A year later, Carl sat on her bed with her Bible in her hand.
The Bible has been the only source of comfort for her anytime she thought about Dylan.
Through the past year, she couldn't forget about Dylan as she wanted. She always remembered him anything she saw a couple together mostly Joel and Kamela.
Joel had told her that he would be marrying Kamela in two months time.
She envied the love between the two.
She kept her Bible down and walked down the stairs.
"Good morning Miss." Melinda greeted.
"Good morning, Melinda." She said, replying to the greetings.
"Your parents are here to see you," Melinda said.
Melinda had already married, and this made Carl happy, but she still chose to keep her job.
Carl walked to the living room where she met her parents.
"Carl!" Her mother called on seeing her.
"Yes, Mom." She said answering her mother's call.
"Have your seat." Her mother said pointing to a couch beside her.
Her parents looked at her then her father cleared his throat.
"We are glad to meet you healthy." They said and Carl smiled.
"I want the best for you." Her mother said.
"Thank you, Mum," Carl said.
"I know you made a promise to yourself to get married to your first love." Her father said, and she smiled, knowing where the discussion was heading to.
"I promise myself never to to fall in love ever again," Carl said. "I have my comfort."
She had told her parents that Dylan had left her some months ago since they were worried about her and her excuses for Dylan.
"We choose to see Dylan." They had said, and she broke down, telling them all that happened,d, leaving them shocked that Dylan could do that to their daughter.
Back to the present,
"Why do you have to make that promise?" Her mother asked Looking at her only child.
"Dad is the first and only man you ever loved," Carl said and they nodded.
"Yes, but there are so many people who didn't marry their first love." Her mother said.
Carl crossed her hand looking at her parents.
"I don't want to be like people I don't know but I choose to be like you." She said.
Her mother took a deep breath looking at her.
"So you've chosen never to fall in love?" Her mother asked.
"Yes, Mom, neither do I wish to have this conversation anymore," Carl said and her father took a deep breath.
"Are you going to accept Dylan back if he comes?" Her father asked.
"If he comes with a repented heart, I will forgive him but will never yield my heart to love him ever again," Carl said and they both took a deep breath.
"Alright, if it's your will." Her father said. "Remember, you are my only daughter."
Carl smiled looking at her parents.
"Will you be going to the fashion house today?" Her mother asked her and she replied positively.
"Alright, I guess you should get dressed." Her mother said and she nodded.
She walked up the stairs and into her room, where she got dressed and then walked down with her handbag.
"You look perfect." Her mother said.
They all got up and left the house, with Carl driving to the fashion house while her parents drove to their house.
She walked straight to her office and looked around smiling as she imagined how she had lived for the past year without Dylan by her side.
"Miss!" Dan called and Carl turned to look at him.
"I won't be here tomorrow as my wife is pregnant," Dan said and Carl nodded.
"You shouldn't have to get permission from me.." She was saying when Dan cut in.
"As I don't get paid by you." He said, and Carl smiled, nodding her head. "But Miss, it's my duty to let you know as this is what the agency would like."
Carl nodded her head and walked into her office.
Getting to her office, she walked to her chair and sat down. She picked up a book and started reading.
Some minutes later, she heard a knock on her door.
" You may come in. " She said thinking that it was Naomi.
The person at the door hesitated for some minutes before pushing the door of her office and walking in.
Seeing the person, she could never believe her eyes but stood up.
"Carl, it's me." The person said and she shook her head.
"I am sorry for what I did. I can't stay away from you. I was deceived and lied to but I was always stopped whenever I felt like coming to you." The person said and Carl placed her hand on her chest.
"Dylan!" She called.
"Yes, it's me. I am sorry for staying away from you this long. I went away from you when I knew that Clara had lied about her name. I knew you would not accept me back, so I ran away from this country, trying not to live again." Dylan said. "I tried drinking myself to stupor. I tried killing myself because I am really a betrayal."
Carl laughed looking at Dylan.
"How were you allowed in?" She asked but Dylan did not answer. "I do not believe whatever you are saying."
Dylan took a deep breath and walked to Carl.
"I am not lying." He said.
Carl turned her back to him.
"I was always expecting your calls. I placed a call to you but you never picked up." Carl said.
"Carl!" Dylan called then she turned to look at him.
"You expect me to believe you." She said looking at Dylan. "Out of my office."
She pulled him to the door of her office then opened the door and pushed him out.
"Carl!" Dylan called.
She looked at Dan and then walked in.
Dylan knocked on her door for some minutes then left.
Inside her office, she broke down weeping. She remembered the words she said to her parents about forgiving Dylan.
"It's so hard to forgive him after all he made me go through." She said to herself.
Minutes later, she heard a knock on her door again.
"Get out!!!" She screamed.
"Miss, it's Dan," Dan said.
She took a deep breath and looked at the door.
"You may come in." She said and Dan walked in.
Getting in, he walked up to Carl's table and dropped a paper. Carl looked at the paper then at him but he bowed his head and left.
She unwrapped the paper and started reading. She felt more angry as she read it but couldn't stop reading it as it was from Dylan.
In the letter, he wrote that she is now the sole owner of the house which she gave him and he has always loved her and won't love anyone.
She smiled, seeing that he said he was going to leave her alone, but her smile faded when she read that if she refused to forgive him, he would have no choice but to jump into the ocean as a payment for his sin.
She got up from her chair and immediately locked her door.
Dan sighed seeing her walk without any bag.
"Miss!" He called getting up and she looked at him.
She thought for a while if Dan was to follow her.
"Alright." She said nodding her head. "You may follow me."
They both walked out, and Carl told him that they were to meet Dylan, which he nodded to.
They got into their car, and Carl drove faster as she could see Dylan far away, walking on the road.
Getting to a bridge, Dylan stopped walking and screamed then wanted to raise himself up to jump down the bridge when Dan pulled him away.
Tears were on Carl's face as she thanked God that Dylan did not die.
"Dylan!" She called walking to him and slapped him.
"Don't you care about your life?" She asked and Dylan smiled.
"I have no life without you." He said and Carl looked away from his eyes as she could still feel his love.
"I forgive you." She said and Dylan was so happy.
"Let's go," Dan said and they left.
Carl drove to the house that she had bought for Dylan and got out to look at Dan's car.
Dan and Dylan came out of the car.
"Let's get you rested," Carl said and Dylan smiled.
"I don't live here anymore." He said.
"Where do you live?" She asked and Dylan smiled.
"Old house," Dylan said and Carl shook her head.
She pointed to Dan and entered her car. She drove to Dylan's first house and got out of her car.
A smile appeared on her face when she saw the car which her parents gifted Dylan.
Dan and Dylan also got out of the car.
Dylan stopped Carl from entering the house but Carl persisted and walked into it.
Getting in, she was greeted by the smell of alcohol.
She turned to look at Dylan who stood beside her and wanted to hug him.
She refrained from hugging him as she remembered that she was not to fall in love ever again.
With the thought, she turned to Dan.
"We should leave." She said and both she and Dan left the house.
Dylan walked to take his seat as he thought Carl left because of the smell of alcohol.
"I am sure that she still loves me." He said to himself.
.....
Carl drove to the fashion house and walked straight into her office.
She smiled, remembering that she was still in love with Dylan.
"I must not make a mistake of loving again." She said to herself.