LOVE BEYOND WEALTH

riends had treated Alex, it filled her with anger and shame. But what made it worse was the uncertainty she sensed in Alex since that night-an uncertainty that seemed to have crept into the ve

more frantic Ellie became. By the end of the week, Ellie couldn't take the distance any longer. She decided to visit him at his shop, hopi

ands on a rag. His face was tired, and the easy smile he used to give her didn't come this time. "Hey," Ellie said softly, feeling

as just a reminder of how different our lives are. I'm not like them, and I don't think I ever will be. "Ellie shook her head. "I don't care about those differences. You don't have to be like them, Alex. I don't want you to be.""That's easy for you to say," he replied, his tone hard. "You're not the one being judged. You didn't feel what it was like to be looked at like... like you don't belong. It's exhausting, Ellie

I don't want to keep feeling like this-like I'm never enough for you."Ellie took a step closer, her voice ple

"It's not just about what you want, Ellie. It's about the world we live in. Your friends, your family-they're never going to accept me. And deep

hem. It's about whether or not we can really bridge that gap. And right now, I'm not sure if we can."The silenc

. I need some time to figure things out. To see if I can really handle this." Ellie's chest tightened, and she reached out, her hand gently brushing his arm. "Alex, please don't give up on us. We've come so far." He didn't pull away, but he didn't respond either. His silence spoke louder than any words.After a moment, Ellie took a step bac

f into her work and charity events, anything to keep her mind off the growing distance between her and Alex. She knew she should give him spa

et that you're trying something different, but really-this Alex guy? He's just not on your level." Ellie had gritted her teeth through the conversation, knowing that trying to explain her feelings to Cassan

nversation-not yet. Not when she wasn't even sure where things stood with Alex. One evening, after another tense family meal, Ellie sat in her room, staring at her phone. She had typed and erased messages to Alex m

her chest tight with the ache of uncertainty. She hated feeling like this-like their relationship was slipping through her fingers, like no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hold on to the one person who