The footsteps drew closer, her eyes still focused on her tablet. Alexa stared cynically at the woman sitting next to her. Her innocent face always managed to capture the attention of her first love.
"Sean." Overcome with anxiety, Sean let go of her hand. Alexa, who noticed this, could only clear her throat.
"What are you doing here? You guys..." Hearing Alexa speak, Sean immediately shook his head and cut her off. He wasn't ready to tell Alexa this. Sean was afraid Alexa would be sad.
"I can explain. It's not what you think," said Sean.
"We're dating," said the woman. She was tired of constantly hiding her relationship with Sean. Now it was time for all of Sean's friends to know. How long did the woman have to continue living in Sean's shadow? All this time, Sean had hidden her like a secret.
She was just an ordinary woman who wanted to be acknowledged by her partner, to be proud of, to be prioritized, to be valued for who she was. She wanted Sean to show the world that she was his girl.
As if struck repeatedly, Alexa's chest felt tight. Her body felt cold and weak, and the voice continued to echo. What was this fact, and since when? Why didn't anyone tell Alexa that Sean already had a girlfriend?
Sean approached, wanting to try to explain something to Alexa. Alexa stepped back, brushing Sean's hand away, and ran away. Sean clenched his fists, his gaze fixed sharply on the woman. Without saying a word, Sean immediately chased after Alexa.
This was the first time Sean had ever shown his anger. The woman who saw it could only cry. She was his girlfriend. Why was Sean chasing after Alexa? How important was Alexa to his life? If Alexa was more important than him, why didn't he date her?
Shouldn't she be the one being accompanied? Isn't she the one who needs someone in this situation?
"Alexa, wait." Sean tried to chase after her, but unfortunately, Alexa's car had already sped away from the hospital. Sean pulled at his own hair and shouted in anger, making himself the center of attention. This shouldn't have happened. Sean returned to where the woman was. Not many words were spoken there.
Only a long silence. Only two people lost in their own thoughts.
***
On the other hand, rain came. It was as if it knew that the pluviophile was sad today. The sound of pattering rain was very soothing after hearing something painful earlier. Alexa played with the fogged-up car window, writing a few words. Sean is so mean.
Before she knew it, Alexa's car had arrived at a mansion. Alexa immediately got out and walked around enjoying the falling rain. Alexa loved this, in her life, she had only played in the rain once before. And even then, she immediately got sick. She clearly remembered how worried her parents had looked. In the end, Alexa was forbidden from playing in the rain. Alexa was truly lucky to have parents like them. Before everything was revealed.
"Alexa, come in!" Becca just shook her head. Look at Alexa and her inner child. Rich people are weird. Alexa was that happy just because she was playing in the rain. Becca went back inside, grabbed a towel and a cup of hot tea for her friend.
Here they were, in a Parisian chic-style room located on the second floor of the Vale family mansion. The faint scent of lavender greeted them with a softness that was almost like a hug. The high ceiling was decorated with white plaster carvings surrounding a chandelier located in the center of the room. It reflected light onto the off-white walls.
In the corner of the room is a queen-size bed with a soft pink velvet headboard, complete with layered pillows and cream satin sheets. An antique console stands near the window with curved Louis XVI-style legs, complete with an antique gold-framed mirror.
This is where time passes slowly, a room that not only displays beauty but also tells a story. A room that witnessed Alexa's tears.
Hearing Alexa's explanation, Becca stared in disbelief. Since when did Sean have a girlfriend? All this time, Sean hadn't been seen with any woman. Even Raphael had never mentioned this to her. What's worse, all of Sean's friends knew the woman.
Even if Sean loved another woman, that was fine. There was nothing wrong with that. However, he should have been more open with his friends. Especially Alexa, who was still hoping for him.
Becca deeply regretted Sean's actions. If she had known earlier that Sean already had a girlfriend, she would have advised Alexa to forget about him. This would have made it easier for Alexa to move on.
"Since you've been gone, Sean has rarely hung out with us." Becca tried to remember the last time Sean joined his friends.
Tissues were scattered on the floor. Becca couldn't bear to see Alexa like this. She could only rub her back, trying to calm her down.
"He's so mean, Becc," Alexa said, sobbing. Becca could only be a good listener for Alexa. She let Alexa vent her frustration first.
"What's even worse is that Sean is dating Liora. Liora," Alexa said between sobs.
That's what Becca didn't understand. Sean liked Liora. Liora was a new student at her old school. Alexa's enemy. Since when had Sean been interacting with Liora? Too many questions were running through Becca's head right now.
"Liora is nothing compared to me. You know I'm better than Liora in every way. I'm prettier, I'm richer. She only has one advantage over me, she's smarter than me," Alexa said passionately. Everything Alexa said was true. What Sean saw in Liora.
"What's wrong with me, Becc? I've reached the point where I doubt myself now. Do you know how it feels, me who has been struggling for 15 years? But Liora is the one Sean chose."
"Am I still not good enough in Sean's eyes? Am I not the right person for him?" Becca shook her head slowly upon hearing Alexa's statement. Alexa was perfect, only a foolish man would reject Alexa with all her privileges.
"Lexaa, the perfect couple doesn't really exist. We can't be 100% compatible with each other, but there are reasonable limits that we can accept or not accept in our partner for the rest of our lives," Becca explained. Alexa cried her heart out, letting her worries spill out.
People always say to marry the right person. But what is the right partner? Alexa never knew, even the partner who failed today, when choosing, she thought he was the right person for her.
We never know who our perfect partner is, but we can find the partner we need. If we need a partner who doesn't smoke, just look for one who doesn't smoke. If we need a wealthy partner, look for a wealthy one. If we need a partner with high emotional intelligence, look for one who has that.
We can tell whether what we need is in him or not. If not, don't push too hard at the beginning. Because women often want to heal their partners rather than leave them. Empathy makes us want to be the savior, empathy makes us believe that he will change for us even though we are drowning ourselves.
Perhaps this is what happened to Alexa. She could be the person Sean needs, but without realizing it, Alexa lost her true self. Alexa always thought that love was full of struggles, like the movies she often watched. Love stories full of struggles and with happy endings. But healthy love shouldn't make Alexa tired every day. Healthy love shouldn't make Alexa constantly sacrifice herself.
In the end, if a guy doesn't want to be with you, that's just the way it is. No matter how hard you try to win his heart, if he doesn't want to be with you, then he doesn't. If you're not the one he wants, everything will be difficult and exhausting.
From a young age, Alexa only knew that love was beautiful. Love was perfect. Love made us happy. But in reality, there are too many definitions of love.
Love is not about getting what we want. Love isn't about expecting perfection. Love is about accepting each other's flaws, always forgiving, always praying for each other, respecting each other, caring for each other, and honoring each other.
Love is when we can show each other the most broken parts of ourselves.