Letting Go of Old Love

Mae Ruiz had her eye on the prime apartment in a newly developed complex. After eagerly waiting for it to go on sale, she was informed by Alexandra Stewart, the manager, that it had already been reserved.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Perry, but this apartment is already spoken for," Alexandra explained. "Mr. Perry instructed us to hold it for an important investor before the sale started."

Disappointed, Mae decided to move on. A few days later, she received an invitation to a housewarming party from her friend, Maggie Parker. To her surprise, the party was being held in the very apartment she had wanted.

The hostess exuded elegance, with her composed demeanor and a tiny beauty mark accentuating her nose, reminding Mae of a sketch she once saw tucked away in her husband's safe.

As Alexandra apologized once more, Mae reluctantly accepted the situation but couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She had mentioned her interest in the apartment to her husband, Jamison Perry, several times. He was usually generous, and it puzzled her that he hadn't fulfilled this simple request in their three years of marriage. This investor must have been someone significant.

Mae jokingly complained to Jamison over the phone. Later that day, he sent her several contracts for other apartments in the same complex. They were all nice, with good locations and views, but none held the same charm as the one she originally wanted, being quite some distance away from it.

She thought her connection to that apartment was over. But when Maggie invited her to another housewarming party of a new acquaintance, Mae couldn't resist attending, especially since it was in that same apartment. Wanting to maintain good relations with the investor, she dressed meticulously for the event.

Unexpectedly, the woman who greeted her challenged her assumptions of who the investor might be. She wore a white cashmere dress, her long hair tied in a low ponytail, exuding a grace reminiscent of a serene country landscape. The woman handed Mae a cup of coffee with elegantly simple hands.

Caught off guard, Mae graciously accepted the coffee, her attention drawn to the woman, Celeste Taylor, standing before her. The resemblance was uncanny, especially with that beauty mark. If not for Jamison's firm assurance that the model in his treasured sketch was just a passerby, Mae would have instantly assumed Celeste was the woman in the drawing.

Celeste acknowledged her with a slight nod, seemingly unfazed by Mae's scrutiny. A strange feeling lingered in Mae's mind. Could there really be such coincidences? She shook her head at her own anxious thoughts.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mae assumed Celeste was related to Jamison's investor and habitually took out her phone to add her contact details. When Celeste's profile picture appeared, Mae felt a pang of unease. The sunset and silhouette were eerily similar to Jamison's profile picture, like a couple's coordinated photos.

"Is something wrong?" Celeste asked.

Mae shook her head casually and proceeded to add her contact. Celeste's expression