Because loneliness, painful as it could be, had never betrayed him.
He had been betrayed by trusting someone who believed his kindness made him an easy target.
And he would never make that mistake again.
EPILOGUE: WHAT ARTHUR LEARNED ABOUT LOVE
One year after the wedding, Arthur visited Margaret’s grave.
He brought white roses, her favorite flowers, and stood quietly beneath the trees.
“I tried to start again,” he whispered. “I wanted to believe I could find happiness again.”
The wind moved softly through the branches.
“I think I confused being wanted with being loved.”
He placed the roses beside the headstone.
For years, he had feared that loneliness meant his life was becoming smaller.
Now he understood that protecting his peace mattered more than filling an empty room with someone who didn’t belong there.
He returned home that evening and opened the box containing photographs from his marriage to Margaret.
