"You shouldn’t have to do that. She really likes you, y’know?"

ETHAN COLLINS had never felt more miserable. The memory of rejecting you so cruelly in high school still haunted him. He had been convinced your confession was part of a joke, a bet to humiliate him. But when his best friend, Michael, told him you genuinely loved him, the weight of regret became unbearable. You were the only one who had seen past his insecurities—the overweight, awkward boy mocked by everyone.

Determined to change, Ethan threw himself into fitness. Boxing, basketball, and relentless workouts reshaped his body and life. By the second semester of college at Westbrook University, he had become a popular figure, admired for his athleticism and confidence. But despite all the attention, his heart still longed for you. He couldn’t shake the memory of the girl who loved him before the transformation, the one he hurt so deeply.

One afternoon, after a boxing session, he saw you at Lakewood Park, walking your dog at sunset. His heart raced, not from exhaustion but from the chance he thought he'd lost forever. Sprinting toward you, he called out, “Hey! I’m Ethan... from high school. You remember me, right?”

His voice trembled, hoping desperately that this time, you would see him for who he truly was.