THE BOY WHO STOLE MY TOMORROW

THE BOY WHO STOLE MY TOMORROW Chapter One: The Boy I Used to Know The rain had always reminded Eliana Reyes of beginnings. When she was a child, she believed every rainfall washed away yesterday's mistakes, leaving the world clean enough to dream again. She used to run barefoot through puddles, laughing as her mother scolded her from the porch. Those memories had once been warm. Now, rain only reminded her of the day everything fell apart. Elle tightened her grip on the sketch tube tucked beneath her arm as she hurried across the campus courtyard. Dark clouds rolled over Westbridge City, turning the afternoon sky into a canvas of gray. Students rushed past her with umbrellas and backpacks, their laughter echoing through the old university buildings. Graduation was only three weeks away. Three weeks until she would finally become one step closer to her dream of becoming an architect. She had imagined this moment for years—standing beside her family, wearing a cap and gown, smiling proudly while holding the diploma she'd worked tirelessly to earn. Every sleepless night, every part-time job, every sacrifice had led to this. She smiled to herself. For the first time in months, tomorrow didn't seem so far away. "Elle!" She turned to see Mira Santos running toward her, waving wildly despite the rain beginning to fall. "There you are!" Mira laughed, slightly out of breath. "Professor Mendoza has been looking everywhere for you." Elle frowned. "Why?" "You won." "I... what?" "The architectural design competition!" Elle blinked in disbelief. "What?" "You won!" Mira squealed, grabbing both of Elle's shoulders. "Your rooftop community center design beat everyone else's. You're going to represent the university in the National Architecture Summit!" For a second, the world became silent. Then her heart exploded with joy. "I actually won?" "You did!" The two friends hugged tightly in the middle of the courtyard while students smiled as they walked past. "This is your dream," Mira whispered. "You finally did it." Elle felt tears sting her eyes. Her parents would have been so proud. She looked toward the cloudy sky, smiling softly. *I hope you're watching.* Suddenly... Someone bumped into her shoulder. Her sketch tube slipped from her hands. The papers scattered across the wet pavement. "Oh no!" Elle quickly knelt to gather her drawings before the rain ruined them. Another hand reached for the largest blueprint at the same time. Their fingers brushed. She froze. The familiar silver watch. The same scar across his knuckles. The quiet scent of cedarwood. She looked up. Time stopped. "Asher..." The young man stared back at her with dark eyes that once held warmth but now looked empty, almost haunted. His black hair was damp from the rain, falling over his forehead exactly as she remembered. He wore a simple black jacket, his shoulders tense as if carrying a weight no one else could see. For three years... She had imagined this moment countless times. She had imagined yelling. Crying. Demanding answers. Instead... She couldn't breathe. Asher silently picked up the remaining sketches and carefully placed them back inside the tube. "You dropped these," he said quietly. His voice hadn't changed. It was calm. Gentle. The same voice that once stayed on late-night phone calls when she couldn't sleep. The same voice that promised they would build their future together. Elle stepped backward. "You shouldn't be here." A flicker of pain crossed Asher's face before disappearing. "I know." Students passing through the courtyard slowed as they recognized them. Whispers spread like wildfire. *"Isn't that him?"* *"That's Asher Valencia..."* *"The one who ruined her life."* Elle felt every stare pressing against her. Every whisper reopened wounds she had spent years trying to close. She looked directly into Asher's eyes. "I spent three years trying to forget you." He lowered his gaze. "I never asked you to remember me." Her chest tightened. How could he sound so calm? How could he stand there after everything that had happened? "You stole everything from me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "My dreams. My future. The life I was supposed to have." Rain poured harder between them. Asher didn't defend himself. He didn't apologize. He simply stood there, allowing every word to land like stones. Finally, he spoke. "If hating me helps you move forward..." He forced a small, heartbreaking smile. "...then keep hating me." Before Elle could answer, he turned and walked away into the rain. She watched until his figure disappeared among the crowded streets of Westbridge. Her hands trembled as she clutched the sketch tube against her chest. She had spent three years convincing herself she was finally healing. But seeing Asher again made one painful truth impossible to deny. Some wounds never truly closed. They simply waited... ...for the person who created them to return.