The Day He Walked Away Novel by Rola malody _ Novel





The Day He Walked Away Chapter 01

Being with Dariel Roskin felt like fate.
We were neighbors, born in the same hospital, in the same delivery room, at the exact same moment.
From preschool all the way through high school—even when our grade was divided into ten separate classes for electives—he was always, without fail, my desk partner.
On the SAT, we both scored a 1,555 and got into Stanford’s Design Program. After graduation, we landed jobs together at one of the world’s top 50 companies.
So many coincidences piled up that everyone around us was convinced we were “meant to be, destined for each other.”
I believed it, too.
So, step by step, I dated Dariel. Then I married him.
All these years, I never looked twice at anyone else. Neither did he.
Our life together was like plain water—simple, steady, and utterly uneventful.
Until our first year of marriage, when I suddenly found myself wondering. “Do I really love Dariel? Is this truly the married life I want?”
After that, I started testing myself, trying to love him in ways I never had before.
I let go of my ambition to become CEO of a rival company and took a backseat, focusing on design. I started getting up early every morning to make Dariel his favorite breakfast.
I gathered and organized all the materials he needed, wrote pitches for his brand’s funding presentations…
Little by little, I realized my gaze always seemed to follow Dariel, almost without thinking.
When he wasn’t around, I’d miss him, wondering what he was up to.
When he smiled, I was happier than he was.
When he was frustrated, my mood soured right along with his…
By our seventh year of marriage, I was finally certain—I loved Dariel. Not just because everyone called us “meant to be,” but because I truly, deeply loved him.
So, on our seventh anniversary, I planned a grand fireworks display to finally fill the silence between us—neither of us had ever said “I love you” out loud.
But just as I finished setting everything up at Lover’s Lane, Dariel suddenly said, “Alexis, I want to take a break. Not a divorce—just some time apart.”
My mind went completely blank. The confession I’d rehearsed vanished from my lips.
It took me a long moment to find my voice again. “Why?”
Dariel looked at me, his eyes honest and sincere.
“All these years, we’ve never been apart for more than 24 hours. Don’t you think it’s all a little… dull?”
“We’re 30 now. I want to go out, see the world, look for something new.”
For the first time in 30 years, Dariel’s words left me shaken and anxious.
I knew him too well—he wouldn’t say this without a reason.
Clenching my hands, I tried to keep my emotions in check. “So… have you found this ‘something new’ already?”
Dariel was silent for a long time before he finally spoke. “I’m not sure.”
His answer made my mind reel.
Then Dariel pulled me into a hug, patting my back like a friend.
“Remember what we said when we got married? If either of us wanted to look for true love after the wedding, the other wouldn’t interfere. Now that I’ve found a new pursuit, you can go find your own true love. I’ll support you, no matter what.”
Hearing him bring up that promise, I was at a loss for words.
Back then, we both thought there was no love between us—that marriage was just another milestone to check off.
So we signed an agreement—neither of us would interfere if the other went searching for true love. Whoever broke the pact would be cursed with bad luck for life.
I’d shoved that agreement to the bottom of a box the moment I realized I’d fallen for Dariel.
I never dreamed he’d remember…
The cold winter wind stung the corners of my eyes, chilled, and was sharp. “I…”
I’d just opened my mouth when a sweet, feminine voice interrupted from behind.
“Dariel!”
I froze, then turned around.
A girl in a pale blue coat was walking over, her features delicate and striking.
She smiled, dimples deepening on her cheeks, making her look even more playful and charming.
“Elodie!” Dariel’s eyes lit up, his voice gentle.
I saw the tenderness in his gaze, completely unguarded, and my heart twisted painfully.
In 30 years together, I’d never seen him look at anyone like that.
The girl walked right past me and stopped in front of Dariel.
He unwound his scarf and carefully wrapped it around her neck. “It’s cold. Don’t catch a chill.”
“Thank you.” Her smile grew even brighter.
The way they interacted, so lost in each other, they looked like a couple in the throes of new love. And I—standing there—felt invisible, out of place, and unnecessary.
At last, Dariel seemed to remember I existed. His gaze finally returned to me.
“Oh, right—Alexis, this is Elodie Chelver from the Extreme Sports Club.”
Then he turned to Elodie. “She’s the Alexis Ospen I’ve always told you about.”
His words stunned me.
Dariel had mentioned me to her? He shouldn’t have…
Elodie looked at me, her tone gentle. “So you’re the childhood friend Dariel always talks about. I’ve finally met you—you’re even more beautiful than I imagined!”
Being complimented should’ve made me happy, but all I felt was a bitter emptiness.
No wonder Dariel was so calm—he’d always kept me in the role of his childhood friend.
I forced a smile, my response stiff. “Thank you. You’re very beautiful, too.”
Just as the words left my mouth, bursts of fireworks shot up into the sky, illuminating the night.
Among the sparks and glowing trails, a line of brilliant words appeared. “I am sure. I love you.”
Staring at those six words, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.
That was supposed to be my surprise for Dariel. But now, it just felt like the cruelest joke.
Elodie gasped, “It’s so beautiful…”
I turned to look at her awestruck face, and at Dariel, who couldn’t take his eyes off her.
On impulse, I said, “Ms. Chelver, this fireworks confession—Dariel planned it just for you.”

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