When Ian Richards dresses for work, he accidentally drops a picture of his ex-wife on the floor. He finally decides after three years that it’s time to throw away the photo and bury the past. He rips it to shreds and shoves it into a garbage bag, hoping the symbolic act will finally do the trick. After visiting the rubbish bin, he climbs in his car and heads for work. Little does he know that he’s about to collide with another woman. His fated event will present even a greater challenge in his search for love than the one he just left behind.“Fated Occurrence” is a short story prequel to “Conflicting Hearts,” an adult contemporary romance. This is not a full-length novella or novel.