The Returning Ex

If only John had been this nice to me from the very beginning itself! When the conductor had left, Sophia closed the door to her compartment. Lying back down, she drifted off to sleep again.

After about two days on the train, she then changed trains before taking an express bus. At long last, the bus lurched to a stop at the intersection in front of the village. It was a dirt road that stretched for a long distance, so much so that one couldn’t see the village at the end of the road from here.

It was afternoon, and Sophia slowly made her way toward the village with a bag on her shoulders. At this time, it was relatively quiet in the village. The houses in the village were all brick houses, though some retained the thatched houses of the previous generation albeit no longer occupying them. Instead, they were using them for storage. The village was small, so the moment she stepped foot in there, the people in her path swung their gazes at her.

Sophia flashed them a smile. “Mr. Yanez, you seem hale and hearty!”

The old man from the Yanez Family stared at her for a while before clarity hit him. “Sophia? Why are you back? What’s wrong? Did your husband’s family mistreat you?”

Sophia shook her head. “No. I came back to visit my grandfather’s grave since I couldn’t make it on the anniversary of his death.”

at her and asked, “Then, why are you back alone? Is your husband not coming? He didn’t even come here for a visit when you two got

work at the office, so he can’t spare

matter of distance. You married too far, so it’s difficult for you to even make it back once a year.” The middle-aged

family’s house was still standing thanks to the villagers helping to repair it ages ago, but after so many years, it looked somewhat dilapidated. Standing in the courtyard, she stared at the traces of mold on the wooden window

rooms in the house, both with wooden beds. She’d packed up all the bedding when she left, so the wooden boards were now exposed, appearing a touch desolate. She stood

sight of Sophia, utter surprise suffused her. “You’re back, Sophia? Well, what a coincidence! Tell you what, your mother came back some time ago

“I know,

you’re married and your grandfather has passed away. I’m not trying to sow dissension, but what’s

echoed her