The Letter That Survived the Fire The fire crackled in the fireplace, warming my legs but not my heart. I sat cross-legged on the living room floor, surrounded by torn pieces of my past. Old photo albums, letters, and pictures lay scattered around me—bits of a broken life I used to share with Jim. My marriage had ended like a door slammed shut—loud, painful, and fast. I picked up a sealed envelope addressed to my ex-husband. Without thinking, I tossed it into the fire. I didn’t want to feel anything

I gave everything I had to my husband. I worked hard at my job, took care of the house, and tried to keep our relationship alive. But no matter what I did, Aiden always seemed unhappy. Nothing was ever enough for him. Then one morning, I heard something that changed everything. I had just woken up when I heard my husband’s voice in the hallway. But it wasn’t just his voice—there was a woman’s voice too. “How could he?” I thought, frozen in bed. That moment was the last straw.

Late one night, buried under a mountain of paperwork dumped by my boss, my phone rang—and everything changed in a heartbeat. The voice on the other end was Aunt Jenny, cheerful and bright, but her words hit me like a thunderclap: “Alice! Don’t forget—you’re giving me a ride to the wedding!” “Wedding?” I whispered, my heart skipping. “Whose wedding?” She laughed like I’d lost my mind. “Your mom’s! How could you forget? It’s her big day!” I sat frozen, the phone slipping from my hand. Mom was getting married… and