Alex left, but he wasn’t the type to take no for an answer. That evening, he was waiting for her outside the clinic with a massive bouquet of pale pink tulips—a true luxury in the dead of a New York January, more impressive than any roses.
- “You made a real impression on me. Can I at least give you a ride home?”
- “These flowers are beautiful! Thank you, but I can get home myself.”
- “Maybe, but the flowers will die in this cold. Please, get in the car.” She hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
That was the beginning of Alex and Hannah’s love story. She was completely different from the women he was used to. Instead of fancy restaurants and nightclubs, Hannah preferred long walks through the city’s historic streets or spontaneous drives out to the countryside. It seemed like clothes and material things meant little to her; her favorite gifts were always books. She loved to read. It took Alex a month to work up the courage to kiss her, and it was three months before she first stayed the night at his place.
After that night, Alex felt like he was on top of the world. He finally understood what real love was and felt like he could move mountains for Hannah. She seemed to float on air, too. Alex was her first real love, and she gave herself to him completely. But her life was demanding—working and studying to become an anesthesiologist at the university’s medical school was no joke, and Alex’s business was exploding. Sometimes, they only managed to see each other once a week.
Eventually, Alex convinced Hannah to move in with him. She was hesitant about living together without being married, but she gave in. And she never once regretted it.
Life became a beautiful fairytale. Alex loved and spoiled her like a child: constant surprises, thoughtful gifts, sudden weekend trips to the Hamptons. He insisted she learn to drive and bought her a small, reliable car. For every holiday, he had his jeweler friend create a unique piece just for her. The last of these gifts was the pair of forget-me-not earrings with sapphire centers.
- “Wear these and never forget me,” he had joked.
- “You say that like it’s a goodbye present,” Hannah had said, a small cloud passing over her bright expression. But his kisses quickly chased her worries away. She, in turn, did everything to make him happy, learning to be a good partner and homemaker.
It wasn’t easy for her at first. Having grown up in the foster care system, she’d never learned some of the basic domestic skills. But over time, Hannah learned everything and fell in love with cooking, constantly surprising Alex with delicious new meals.
Alex’s parents, simple and kind people, absolutely adored her. Everything was pointing toward a wedding, but in two years, Alex still hadn’t proposed. He was plagued by an inexplicable fear of marriage, even though he was perfectly happy with Hannah. More than anything, he cherished his freedom. Alex saw how much this hurt Hannah, but he kept putting off the decision. Finally, he commissioned a stunning diamond engagement ring from the jeweler, but he still delayed the big moment.
I’ll propose on the anniversary of the day we met, he decided. A week before their anniversary, Hannah went out of town to visit her only close friend from her group home days, who had just had a baby and had been begging her to come.
Alex decided this was the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to his bachelor life. He gathered his friends and took them out, first to a steakhouse downtown, then to a pulsing nightclub in the Meatpacking District. The whiskey flowed freely, women at the next table smiled invitingly, the music pounded, and the air was thick with smoke.
Alex stumbled home in a fog. And he wasn’t alone—a stunning brunette from the club was with him. What happened next was like a scene from a terrible movie.
Hannah’s friend had a family emergency, so Hannah decided to come home two days early. Alex’s phone had been off all night, so she took a cab from the train station. When she walked into their apartment, she saw the scene and froze.
In their bedroom, on their bed, her beloved Alex was asleep, his arm wrapped around a naked woman with long, dark hair. Alex would never forget that morning. Hannah had entered quietly, but he woke up as if he could feel her gaze on him. The look in her eyes was filled with a universe of bitterness, disappointment, and pain—the eyes of a betrayed child. To this day, his heart seized up whenever he remembered it. Hannah slowly turned and walked out of the apartment without saying a single word.
He scrambled after her. “Hannah, come back, please, I can explain everything!” She didn’t even look back. By the time Alex had pulled on a pair of pants, Hannah was already downstairs.
He burst out of the building just in time to see her getting into a yellow cab—probably the same one that had brought her from the station. And then she was gone. Alex never saw Hannah again.
It was hard to believe, but she simply vanished. She quit her job at the hospital that same morning. When Alex rushed there, they told him she had left just five minutes before he arrived. Her phone went straight to voicemail. She hadn’t taken the car, the gifts, or any of her things—she left with only the suitcase she’d taken on her trip. Alex didn’t have her friend’s address or phone number.
He felt like a cornered animal. He regretted not marrying her more than anything in his life. He couldn’t even file a missing person’s report with the police; on paper, he was a stranger to her. Alex tried to find her through his connections, even hired a private investigator, but it was all for nothing. He was ready to howl with helplessness.
