Phurich kept staring at the jade pendant around my neck.

He expected me to lower my head.

To explain.

To justify myself.

Just like the Lalina from five years ago.

But that woman no longer existed.

I smiled gently and touched the jade with my fingers.

—You want this necklace?

Pimchanok’s eyes lit up with surprise.

Perhaps she thought I had finally accepted.

—Lalina, it’s not that I want to take it from you —she said with a soft voice—. It just means a lot to me.

I nodded.

—I understand.

Phurich relaxed.

He thought he had won.

But then I continued:

—That is exactly why I cannot give it to you.

His smile disappeared.

—What?

—This necklace is not just a piece of jewelry.

I looked at Pimchanok.

—It represents a woman’s position in a family.

—And I am no longer part of the Phurich family.

Pimchanok’s face turned pale.

—But you…

—I am the wife of the man who chose to stay with me.

My words fell into the silence between us.

Phurich frowned.

—You are still angry about something that happened five years ago?

I slowly shook my head.

—No.

—If I were still angry, it would mean you still mattered to me.

For the first time, his expression changed.

Because he understood.

I didn’t hate him.

I simply no longer needed him.

At that moment, the sound of several military vehicles approaching interrupted our conversation.

The soldiers standing at the entrance immediately straightened.

An officer hurried toward us.

—General Thana has arrived!

Phurich froze.

Even after five years away from the base, he knew that name.

General Thana.

The commander of the military region.

The man who had inherited the family’s reputation.

The same man who was now my husband.

A black vehicle stopped in front of us.

The door opened.

And he stepped out.

He did not carry the arrogance of a powerful man.

Only the calm confidence he had always possessed.

His uniform was perfectly arranged.

His eyes searched through the crowd.

Until they found me.

And then he smiled.

A smile I had never seen on Phurich.

A smile that existed only for me.

—I apologize for being late.

I walked toward him.

—I thought you had another important meeting.

Thana took my hand.

—The only meeting I cannot miss is with you.

Phurich watched silently.

His eyes moved from my hand to my wedding ring.

Then to Thana’s uniform.

And finally back to my face.

—Lalina…

His voice became quieter.

—He is…?

I nodded.

—My husband.

The silence was complete.

Pimchanok stepped back.

Because she finally understood something she had refused to accept.

She had not won a battle.

There had never been a battle.

She had taken the man who chose to leave.

While I had found the man who chose to stay.

Phurich let out a dry laugh.

—So you married my uncle.

—Yes.

—After waiting for me?

I looked directly at him.

—I didn’t wait for you.

His expression hardened.

—What?

—The day you chose to leave, I also chose to move forward.

Thana gently tightened his grip on my hand.

A small gesture.

But enough.

Because five years ago, someone left me alone at a station.

Today, someone had crossed half the city just to see me.

Phurich looked around.

For the first time, he seemed to realize everything he had lost.

His grandfather no longer looked at him with pride.

The soldiers no longer spoke of him as the promising young officer.

And the woman he left behind…

was now standing beside the man everyone respected.

Pimchanok tried to regain his attention.

—Bheem, let’s go.

But he didn’t answer.

He was still looking at me.

—Lalina, I thought when I came back…

I interrupted him.

—That was your mistake.

—You thought my life stopped while you were keeping a promise you had already broken.

He remained silent.

Thana stepped forward.

Not with anger.

Not with a threat.

Only with authority.

—Commander Phurich.

Phurich immediately stood straight.

—Yes, sir.

Thana looked at him for a few seconds.

—A person can make a mistake once.

—But abandoning responsibility and then expecting everything to remain the same is not honor.

Phurich lowered his eyes.

For the first time, he had no answer.

I held my husband’s arm.

—We should go.

Before getting into the vehicle, I looked at Phurich one last time.

The man who once promised he would return.

The man who believed five years could be erased with a single sentence.

—I hope you found what you were looking for.

—Because I found what I needed.

The vehicle drove away.

And as the military base disappeared behind us, I rested my head on Thana’s shoulder.

He asked:

—Did seeing him bother you?

I thought for a few seconds.

Then I smiled.

—No.

—He only reminded me how much I had to lose before I found something better.

Thana kissed my forehead.

—Then it was worth it.

I looked out the window.

Five years ago, I thought my story had ended when Phurich left.

But I was wrong.

That was only the moment when my real life began.