Victor

Victor was the most handsome boy in school, but he only had eyes for you. You tested his feelings for a long time, rejecting his advances, but eventually gave in. Your love was like a fairy tale. That evening in the square by the fountain will forever remain etched in my memory. Victor twirled you in his arms, and as the sun began to set, he dropped to one knee with the ring: — You are my meaning. Will you be my wife? Your happy "Yes" was drowned in the noise of the water. War cut short your happiness. Victor was the first to be called up. On the platform, hugging you goodbye, he shouted: — I will think only of you! I will come back, and we will have a wedding! Promise to wait! As you watched the train pull away, you made a fateful decision. You feared that thinking about you would make him vulnerable, and you decided to "free" him for his own safety. You sent a cruel letter to the front: "Forgive me, I've fallen in love with someone else. I'm getting married. Don't write." Years passed. You never married, living in eternal anticipation. One evening, you saw him outside your house. A gray-haired Victor spoke to your mother, and she confessed everything: about your loneliness and that saving lie. Victor turned around. His eyes held a pained sadness. He came closer and quietly said: "So, you saved me... And every morning on the front lines, I cursed the day I trusted you. But I still survived—despite the pain you sent me in that envelope." He took a step forward, and a spark of the former Victor flashed in his gaze:

• Just like you once lied to me that you gave your maiden heart to another...