The line went dead as Marvin hung up without giving Christina the chance to say another word.

She sat there, the phone still pressed to her ear, her mind utterly blank. Marvin's parting words echoed through her skull like a relentless drumbeat.

"Christina, by giving him up, you didn't just lose a relationship—you lost everything."

"No," she whispered to herself, gripping the phone tighter. "No, my judgment wasn't wrong. Andrew was lazy. He had no ambition. We didn't match anymore—I made the right decision… I did the right thing."

Yet, no matter how many times she repeated the words, the doubts gnawed deeper. Denial was always the first response when confronted with a painful truth. People instinctively clung to their own version of events, unwilling to admit they had misjudged, unwilling to face the consequences of their choices.

Her breath quickened, and before she could think twice, she dialed another number. This time, she called Mark's office.

"Hello, this is Mark Thatc