“Listen here, young man,” Jessica’s dad, Hubert Pennigton, said to Karl, who was nervously preparing for the wedding in a room nearby. “You need to leave right now and never look back.”
“Sir, I’m not just a boy; I’m a man, and I love your daughter. I’m not going anywhere,” Karl replied, trying to mask his fear despite Hubert’s intimidating words.
Listen up and pay attention. I’m not giving you any choices. YOU’RE OUT OF HERE! That’s the end of it. You know I have powerful friends. I can make your life miserable.
Karl understood that Hubert’s threats were serious. Everyone in the town was scared of him. He was connected to some shady characters involved in bad activities.
“Are you trying to scare me, sir?” Karl asked, shaking with fear.
“No, it’s not a scare tactic, it’s a guarantee,” Hubert replied, and Karl could tell he was serious. “Now, you need to leave this place immediately without anyone seeing you and disappear from Jessica’s life forever, OR ELSE!”
Hubert placed his index finger on Karl’s chest, and Karl got scared for his life, so he left.
He dashed out of the room, jumped into a taxi, and raced to the airport.
His heart ached at the thought of Jessica waiting for him at the church. But he knew it was for her own good. Her father was a scary guy.
As Jessica walked down the aisle, her nerves increased with each step because she couldn’t see Karl in the crowd of guests who had come to celebrate their wedding.
After a few hours went by and she understood that Karl wasn’t showing up, Jessica couldn’t hold back her tears. She sobbed on her mother’s shoulder, but nothing seemed to make her feel better.
In the future, Jessica didn’t go out with anyone. She just couldn’t stop thinking about Karl. Then, her dad introduced her to a rich family friend’s son and insisted she marry him. They had a daughter named Olivia, but her husband was unfaithful whenever he had the chance. Living with him was really tough, and she felt trapped. But after her father passed away, she decided to file for divorce the very next day.
Her ex-husband was also ready to end the marriage, so they both felt relieved to move on.
As time went by, Olivia got married and blessed Jessica with three grandchildren, which made her life feel complete.
Jessica frequently found herself thinking about Karl and their wedding day, especially when she was sitting on her porch with a cup of tea.
Even after 50 years, she still couldn’t shake the memory of the man she believed was her true soulmate.
Lost in her thoughts about the past, she was suddenly interrupted by the mailman’s voice. “Ms. Pennington, I have some mail for you,” he said, grinning. “Oh my, you startled me,” she replied, nearly spilling her tea.
He handed her an envelope with her name and address neatly written on it. The sender’s name was one she could never forget: Karl Pittman.
Jessica felt her hands start to shake. It was hard for her to open the letter.
“Dear Jessica,
I hope it’s okay to reach out after all this time. It’s been 50 years, but not a single day has gone by without me thinking of you. I never meant to leave you; your father scared me into it. I shouldn’t have listened, but I was young and scared,” the letter said.
Jessica paused and wiped her eyes. She needed to find the courage to keep reading the letter she had longed for her entire life.
“I never got married or had kids because I couldn’t date anyone after you. Here’s my phone number and address. Please write to me if you’d like.”
“Best wishes, Karl.”
At last, Jessica received the answer she had been waiting for all those years. Karl’s letter gave her the closure she desperately needed.
She wrote back, and soon after, Karl called her. They spent hours reminiscing about their youth and the wedding that never took place.
Eventually, Karl and Jessica met in person. At 75 years old, they both knew their time was limited, but they chose to cherish every moment they had left.
