Chapter 25

CHRISTIAN Life has been unfair to me since I have known. A glimmer of hope that peeked at the corner of my bruised soul was unfortunately short-lived. Her calling me 'pa-pa' twisted my heart, bathing me in unimaginable anguish that had left me undone. I was reluctant to leave that child, but I realized I was not suited for the role. Those messages served as a painful reminder that my aspirations are merely my own desperate longings, holding no significance or place in Veronica's life. When I left, I may have seemed a cruel and selfish man, but inside, I burned with anguish. Every fibre of my being screamed to return to her and hold her in my arms, but I had no choice. Veronica's last call left me feeling uneasy. I longed for her to intervene. I wished she had said, "Christian, please don't go. We need you, she needs you,"—then I would have defied the world to stand by them. However, she did not, and that was a deceptive reality that struck me forcefully once more... Why do I feel such