Chapter 17: Chapter 17 : Unraveling Echoes

The room hung heavy with the weight of my tentative words—a precipice on which our destinies teetered. Serenity's gaze bore into mine, a glimmer of understanding reflected in her eyes as the unsaid words lingered between us, an uncharted territory fraught with both liberation and uncertainty.

"Consider what, Skyler?" she questioned, her voice a soft echo in the sterile hospital air, her gaze unwavering.

"Consider... consider a different path," I stammered, the gravity of my words settling between us. "Maybe it's time we think about ending this forced union. I can't bear to see you suffer for a marriage neither of us chose."

For a moment, time seemed suspended, the outcome of my offer hanging in the balance. The room, once filled with the hum of medical equipment and hushed whispers, now held its breath, as if anticipating the ripples that would follow my proposal.