Heart On Line: Back to her heart

Everyone had expected their divorce to end in silence, separation, and the unspoken resentment of paths that would never cross again. And for a time, that seemed to be true. But on the night of her victory, as she stood onstage accepting the award for Best Screenplay, she looked out to see a figure that stirred the past-her ex-husband, noble and distant, standing there, waiting for her. As she received the trophy from his hands, he leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper, a murmur only meant for her ears. "I never realized what I had until I lost it," he admitted, his tone carrying the weight of regret. "Please, just... give us one more chance." She felt a pang of something-a faint echo of what she once felt for him. But she steadied herself, smiling gracefully as if it were any other conversation. "I've moved on," she replied with poise, yet a touch of coolness. "My career is all I need now." For a moment, his face held the hopeful mask of a man reaching for a lifeline. But as her words settled in, his expression turned quietly pained. His eyes, distant but pleading, searched hers, as if looking for something-anything-that might say otherwise. With a slight tilt of her head, she regarded him as one might a stranger. "You really thought it would be that easy?" she asked, her voice smooth yet edged with a trace of irony. "I'm no longer that woman. And you... you still want what you left behind." He lowered his gaze, understanding all too well what that meant. And in that moment, they both knew: though they might be bound by memories, those days were gone, and she was no longer waiting.