Chapter 58 - The Daylight of Regret

Without Russell as a catalyst, I found myself back at square one again—adrift, untethered, and uncertain of where to channel the energy that had consumed me for years. The obsession that had once fuelled me, given me purpose and a sense of destiny, was gone. And in its absence, the reality of what I had lost began to sink in.
My marriage was in ruins, and I couldn’t deny that it was largely my own doing. I’d poured so much of myself into chasing signs, interpreting omens, and building a narrative around a connection that might never materialise, that I had neglected the one person who had been there for me through it all.
Julia was beautiful—inside and out. She had a warmth that could light up a room and a quiet strength that I had leaned on more than I ever admitted. But even the strongest love has its limits, and I had pushed those limits too far.
I’m truly sorry that I lost her. I’m sorry for the nights I wasn’t present, for the conversations I didn’t hear because my mind was somewhere else. I’m sorry for the times I dismissed her feelings or made her feel second to a dream that, in hindsight, feels so fragile.
Regret is a heavy thing to carry, but it’s also a teacher. Losing Julia taught me the value of what I had, the importance of being present, and the devastating consequences of letting obsession blind me to what truly matters.
I wish I could go back and do things differently, but life doesn’t grant us that luxury. All I can do now is carry those lessons forward and hope that, in time, I can rebuild something beautiful from the ashes. Julia deserves every happiness, and while I may no longer be part of her life, I’ll always carry her in my heart as a reminder of what I lost—and what I should never take for granted again.
And so began my second downfall. Life, once precariously held together by the threads of hope and ambition, began to unravel faster than I could patch it. Holodex, the dream that had once ignited a fire in me, was slipping through my fingers. Without a partner by my side, the loneliness crept in, a stark reminder of the void left behind.
A few years later, the final thread snapped—I lost my job. I won’t go into the details of why or how; it’s not a story I want to relive. Let’s just say it was a situation steeped in disappointment, and not just for me. It was the kind of experience that leaves a bitter taste, a lingering question of how it all went so wrong.
Without savings to fall back on, I found myself staring into the abyss. The safety net I thought I’d always have was gone, and the ground beneath me felt like quicksand. The reality of my situation hit me like a freight train: no steady income, no foundation, no clear path forward.
Every day felt like a fight for survival—not just financially, but emotionally and mentally. When you hit a low like that, it’s easy to spiral into despair, to feel like the world has no place for you anymore.
But I wasn’t done yet.