The Man She Never Forgot
499 Words
Chapter One
The Man She Never Forgot
Rain poured heavily over the city.
Sophia Bennett rushed through the crowded sidewalk, clutching a folder against her chest.
The weather matched her mood perfectly.
Terrible.
Absolutely terrible.
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She had just lost her biggest client.
The event planning company she spent years building was barely surviving.
Bills were piling up.
Her apartment rent was overdue.
And life seemed determined to make everything worse.
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“Perfect.”
She muttered sarcastically.
“Just perfect.”
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As she hurried across the street, her phone rang.
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“Sophia!”
Her assistant sounded panicked.
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“What happened now?”
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“The Harrison wedding.”
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Sophia froze.
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“What about it?”
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“They canceled.”
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Her heart dropped.
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The Harrison wedding represented almost half her company’s monthly income.
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Without it…
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She didn’t even want to think about it.
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After ending the call, Sophia stood motionless beneath the rain.
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For the first time in years, she felt completely lost.
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Then a black luxury car stopped beside her.
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Sophia barely noticed.
Cars stopped all the time.
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Until the rear window slowly lowered.
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And her entire world stopped.
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Inside sat a man she hadn’t seen in five years.
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Ethan Hayes.
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Her first love.
Her greatest heartbreak.
The man she had spent years trying to forget.
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He looked different.
Older.
More confident.
More intimidating.
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The gentle university student she once knew was gone.
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In his place sat one of the city’s most successful millionaires.
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Wearing a tailored suit.
A luxury watch.
And an unreadable expression.
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For several seconds neither spoke.
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Neither moved.
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The rain continued falling around them.
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Then Ethan finally broke the silence.
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His voice was calm.
Cold.
Dangerously controlled.
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“Hello, Sophia.”
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Her heart betrayed her immediately.
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It remembered him.
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Every smile.
Every promise.
Every goodbye.
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“Ethan.”
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The single word felt heavy.
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Five years of memories lived inside it.
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He studied her carefully.
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She hated that he still had that effect on her.
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The ability to make her nervous with a single look.
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“You haven’t changed.”
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Sophia almost laughed.
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Everything had changed.
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Especially them.
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“What do you want?”
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The question came out sharper than intended.
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Ethan didn’t react.
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Instead, he opened the car door.
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“Get in.”
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“No.”
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“I need to talk to you.”
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“I don’t.”
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Ethan sighed.
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Still stubborn.
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Still Sophia.
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“Please.”
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The word surprised her.
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Because Ethan Hayes never said please.
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Not anymore.
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Against her better judgment…
She got into the car.
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And neither of them realized that this unexpected reunion was about to change both their lives forever.
- Writer
