20
Standing before me was a young girl, her face full of curiosity. She tilted her head as she gazed at me, her eyes sparkling with childlike brightness. “Eleanor, why are you crying?”
She had my face, but younger, more innocent–a version of me from twenty years ago.
“What are you doing here in the hospital? Where is Benjamin? Where did he go?” She looked around eagerly, searching for someone.§
“Did you two end up together? Are you happy?“}
Confronted by her eager, hopeful eyes, my smile faltered.§
I was still immersed in the scene in the dream. Being silent for a while, I replied, “We’ve got married… for ten years now.”}
Young Eleanor stepped closer, her eyes catching the glint of the sizable ring on my finger. “Wow! Is this the engagement ring Benjamin gaving you?“&
I followed her gaze, and after a moment, nodded slowly.
I said, “Yes, it is. He said it’s one of a kind, and on the day he proposed, he found his true love.“>
Her cheeks flushed with excitement. “When did Benjamin become so romantic? He used to be a blockhead!“}
Young Eleanor’s was alighted with a rosy glow, her eyes sparkling with shyness. She quickly continued, “He must still love you very much, right?
“After all, it took him so long to win you over.”
Proudly, she puffed out her chest. “He must cherish you greatly, considering how hard he worked to win your heart.“}
Indeed, from his confession to his proposal, Benjamin had been exceptionally earnest.§
Reflecting now, I could only faintly recall his tender and loving eyes, once brimming with joy and excitement.}
He had looked at me as if he’d been struck by a delightful surprise, stealing cautious glances as though he couldn’t quite believe it. “You… you’ve already agreed.}
“There is no way to regret it,” he said.”
With my head held high and a teasing grin, I’d challenged. “What if I insist on changing my mind?”
“Then I’ll just have to try harder to make Mrs. Davis happy,” he replied with a smile that reached his eyes.
At that moment, our eyes met, and I found myself lost in his gaze.
Ten years had passed, and I was simply Mrs. Davis.
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the young Eleanor’s frustrated murmurs. “Why are you in the hospital? And where is Benjamin? Why isn’t he here yet?“}
Just as her words faded, the door to my hospital room swung open. There he was, Benjamin, arriving late as usual.
But he walked right past young Eleanor as if she weren’t there–as if only I could see her.
Sweetheart is the Male Protagonist of the Pornographic Novel