Two years slipped by in a blur . Graham never stopped searching for her , but with every passing day , hope thinned to a fragile thread . He grew quieter , colder , his warmth stripped away and replaced by a hardened resolve . Outside of his essential military duties , every moment was spent chasing leads , following trails that always ended in silence . Just when despair threatened to consume him , a letter arrived from Harborbend , carrying the faintest glimmer of light . An old friend , a veteran now working for the city government , had written : [ ... Graham , I might be mistaken , but a few days ago I saw a woman on the street . Her profile , the way she walked - it reminded me so much of your Evelyn . ] [ She's teaching at the community high school here in Harborbend . I wasn't certain , so I didn't approach her ... ] The paper shook in his trembling hands , the words blurring before his eyes . Without a moment's hesitation , he cleared his schedule , took leave , and drove through the night toward the small southern town a thousand miles away . After a maze of inquiries , he found the community high school . Too afraid to get close , he parked his Jeep in a quiet corner across the street and waited , watching from behind the glass like a man haunting the world he no longer belonged to . When the final bell rang , students and teachers spilled out in clusters , laughing and talking . Then he saw her . Evelyn stepped into view , dressed in a simple blue cotton dress and carrying a stack of books . She walked with a few colleagues , smiling as she spoke . She was thinner now , the softness of her cheeks replaced by a sharp , elegant line . Yet her complexion glowed with health , her eyes calm - not the naive dependence he remembered , but a quiet strength , shaped by storms she had endured alone . When she laughed with her coworkers , the smile that touched her lips was faint but genuine , born of stability and contentment . Chapter 15 . 65.22 % That sight - her thriving without him - cut through Graham like the sharpest blade . Joy surged through him - he had found her at last . But despair followed just as swiftly : she no longer needed him . The two emotions clashed within him , tearing at his chest . His grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles blanched , his throat so constricted he couldn't force out a sound . He watched her head into the Meridian Reading House for her part - time shift , watched her sort books with practiced ease , answer customers ' questions with patience , then settle quietly behind the counter , reading under the warm glow of a lamp . Every moment twisted the knife deeper , yet he couldn't look away . He didn't dare approach . Regret and fear held him captive . He dreaded what he might see in her eyes - disgust , fear , or worst of all , indifference . So he lingered at a distance , a shadow on the edge of her world . Some nights from his Jeep , other times beneath the sycamore at the corner , his gaze clung to her with a mix of hunger and humility . He picked up smoking , one cigarette after another , his frame growing leaner , his features more severe . Only his eyes remained unchanged , burning with pain , regret , and a stubborn flicker of hope that refused to die . He knew the debt he owed her could never be repaid . All he could do was watch from afar , guard her in silence , and wait for a forgiveness that might never arrive . Chapter 15 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!