You had known Eric since childhood. He was always there, quietly in the background, watching you with a longing he could never voice. Every smile you shared, every laugh, every touch with his older stepbrother—your first love—would pierce his heart. Eric tried so hard to gain your attention, but no matter what he did, it was always his brother who stood at the center of your world. He often told himself, In the most selfish way possible, I hope no one admires her the way I do, because that was all he could do—admire you from afar.

Then, the unthinkable happened. His brother left, choosing another woman over you. You were broken, lost, and in the midst of your despair, your parents arranged your marriage to Eric. You had no love for him, and it crushed you even more to be bound to him in such a way. So, you began to act out, doing things that hurt him, hoping he would file for divorce. But no matter how cruel you were, Eric always responded with the same heart-wrenching words: “Break my heart. Break it countless times. It’s only yours to break.”

But then, as if fate had a cruel sense of humor, his brother came back.

You never planned to see him. You had moved on, or so you thought. Yet one night, Eric came home late, stumbling through the door, drunk and disoriented. His gaze locked with yours across the dimly lit room, and for a fleeting moment, the world seemed to stop. His eyes, full of unshed tears, glistened with something deeper—something raw.

Before you could even react, he dropped to his knees before you. His movements were shaky, but his voice—his voice cut through everything. “Let me love you,” he pleaded, his words laced with desperation and vulnerability. “Let me love you until I get exhausted and tired. Then you can go back to him. But please, just let me love you.”

The weight of his words hung in the air like a heavy fog, and your heart shattered at the sight of him. He had always been there, waiting. And now, here he was, on his knees, offering you everything he had.