

"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered, his hand softly patting her back like he was soothing a fussy child. "We'll get past this. I'll talk to Grandma. Once the baby's here, things will go back to the way they were..."

She nestled into his arms, inhaling the cool pine scent that was so distinctly him, and felt a wave of weariness wash over her.

His arms were still a haven of warmth, his heartbeat a steady drum, but her heart was icing over, bit by bit.

There was no turning back.

Never again.

'Colton, I'm going to start a new life, one that doesn't include you,' she vowed silently.

Colton must have felt the shift because he clung to Whitney like a shadow in the days that followed.

He was always there, right down to waiting outside the bathroom door for her.

Even when Janice stood in the corner, eyes brimming with tears, he would just furrow his brow and look away.

One morning, excitement lit up his eyes as he handed her a fancy invitation with a golden seal.

"Whitney, our school's hundred-year celebration is today. Our friends want to catch up. You've been cooped up here for days, it's a perfect chance to get some air and reconnect. What do you say?"

Her gaze lingered on the shiny school emblem, and memories flooded back. Ten years ago, he had been just as eager, waving basketball tickets at her in the doorway.

"Whitney, you coming?"

'I might as well go. It'll probably be the last time anyway, she thought.

At the class reunion, Colton's hand was locked with hers the whole time.

Their old classmates joked about how the campus heartthrob and beauty were still a perfect match, reminiscing about the time Colton had lined up all night to get her a rare album.

He chuckled, pulling her close, his fingers tracing her waist in a silent plea for favor.

Tina, the former class president, interrupted, presenting a box. "Remember our time capsule with the letters we wrote ten years ago? It's time they finally made their way back home."

The crowd surged forward, each person eager to claim their piece of the past.

Whitney was about to open her own package when Colton stopped dead in his tracks.

His phone rang, and 'Janice' flashed on the screen.

With a hesitant look at Whitney, he stepped into the hallway to take the call.

When he returned a minute later, his face was ashen. "Whitney, she's had a fall. She's in the hospital now..."

Whitney replied, cutting through his panic. "Go. The child comes first."

He kissed her forehead, a weight lifted. "I'll be back before you know it."

As Whitney watched him rush away, she turned to the time capsule and found Colton's letter.

[To twenty-six-year-old Colton], the envelope teased. Despite her hesitation, curiosity won, and she opened it.

The paper was tinged with age, yet the words stood out bold and clear.

A younger Colton's exuberant handwriting sprawled across the page.

[Hey there, twenty-six-year-old Colton. By now, you've surely made Whitney your wife, haven't you? I'm jealous of you, living the dream I can't wait to reach.

[Listen up. You'd better treat Whitney right, cherish her with everything you've got, or else, I'll be coming for you.

[Don't forget her daily warm milk since her stomach's always been touchy. Take her to Icelandia for those Northern Lights she's never stopped dreaming about.

[She despises rainy days, and cilantro? It's a no-go; she's allergic. Remember, she's scared of the dark, so never let her walk home alone at night.]

Tucked at the end was a smaller sentence, meant only for her eyes.

[Whitney, if I'm not treating you right ten years down the line, walk away, and never look back.]

Her fingers traced the words, and the dam broke, tears streaming down her face.

She whispered to no one, "Alright. I'll take your advice."

The party wound down, and she embraced each classmate, saying her goodbyes.

With tears welling in her eyes, Tina said, "Promise we'll reunite at the next school reunion, okay?"

However, Whitney knew there would not be a next time.

She left and hailed a cab to the county clerk's office.

That day marked the day her divorce was final. She could pick up her divorce papers and close the chapter on her marriage.

The clerk asked her one last time, "Ms. Thompson, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

She watched the official stamp hit the paper, feeling an emptiness in her chest but also an odd sense of freedom.

Before she left, she wiped the slate clean, canceling all her cards and buying a one-way ticket out of there.

As the plane took off, the sunset bled through the window.

Staring out, she remembered him at eighteen, blocking her path after school, saying, "Whitney, you're mine. You can't run from me."

'Colton, you were so wrong. This time, I'm the one who got away. I'm never looking back,' she vowed to herself.