He remembered how his father had always taught him to do the right thing, even if it was the hardest thing to do.
"I won't become like you," Alex whispered to the diary. He knew that his father would be proud of him for making the right decision, for not giving in to temptation. He knew that his father would want him to move on with his life, to find happiness and purpose in other things.
Alex closed the diary and put it back in the box. He knew that he couldn't change the past, that he couldn't bring his father back no matter how hard he tried. But he also knew that he could honor his father's memory by living his life the way his father had wanted him to, by making a difference in the world and by being the best version of himself.