Sarah's POV
One Friday evening after work, I unexpectedly saw James waiting outside my office building.
My first reaction was caution.

His recent outrageous behavior was still fresh in my mind. Afraid he might try to force me to go with him again, I instinctively turned to leave.
"Wait, Sarah!"
Seeing my reaction, he quickly called out, giving a bitter smile. "Don't... don't be afraid. I just want to talk."
I studied him from several feet away.
He looked thinner than before, and his usual arrogant demeanor was gone, replaced by a gloomy, cold air.
Seeing no hostility, I stopped reluctantly. "What do you want to say?"

"I..." his voice was unexpectedly hoarse. "I want to apologize."
"All those years together, you were the only one giving. I never cared enough to even know what you liked."
"That night I didn't save you - I'm so sorry for that."
"Emma's been arrested. I know now that she planned everything."

"Don't worry! I'll make sure she pays for what she did!"
"I know you don't want to see me, but I needed to apologize for my mistakes."
His voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Sarah."
Seeing his reddened eyes, I expected to feel hurt, but surprisingly, I felt more at peace than I'd imagined.
"I accept your apology, James." I sighed deeply. "What's done is done. There's no point dwelling on it."
"Though you betrayed my love, my feelings for you were genuine. Even if it ended badly, I accept that."
"I hope you can find peace too. It would be better for both of us."
"Is there anything else?" I asked politely. "If not, I should go. Someone's waiting for me at home."
Pain flashed across James's face.
"Wait, one more thing," he stopped me. "I visited Emma in prison. She told me something."
"When you were little, did you save a boy from drowning at Central Park's lake?"
"Save a boy...?" I pressed my lips together, trying to remember.
Then it came back to me.
When I was eight, my elementary school organized a picnic in the park.
A boy had climbed the railing trying to catch dragonflies and fallen into the lake.
Unfortunately, no one else was around - only I heard his calls for help.
I couldn't swim, but thinking quickly, I found a branch for him to grab while I held on from the shore to keep him from going under.
Being just a little girl, I wasn't very strong. By the time teachers found us and pulled him out, I'd fainted from exhaustion and stress.
After I woke up, I never saw him again.
"Yes, that happened," I frowned puzzled. "Why are you asking about this?"
He smiled sadly. "So it really was you."
"That boy you saved... was me."
So that's what it was.
I suddenly understood why James's face had seemed so familiar when we first met.
"I see, but how did Emma know about this?"
"My fault." He forced a weak smile. "I made a mistake."
"I cherished Emma all this time because I thought she was the one who saved my life that day."
"When I met her in prison, she finally admitted that you were the one who saved me. She only pretended it was her to get close to me."
Seeing his regret, I let out a long sigh.
"There's no point discussing this now." I waved it off. "Saving a life is a blessing - I would have helped anyone in that situation."
"Besides, I didn't save you expecting anything in return."
"If you really want to repay me, just stay out of my life."
"Oh, and one more thing," I dug through my bag and pulled out a card. "This is an invitation to my wedding with Daniel. You're welcome to come."
"But don't try anything to disrupt the wedding. Daniel won't let you get away with it if you do."
James gave a smile that looked more like a grimace.
His hands trembled as he took the invitation, as if the thin card burned his fingers.
"I understand. Congratulations to you both."
After saying this, he hurried away with his head down.
Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I heard muffled sobs behind me.