The After fandom has never been shy about theories, predictions, or emotionally destructive hypotheticals. But one question has sparked louder debates than any love triangle ever could: What would become of Hardin Scott if Tessa Young simply vanished from his life? Not by breakup. Not by choice. But by disappearing entirely?
For fans, the thought alone feels like ripping out the final page of Hardin’s book — literally and metaphorically.
The Most Popular Fan Theory: Hardin Wouldn’t Collapse, He Would Rewrite Himself
Many fans believe that if Tessa disappeared without explanation, Hardin’s ending would take on a much darker but strangely poetic arc. The consensus? He wouldn’t crumble forever — he would turn the pain into his greatest transformation yet.
Supporters of this theory argue that Tessa has always been the catalyst for Hardin’s evolution. Without her presence, the trigger would change — but the result might be even stronger. Instead of fighting for love, he would fight for meaning. For identity. For closure he never got.
Fans imagine Hardin disappearing from the chaos of London, isolating himself in a remote corner of the world, and doing what he does best: writing. Not romance. Not heartbreak poetry. But a brutal memoir about grief, abandonment, and learning to live for himself rather than someone else.
In this version, his ending isn’t about love — it’s about authorship. He becomes the man who survived the story instead of the man who was saved by it.
The Tragic Theory: Hardin Would Search Until He Became a Ghost Himself
Then there’s the other side of the fandom — the romantics who love the pain a little too much. They believe Hardin would never accept an ending without Tessa. In their minds, his conclusion becomes an obsessive odyssey.
According to this prediction, Hardin would:
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Quit everything that ties him to routine
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Shut out friends, family, and the entire world
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Begin a relentless search for Tessa, driven not by logic but by the void of not knowing
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Become emotionally unreachable, living in airports, old message threads, and memories
Fans who subscribe to this theory don’t picture a healed Hardin. They picture a haunted one. A man who keeps moving but never arrives. A man who lives inside the question, Where did she go?, instead of the answer.
It’s tragic. It’s dramatic. And honestly? It sounds like the exact kind of storyline this franchise would weaponize.
The Healing Theory: Landon Pulls Hardin Back From the Edge
A surprising number of fans believe that if Tessa vanished, Hardin’s ending would still include a lifeline — and that lifeline is Landon Gibson, the emotional support human who has always deserved hazard pay for dealing with Hardin’s feelings.
In this prediction, Landon becomes the person who finally forces Hardin to confront reality. Not with judgment. But with brotherhood.
Fans imagine Landon delivering the speech of the century:
“You don’t heal because she comes back. You heal because you’re still here.”
It’s the kind of moment that could end careers, mend hearts, and absolutely destroy the fandom in the most satisfying way.
The Poetic Ending Fans Dream Of But Fear To Say Out Loud
And then there’s the wildcard theory — whispered but powerful:
Hardin becomes a father someday.
Not because Tessa returns, but because life continues in ways grief can’t stop.
In this imagined ending, Hardin eventually meets someone who doesn’t replace Tessa but understands him. Years later, he writes his final book — not about losing her, but about living after her.
The last line? Fans predict something like:
“She disappeared from my life. But she never disappeared from my story.”
A line that hurts. But heals. But hurts again.
Final Verdict
If Tessa vanished, Hardin’s ending would depend on one thing fans agree on:
He has to survive the loss — because his character arc was never about loving her. It was about becoming someone capable of love at all.
And that journey doesn’t end just because someone leaves.
It ends because someone endures.
The fandom may argue about how Hardin finishes the story, but they agree on what matters most:
He doesn’t need Tessa to end well.
He needs himself.
