Here’s a concise 300-word version of your story:
Woman Ignores Letters from Man She Left 53 Years Ago, Visits Him Once and Finds a Ruined House
Margaret sat in her cozy apartment, staring at yet another unopened letter from James. For 53 years, she had ignored his attempts to contact her. They had been young lovers once, but she had left their small town in search of a better life, never looking back.
Now widowed and lonely, curiosity finally got the best of her. She decided to visit James, to see what had become of him.
When she arrived at the address from his letters, she was stunned. The house was in ruins—roof caved in, windows shattered, the yard overgrown with weeds. A neighbor saw her and approached.
“Are you looking for James?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” Margaret whispered.
The woman sighed. “He lived here alone for years, waiting for you. He always believed you’d come back. He wrote you letters, hoping. When he got too weak, he stopped writing. He passed away last winter.”
Margaret’s heart clenched. She had spent decades building a life elsewhere, never realizing she had left behind a man who truly loved her.
Tears streamed down her face as she stepped toward the broken house. Regret filled her—regret for never reading his words, for never answering, for waiting until it was too late.
A gust of wind blew an old letter to her feet. She picked it up with trembling hands and read the faded words:
“If you ever change your mind, I’ll be right here, waiting.”
Margaret sobbed. He had waited. And she had never come.
Would you like me to add more details or change anything?
