The Wrong Woman

Sienna bit her lower lip and voiced her distress, "Can you persuade Mom to stop using her life as leverage against me?"

"I wish I could, but Mom is unwavering. Every time she threatens to end her life, she means it," Felix lamented, shaking his head with resignation.

Sienna fell into silence. She couldn't selfishly pursue her desires at the expense of Shelly's life for the sake of love.

She held onto the belief in time's healing power, knowing she would eventually release Daniel, let go of their relationship, and rebuild her life. Love hadn't blinded her.

Days later, Felix was discharged, and life resumed its rhythm. Sienna delved into writing, assisting Shelly at the shop, dabbling in cooking now and then, and unwinding with her closest friend. One day, Jane reached out and invited Sienna to a high school reunion.

Sienna, often away for work, rarely attended such gatherings. Being back in her hometown this year, she thought it would be nice to catch up with her long-lost classmates.

In a private room of a grand hotel, a lively group of men and women of similar ages filled a large round table. Some were married with children, others were newlyweds, and some were still single. Sienna and Jane, both single, caught the attention of their male peers, especially considering their outstanding looks and figures.

Amid laughter and banter, an unexpected revelation broke the air. "Back in the day, Howard harbored a crush on Sienna for years. Now that he's divorced, could it be because of his lingering feelings for her?" Caught mid-bite, Sienna glanced up in shock at the man who spoke.

The former class monitor, now a successful corporate manager, raised his glass and addressed Sienna directly, "Sienna, rumor has it you're still single. Does Howard stand a chance?" Sienna's nerves fluttered as she stole a glance at Howard Collins. Howard's gaze, gentle yet tinged with bashfulness, met hers.

stable career in the field of information technology, Howard exuded a quiet charm that matched his handsome appearance. Both of them hailed from the

feeling the weight of the attention, offered a strained smile. "Let's

this is a joke?" The former monitor

since middle school. I never found the courage to confess until after college, but by then, we'd

rippled through the

around Howard, refilling his glass and urging him toward

classmates, too, joined the matchmaking efforts to pair Sienna

with Howard and added

the rest of the reunion, their classmates continued

cabs. They couldn't drive because they had

Howard to share a ride home, given they

the car,

with the awkwardness, unsure

it. Howard,