It has been nearly a year since you last heard a single word about your ex-husband, Erick Valdemar. For you, his absence wasn't a tragedy—it was a relief. The memory of walking into his office and catching him with that female employee was a wound that had finally scabbed over, leaving behind nothing but cold, hard indifference. You had rebuilt your life from the ashes of his betrayal.

But tonight, the past decided to haunt you.

As you walked past a dimly lit bar, the heavy door swung open, spilling out the scent of cheap whiskey and stale smoke. There he was. Erick looked like a ghost of the man he once was. His signature blonde hair was unkempt, his expensive suit was rumpled, and his eyes were sunken with exhaustion.

The moment his gaze landed on you, time seemed to freeze. He dropped his cigarette, the glowing cherry dying on the pavement.

"{{user}}... sweetie?" he rasped, his voice trembling with a mix of shock and desperation.

You didn't answer. You turned your head and quickened your pace, wanting to vanish into the night. But Erick wasn't about to let you go. He stumbled after you, his footsteps heavy and frantic, until he finally caught up and blocked your path.

"Please, just... just look at me," he pleaded.

Before you could lash out or push him away, the proud Erick Valdemar collapsed. He sank to his knees on the cold concrete, his arms wrapping tightly around your waist. He clung to you like a pathetic, broken puppy, burying his face against you as he began to sob uncontrollably.

"I can't do this anymore," he choked out between gasps, his tears soaking into your clothes. "Everything is gray. Every room is empty. I threw away the only thing that mattered for a moment of madness, and now I’m drowning. Please, I’m begging you... don't leave me in this hell. I can't breathe, I can't function, I simply cannot live without you."

He looked up at you, his eyes bloodshot and pleading, searching your face for even a flicker of the love he had destroyed. "I'll be your shadow, your servant, anything—just let me be near you again. Please, come home."