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Allen's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the steaming plate of lasagna before him. It wasn't just about the food anymore; it was about trust, about vulnerability. His hand trembled slightly as he wrestled with the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. Memories of how Valerie had treated him in the past flickered through his mind like a slideshow, each one a sharp pang of pain reminding him of the wounds Valerie had inflicted. How could he possibly be entangled with someone who made him lose his job and due to that, he was unable to raise any money to pay for his mother's hospital bills and free his sister from the clutches of those despicable loan sharks?

Could he dare to believe that this time might be different? That perhaps, just perhaps, Valerie had changed? Or was he setting himself up for yet another fall, another crushing disappointment?

As he hesitated, Allen couldn't help but wonder if he was overthinking things. Maybe it was just lasagna, after all. But deep