Rejected Then Rekindled

I wanted to gather my strength. I didn’t want my best friend, Skylar, to worry about me. And I certainly didn’t want her to feel humiliated by begging Oscar again. So, I put on a brave face in front of her. I forced myself to eat and drink and even tried to laugh.

But my emotions were like a ship I couldn't control, swaying and drifting in the depths, pulling me toward an endless darkness. It wasn't until one day when Skylar knocked the knife from my wrist that I snapped back to reality. Tears streamed down her face as she slapped me hard across the cheek.

I collapsed to the floor, feeling the sting of her hand on my skin.

"I didn’t tell you because I was afraid of how much it would hurt you," she cried. "But less than a week after you two broke up, he announced his new girlfriend on Instagram! While you're here hurting yourself, he's posting about her peanut allergies!"

"Arianna, you can't let yourself fall apart over a guy like him! Snap out of it!"

I sat in the corner, listening in stunned silence. Then, suddenly, I laughed. It was as if I’d heard the funniest joke in the world. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I laughed.