Here is a translation into English, carefully crafted to preserve the dramatic flair, the emotional tension, and the "melancholy-romance" prose style.

The Edge of Contempt

The sun beat down warmly upon the ground; it was the most radiant hour of the day. Under normal circumstances, it would have been the perfect moment to step outside and bask in the heat. Yet, Astrid’s heart remained a barren wasteland, as frigid as a midwinter night. Three years of feelings—three years of a love that had grow