Ally's grip on her suitcase tightened as she walked through the crowded airport, her heart pounding with every step. She had to leave. She had to get out of this city before it swallowed her whole.

The hospital, the whispers, the accusations—it was all too much. Everyone looked at her like she was some naïve fool who refused to see the truth. But they were wrong.

Dallas would never betray her. He loved her.

Didn't he?

She shook her head, trying to push away the ugly doubts creeping into her mind.

No. He wasn't like that. He wasn't like… her.

She inhaled sharply, clutching the ticket in her trembling hand. This flight was her escape. She just needed to board, and she would be free.

"Running away?"

The deep, bitter voice sent a jolt through her.

Her steps faltered.

No. Not now. Not here.

Slowly, she turned around, and there he was.

The last person she wanted to see.

He stood a few feet away, arms crossed, eyes dark with resentment. He looked exhausted, his hair messier than before, his face unshaven. But his anger—his fury—hadn't dulled one bit.

Ally swallowed hard. "What do you want?"

Austin let out a cold chuckle. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just fascinated by how fast you're running from the truth."

She clenched her fists. "I'm not running. I'm—"

"Leaving?" he finished for her. "Yeah, I can see that. Typical."

Her chest tightened. "Excuse me?"

"You can't handle reality, so you're taking the easy way out," he said, stepping closer. His voice was sharp, dripping with contempt. "Your husband cheated on you, Ally. You just refuse to accept it."

Ally flinched at the bluntness of his words. It felt like he had slapped her across the face.

Her throat tightened. "Stop it."

But Austin wasn't done.

"You think leaving will erase what happened? That it'll change the fact that they were together when they died?" His voice rose, cutting through the noise of the airport. "They betrayed us."

Ally's vision blurred. She shook her head, desperate to shut him out. "No. You're wrong."

Austin exhaled harshly, running a hand through his hair. "You still don't get it, do you? You still think your precious Dallas was some perfect, devoted husband?"

"He was!" she shouted, her voice cracking.

Austin stared at her, disbelief flickering in his eyes.

She hated the way he looked at her. Like she was pathetic. Like she was delusional.

But she wasn't.

Dallas loved her. He wouldn't do this.

Would he?

"You can lie to yourself all you want," Austin said, voice lower now, but just as sharp. "But that doesn't change the truth."

Ally blinked rapidly, willing herself not to cry.

She refused to break.

"You think you know everything," she said through clenched teeth. "But you don't. Maybe you should ask yourself why your wife—your wife—was with another man before pointing fingers at mine."

Austin's entire body went rigid.

A heavy silence fell between them.

Ally could see the fury in his eyes, the way his hands curled into fists. For a brief moment, she wondered if she had gone too far.

Then, in a voice colder than ice, Austin said, "You're unbelievable."

Ally lifted her chin. "And you're cruel."

Austin's jaw clenched, and for a split second, she thought he might say something else. But instead, he took a step back, shaking his head.

"You know what? Do whatever you want," he muttered. "Run. Hide. Keep lying to yourself. But one day, Ally—" His eyes locked onto hers, intense and burning. "One day, you're going to wake up and realize that the man you loved never really existed."

Ally's breath hitched.

She couldn't respond.

She didn't even realize she was trembling until Austin turned and walked away.

Her fingers loosened around her suitcase.

The flight announcement echoed through the terminal.

She could still leave.

She could still escape.

But something about Austin's words—his conviction, his certainty—made her chest tighten in a way she couldn't explain.

For the first time since the accident… she hesitated.

Weeks Later

Ally was determined to rebuild herself.

She had returned to Dallas's company, throwing herself into work. It was the only thing that gave her purpose.

She avoided unnecessary conversations, avoided the press, and most importantly, avoided him.

But fate had other plans.

Inside a supermarket, Ally pushed a cart down the aisle, focusing on the list in her hands. She didn't want to think. She just wanted to get her groceries and leave.

But then—

A familiar presence.

Her stomach twisted.

She looked up and her breath caught.

him.

Standing at the other end of the aisle.

He saw her too.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then, at the same time, they both reached for the same box of cereal.

Their hands brushed.

Ally pulled hers back immediately, scowling. "You again?"

Austin let out a humorless laugh. "Trust me, I don't enjoy seeing your face either."

Ally turned away, rolling her eyes. "Great. Then leave."

"You leave," he shot back.

She ignored him and continued walking, but then—

A sharp gasp from a woman nearby.

Ally turned her head, confused.

Then she saw it.

A promotional banner hanging above the checkout counter.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It was a picture.

Of them.

Dallas and Kira.

Standing together. Smiling. Holding a plaque that read:

"Best Customers of the Year"

The air in Ally's lungs vanished.

She stared at it, heart pounding violently against her ribs.

It felt like the walls were closing in.

Austin stood beside her now, his face unreadable. But she could feel the anger radiating off of him.

"Look at them," he said darkly. "Smiling. Like they had nothing to hide."

Ally swallowed hard. "This… this doesn't mean anything."

Austin scoffed. "Are you serious?"

She turned to face him. "It's just a picture! It doesn't prove anything!"

Austin's expression darkened. "You really are in denial, aren't you?"

Her vision blurred with unshed tears. "Because I know Dallas! He would never—"

"You thought you knew him," Austin cut in sharply. "Just like I thought I knew Kira. And look where we are now."

Ally's hands trembled.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to fight back.

But a part of her—the part she refused to acknowledge—was breaking.

Austin stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. "You're just as blind as ever."

Ally watched as he turned and walked away.

She should have been relieved.

But all she felt was… lost.