Chapter 3: Shattered Hearts

Stella sat on the cold stairway outside the house, her tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Her chest tightened as she struggled to breathe, the pain in her heart overwhelming her. She replayed the scene in her mind: Richard, the man she had loved and waited for, declaring Patricia—her closest friend—as his one true love.

Her thoughts spiraled. "Why? Why would he do this to me? What did I do wrong?"

The sound of footsteps broke her reverie. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Patricia’s voice followed, casual yet sharp.

"Stella, are you crying? Come on now, you should be happy for me."

Stella looked up, her tear-streaked face filled with disbelief. "Happy for you? Patricia, you’re my friend. How could you do this to me? Why would you betray me like this?"

Patricia’s tone softened, but her words cut deeper than any blade. "Stella, we are friends, and I love you as my friend. But Richard and I... we’re in love. You can’t expect him to stay faithful to a flame that barely flickered after three years."

Stella’s heart clenched. "But he was my fiancé, Patricia! He knew my fears, my sacrifices. He promised me."

Patricia shook her head, her voice dripping with condescension. "Sacrifices? We all make sacrifices, Stella. And thank you for yours, truly. But let’s face the truth—you were never the right woman for Richard."

Stella’s mouth fell open, stunned. "What are you saying?"

Patricia crossed her arms and gave Stella a pitying look. "I mean, look at you. You’re sweet, yes, but you’re not educated, not classy. You don’t have the sophistication Richard needs in a wife. I do. I’m sorry, but someone had to tell you the truth."

The words stung like poison. Stella tried to speak, but Patricia kept going.

"You’re selfish, Stella. You’re clinging to a man who’s moved on. I love Richard, and he loves me. You should have seen the signs. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, but it’s better you know now."

Stella stood up, anger burning through her sorrow. "Patricia, I sacrificed so much for Richard. I loved him with everything I had. How could you stand there and justify what you’ve done to me?"

Patricia sighed, brushing off Stella’s pain as if it were nothing. "True love doesn’t stress you, Stella. If Richard truly loved you, he wouldn’t have let you suffer like this. Maybe this is your sign to find your real happiness."

Stella shook her head, disbelief clouding her vision. "You’ll regret this, Patricia. You’ll regret betraying me."

Patricia smiled faintly, unfazed. "Regret? No, my dear. We all make choices, and sometimes others bear the consequences. This time, you’re the one who has to move on. Trust me, with time, you’ll thank me."

Without waiting for a reply, Patricia turned and walked back into the house, leaving Stella standing alone, shattered.

---

That night, Stella stumbled back to her small apartment, her mind consumed by Patricia’s words. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the walls, the memories of Richard’s promises flooding back to her.

"You’ll always be my queen, Stella," his voice echoed in her mind. "I’ll come back for you. I swear it."

She hugged her pillow tightly, her tears soaking into the fabric. "Oh, Richard," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why did you do this to me? After everything I gave up for you, after all the love I poured into us..."

She stayed like that, whispering his name through sobs until exhaustion finally claimed her.

But as Stella drifted off to sleep, a small spark of determination began to flicker within her shattered heart. She didn’t know how, but one thing was certain: this wasn’t the end of her story.

"You may have betrayed me," she thought faintly, her tears drying on her cheeks, "but you haven’t broken me."