ANNA'S POV
The night swallowed me whole as I stumbled down the driveway. The weight of my heart pulled at my feet, dragging me down like a thousand-pound anchor.
Every step felt heavier than the last, and with each shaky movement, my legs threatened to give out beneath me.
My vision was blurred, not from the darkness around me, but from the tears that had gathered, blurring the edges of everything.
The silent sobs that wracked my body were more familiar now than any other sound.
Somewhere deep inside, a small, pitiful voice kept whispering, He doesn't love you anymore.
But louder than that was the shattering realization: Maybe he never really did.
I wrapped my arms around myself, as if that could hold the broken pieces of my heart together.
I stumbled down the street, not sure which direction I was headed. The world felt like it was spinning around me, and I could barely keep up with my thoughts, let alone my steps.
I had let the hospital because I was desperate to see him and this was all I got?
Why didn’t he fight for me? Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t he love me enough to see past the scars that marred my face and soul?
The memory of how he used to look at me flashed through my mind, clearer than anything.
That look he always had, like I was the center of his world, the very reason he breathed. I was his sun, his moon, and every star in the sky.
Now? Now, he looked at me like I was nothing. Not even worth a second glance.
A sob tore from my throat before I could stop it. I pressed my palm to my mouth, trying to hold it in, but the tears came anyway. Hot, burning, and relentless.
I don’t know how long I wandered, but eventually, I found myself sitting on a cold, wooden bench in a quiet park.
The moon hung low above, bathing everything in a pale, sorrowful light. The bench felt rough beneath me, but I didn’t care.
I barely felt anything anymore. I hugged my knees to my chest, as though trying to protect myself from the pain that had already eaten me alive.
The tears fell freely now, no longer trying to hide behind the walls I had built for myself. I let them fall. What else could I do? No one was here to see me, no one was here to stop me.
I must have sat there for hours, numb, broken, watching as the first light of dawn started to creep into the sky.
My body ached, my heart hurt worse. But what could I do? I was alone. The person who I thought would never leave me had already walked away in every sense.
I fumbled for my phone, my fingers shaking as I pulled it from my pocket. I checked it, hoping, praying that there might be a message or a missed call. But there was nothing. No calls. No texts. Nothing.
A dry, humorless laugh escaped me as I stared at the screen. I should have known better.
I should have guarded my heart. I should have known that promises were just words—empty, cruel words.
Then, my phone buzzed, breaking into my thoughts like a jarring sound in the quiet. I pulled it out again, seeing Nathan's name on the screen.
I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to talk to anyone. But I answered anyway.
“Where are you?” His voice crackled through the phone, his tone heavy with concern. “I’m at the hospital, Anna. I couldn’t find you.”
I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. “I went to Damien’s place,” I said, my throat tightening with the mention of his name.
There was a long pause on the other end. Then, Nathan’s voice came back, softer, more cautious. “Anna…”
“Why isn’t he here? Why is it you taking care of me instead of him?” I interrupted him.
The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Then, Nathan spoke again, his voice laced with uncertainty. “I don’t know, Anna. I honestly don’t know. But… I don’t think Damien is handling things well.”
I screamed into the phone, the raw emotion bursting free. “Why the hell is he acting like this? Why the hell didn’t he fight for me when I needed him the most? Why is it you, Nathan, who’s here for me and not him?”
The words felt like acid as they left my mouth, but I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t stop the anger, the hurt, the betrayal.
Nathan was silent for a moment, and I could hear the faint sound of him breathing on the other end.
“I’m sorry, Anna,” he finally said. “I’m really sorry. But I—”
I didn’t let him finish. “Get off the phone. Just stop helping me if he’s going to keep acting like this. I don’t want your pity. I want him. But it’s clear he doesn’t care anymore.”
Before he could respond, I ended the call. I went straight to Damien’s number. I dialed it without thinking. It rang once, then twice, then three times. He didn’t pick up.
I stared at the screen, my heart thudding in my chest. Pick up. Pick up, Damien.
I called again. This time, it rang a few times before he finally answered, his voice rough and distant.
“Anna,” he said, as if he was almost surprised to hear from me.
“Damien, what the hell is going on?” I demanded, my voice trembling with frustration. “Why are you doing this? Why are you treating me like I’m invisible?”
Silence ensued.
He wasn't saying anything.
My voice was breaking as I asked him. “What do you want Damien? Do you want to break our engagement?”
Silence.
“Do you want to break up?” I repeated, my chest tightening with the weight of the question. “Tell me, Damien. I need to know. I need to know if I’m just… wasting my time.”
Another pause, then, in a voice so cold it sent chills down my spine, he spoke the words I had been dreading.
“Yeah. Let’s break up.”
The phone went dead in my hand, and I was left staring at the screen. My heart shattered into pieces as the realization hit me.
It was over.