6
Liam realized he was on speakerphone. He
く
frantically asked, “Kara, you…”
It was too loud.
I hung up.
On the plane, I felt truly alive.
Sunlight broke through the clouds, warming
my face. For seven years, I’d been running on
empty.
Below, the ocean stretched to the horizon, a
vast expanse separating continents. I smelled
the salt air, felt it fill my lungs.
Freedom.
I was no longer a toxic woman.
At twenty, I’d fallen for Liam.
During his college presentation, his insight
captivated everyone. Including me.
He was broke then, choosing to break up with
Bethany to save her from hardship.
I thought, A man who doesn’t want his
girlfriend to struggle can’t be all bad.
I pursued him relentlessly, charming everyone
く
around him just to get his attention.
He remained distant, but that only intensified
my obsession. I threw myself at him like a
moth to a flame.
He finally pushed me away. “Kara, until I have
a career, until I can protect my girlfriend, I
won’t date.”
I smiled. “Then I’ll wait for you to protect me.”
He blushed and left.
I gambled on a moment of connection.
He was brilliant. A college startup owner who,
within three years, built a vast empire.
His success attracted many women, all of
whom I swiftly chased away.
In my final year of college, my parents wanted
me to return home. Liam made me hesitate.
–
Family versus love an impossible choice.
The night before graduation, drunk, I
confessed my feelings.
“Liam, do you like me? If four years haven’t
دو
changed your mind, I’ll give up. Tell me the
truth; I can handle it.”
–
He smiled or so I thought.
“Kara, be my girlfriend.”
I believed my sincerity had won him over.
Years later, I learned the truth.
On the day of my confession, Bethany had
started a new relationship – with a wealthy
man. Liam, heartbroken, accepted my
confession as a form of emotional bandage.
For him, I stayed.
But you can’t force love.
An air hostess gently nudged me awake. I was
on the ground. My face was wet.
Liam, this was my last tear for you.
My parents greeted me at the airport, flowers
in hand.
Liam hated fuss.
I hadn’t received flowers in ages.
