Merilyn's words had hurt Boyce beyond his imagination. He knew he had lost her completely, but he was still finding it hard to come to terms with it. While she spoke to him, he realised how much he had missed her. Genuine love was scarce, and he had thrown his love away for a fake one. He traded it for one-sided, unrequited love. While they journeyed through the forest, the past kept reeling in his mind. He had truly humiliated the woman. They had been together for the better part of their teens. The moment they were old enough, he had happily claimed her and decided to settle down with her. He wondered how everything had gone wrong. Nothing could come between Merilyn and him, and everyone in the settlement knew that, until that fateful afternoon when Edna had invited him to her chambers a
