She had just finished showering and was in a crimson silk nightgown, looking both alluring and vulnerable. Edwin closed the door softly behind him.

“Why are you here?" Laura asked him.

Edwin leaned against the door, his voice hoarse.

"I was worried you might overthink, so I came to see you," he said.

Laura wrapped herself in a robe and began to dry her hair. After a few strokes, she looked down.

"I didn't overthink anything," she said quietly.

Edwin moved closer and took the towel from her, drying her hair for her in silence.

After a moment, Laura said, “Let's end this, Edwin.”

He paused briefly as he continued drying her hair, her words barely audible over the hairdryer.

Edwin set the hairdryer down and knelt before Laura, looking up at her. When she tried to avoid his gaze, he gently held her hand.

Laura felt a mix of awkwardness and confusion.

It was her dilemma, yet Edwin's presence, meant to console her, somehow made her feel as if she was overreacting. But how could he know the years of scorn and tears she had endured because of her background?

She believed she deserved a better life.

Choosing anyone but Edwin would have been easier, but he was unique in her world.

Her eyes filled with tears as she touched his face, revealing her heart for the first time.

“Edwin, being with you brings happiness, but also pain. I can't ignore my background. I'm even afraid to face your mother as your girlfriend," she admitted, her voice reflecting her inner turmoil.

“Last night, I thought maybe we could give us a chance. But Vanessa's arrival destroyed all my courage. You left me once, Edwin.

Now, it's my turn," she said, releasing the thoughts she'd held back for so long.

Edwin gently caught her hand.

“None of this is your fault," he assured her.