The sun was setting, and the sky was painted a light orange. Gilbert stood in front of Daniel's house. After thinking for a few minutes, he finally pressed the doorbell. He was nervous, but he was ready to face the consequences for Rita's sake.
The door finally opened. Gilbert didn't know if it was Daniel or not. Since fifth standard, he hadn't seen him. The man was wearing formal clothes and looked like he had just returned from work.
"Are you Daniel?" Gilbert asked.
"Yes," Daniel replied. "And you?"
"Hello, I'm Gilbert. We were in the same school back then," Gilbert said.
Daniel stared at him without saying a word. Gilbert couldn't tell what was going through his mind. He wanted to mention the name of their old school in case Daniel didn't recognize him, but the words wouldn't come out. Standing face-to-face with Daniel brought back a wave of guilt, leaving Gilbert unsure of what to say.
"What are you doing here?" Daniel asked. The confidence he had shown a moment ago suddenly disappeared when he realized that the man standing in front of him was Gilbert, the boy who used to bully him.
Gilbert hesitated. "I want to apologize for all my wrongdoings."
Daniel looked at him for a few seconds before shutting the door in Gilbert's face.
Gilbert walked back toward his car, disappointed. But halfway there, he stopped and looked back at Daniel's house. He couldn't leave like this. He had come here for a reason, and he wasn't ready to give up. He had to try again—for Rita.
He returned and pressed the doorbell again. He waited for five minutes, but there was no response. He kept pressing it repeatedly.
Irritated, Daniel opened the door again.
"I don't want to talk to you."
Gilbert said, "I realize what I did was wrong, and I want to apologize. Can you forgive me?"
Daniel remembered everything that had happened at school.
"Never," he replied.
He tried to close the door, but Gilbert stopped it with his hand.
"I know it's difficult for you..." Gilbert began.
Daniel interrupted him.
"No, you can never understand. Do you know how many years it took me to regain my confidence?"
Gilbert remembered every word Rita had told him, but he realized he had never truly understood her feelings.
"I want to understand."
Daniel frowned.
"Are you crazy?"
"Please," Gilbert pleaded. "I really want to understand how you felt."
Daniel wanted to say so much, but his emotions were on the edge. He didn't want to look weak in front of Gilbert.
"Why do you care about this now?"
Gilbert hesitated to tell him about Rita because he didn't know how Daniel would react.
"You're still the same," Daniel said before closing the door.
Gilbert stood outside, confused. He desperately wanted Daniel's forgiveness. He went to a nearby store and bought many of the things he used to force Daniel to bring for him at school.
Daniel was busy with his work, thinking Gilbert had finally left.
Then the doorbell started ringing again.
Daniel opened the door. He wanted to treat Gilbert the same way Gilbert had once treated him.
"This is for you," Gilbert said.
Daniel looked at the shopping bag.
"This?" he asked, pointing at it. "Do you think you can come here one day and expect me to forgive you? Never."
"I know everything you're saying is absolutely right," Gilbert replied. "I was a jerk, but now I know what I did was wrong."
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't want to forgive you because only I know what I've gone through all these years."
Gilbert listened silently.
"I don't think I can forgive you."
Daniel was about to shut the door again, but Gilbert stopped him once more.
"I'll do anything to earn your forgiveness."
"Then get out of here."
Daniel slammed the door shut.
Gilbert refused to leave. Instead, he sat outside Daniel's house, waiting. He thought Daniel would eventually come outside, and then he would ask for forgiveness again.
Meanwhile, Aunt Iris was sitting with Rita's mother in her room. Rita's mother told her everything that had happened that morning.
"Do you think she'll really get a divorce?" Aunt Iris asked.
"I'm more worried about her father," Rita's mother replied.
"What if Gilbert really did something terrible, and she's hiding it from us? Otherwise, I don't believe Rita would ask for a divorce over such a trivial matter."
"You know her father cares more about his business and family reputation," Rita's mother said anxiously. "He has invested billions in the Marchantia business. If they divorce, he'll suffer a huge financial loss."
"You're thinking too much," Aunt Iris said.
"I live with him. I know my husband," Rita's mother replied. "And Rita... I don't know what's going on in her mind, but I'm her mother. I can tell she cares about Gilbert."
Aunt Iris asked excitedly, "She likes him?"
"Yes," Rita's mother answered. "But I don't know about Gilbert."
"But he came this morning to see her."
"I honestly don't know," Rita's mother admitted. "But I'm sure it'll be difficult for Rita to divorce him."
Rita sat alone in her room, disappointed with herself—and even more disappointed with Gilbert.
The number of times he had apologized meant nothing to her anymore.
He had always been self-centered. He never cared about anyone else's feelings.
When he wanted to bully me, he did.
When he wanted to change, he asked for my forgiveness.
When he wanted to get close to me, he did.
And when he wanted to avoid me, he did.
But through all of it, my feelings never mattered.
Now he's acting as if he wants me back, but once again, my feelings don't matter.
His dishonesty hurts me the most. He never truly regretted bullying me. He only apologized so he could fool me into believing that he loved me.
Daniel glanced out the window. He thought Gilbert would have left by now, but he was still sitting outside under the scorching sun, refusing to leave.
He opened the door.
"Gilbert."
Gilbert quickly walked over.
"Honestly," Daniel said, "Your apology doesn't mean much to me anymore. It's been too many years, and I've already moved on."
Gilbert lowered his head.
"But I need your forgiveness."
Daniel sighed.
"Fine. Tell me why I should forgive you."
Gilbert didn't hesitate. "Okay. I'll tell you."
Seeing his determination, Daniel stepped aside and let him in.
"You can sit here."
Gilbert sat down in the drawing room.
"I love Rita Helianthus."
Daniel thought for a moment.
"The girl you used to bully in school?"
"Yes."
Gilbert felt ashamed to admit it.
"She wanted me to apologize to everyone I bullied."
Daniel almost laughed. Karma really did exist.
"Only then will she forgive me," Gilbert added.
"So you don't actually regret what you did to me."
"I do regret it. That's why I'm here."
Daniel shook his head.
"No. You're here because you need her forgiveness."
Gilbert suddenly found himself without any words to defend himself.
"Do you even regret bullying her?"
"Yes," Gilbert replied immediately. "I've already apologized to her."
But deep down, he realized he had never truly regretted it.
"But she didn't forgive you."
Gilbert didn't know how to explain the complicated situation, so he simply nodded.
"I regret it. I should never have treated you like that."
Daniel looked at him quietly.
"If you want my forgiveness, then fine—I forgive you. But honestly, it means nothing to me now."
Gilbert slowly stood up and walked toward the door.
"What do you think I should do?" he asked. "I can't change my past."
"I don't know," Daniel answered. "But because of your past, a lot of people have suffered."
"I'll never mistreat anyone again."
Daniel listened quietly.
Then Gilbert asked,
"Can we be friends?"
Daniel looked at him for a moment.
"Tell her I forgive you."
With those words, he closed the door.
Gilbert stood there, confused.
Did Daniel actually forgive him?
If so, why didn't he feel happy?
Because deep inside, he still felt guilty.
As he walked toward his car, memories of the day he had first called Rita ugly flashed through his mind.
Then came the memories of how he had treated Daniel in school, and of everyone else he had ever mistreated. They were painful to remember now.
He had finally gotten Daniel's forgiveness, but instead of feeling relieved, he felt an emptiness he couldn't explain.
Gilbert got into his car and drove home. It was already night. The roads were crowded with traffic, and throughout the drive, he kept thinking about Rita.
Did I really never try to understand her feelings?
She never needed my apology.
She forgave me because she believed I had realized my mistakes and truly regretted bullying her.
But in reality, every time I apologized, I was only thinking about myself.
When I thought Archer was after her, I did everything I could to win her back, but I never cared about what she wanted.
Whenever she tried to tell me how she felt, I never listened.
By midnight, Gilbert was driving along the highway. The road was quiet, with hardly another vehicle in sight.
His thoughts were still with Rita.
He kept thinking about Daniel's words, about his own actions, and about all the times he had failed to understand what Rita was feeling.
Then, for just a moment, his attention drifted away from the road.
A truck appeared ahead.
Before Gilbert could react, the two vehicles collided.
The impact was violent.
His car flipped over, the world spinning around him before everything finally came to a stop. The truck had crashed into the side of the bridge, its driver motionless behind the wheel.
Gilbert tried to move.
Nothing.
His vision began to fade.
He knew he was losing consciousness.
And in those final moments, he didn't think about himself.
He thought about Rita.
I wish I could turn back time.
If I had another chance, I would listen to her.
I would understand her.
I would treat her the way she deserved to be treated.
His eyes slowly closed.
And the darkness took over.