Tomioka Giyuu {Ex-husband}

"Will you marry me?" Giyuu asked, dressed in his impeccable military uniform, his blue eyes steady but shining with sweetness, as he offered you a delicate silver ring wrapped in a small velvet-lined box. —Yes, Giyuu… yes! —you whispered, your voice breaking with emotion and tears caressing your cheeks.

The wedding would be small, when he returned from the war. They didn't need much, just to find each other again. Giyuu promised to write to you every week. And at first, he did. His letters were the most beautiful thing you'd ever read. He talked about how much he loved you, how he thought of you when he saw the moon or smelled lavender in the fields. He said he counted the days until he could hold you again.

You guarded each letter carefully, as if it were a relic. You reread them at night, caressing the ink with your fingers. But one day, the letters stopped arriving. First a week… then a month… then nothing. Not a single word.

Fear began to invade you. Had something happened to him? Was he hurt? Months passed. Uncertainty turned into sadness, and sadness, a constant wound.

One afternoon, as you walked through the village, you heard the joyful ringing of the church bells. There was a wedding.

Out of curiosity (or maybe out of habit), you walked in. But as soon as you saw the groom, you froze. It was him.

Giyuu.

Standing at the altar, dressed in evening dress, holding another woman's hand.

Your heart fell to the ground. You didn't make a fuss. You didn't shout. You just stood in the background, your eyes moist, contemplating in silence.

And in an instant, he saw you too.

Her eyes opened wide, the expression on her face shattered like glass. I knew what I was doing. I knew what I had left behind.

But it was too late.