Broken Heart.
"A great grief, sorrow, anguish, or sadness, caused by the death of a loved one or an ending of a relationship. It may take days, weeks, months, years, or even longer, to mend a broken heart. But, the most important thing is that we shouldn't let the past hinders us from moving forward."
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A man with a handsome face, a well-built body, charismatic, and a well-known individual for his talent and skills in catwalk photography, JACKSON MENDEZ.
Lots of fashion companies were dying to sign a contract with him, but no one had been successful to do so. He much preferred being a freelancer just like his friend who was one of the runway models for the fashion show he was attending to right now. However, his presence was not that he was just invited. He was hired as the catwalk photographer of Spring/Summer 202X Ready-to-Wear Fashion Week in Paris.
Jackson looked at his watch and saw that he had twenty minutes left before the fashion show would start. He used this time to take personal shots of the black-and-white venue. Camera strap around his neck, carrying Canon EOS R3.
After taking enough pictures of the venue, he then switched next to people as his subject. He even asked some of the guests, specifically, beautiful women, to pose for him. He was attractive, so he could easily charm them and even flirted with them to have their contact numbers. There were times he was interrupted by his girlfriends' texts--three girlfriends to be exact--and he would just smile at his phone screen and reply to tell them that he missed them like crazy. Jack was the real definition of a womanizer. However, this only began when the woman he was in love with broke his heart.
As he continued taking pictures, candid shots, rather, one woman completely got his attention. She had wavy dark green hair and green eyes. He smiled, thinking he had a new target. "It's time to add more to my collection."
Since the woman was a bit in distance, Jack made his way to approach her, but as his feet went closer, his heart started to beat faster and wilder until the woman caught his eyes, and then his steps were halted. His heart almost stopped. His eyes forgot to blink, and his nose almost not breathing. "Is this some kind of prank, eyes?" he muttered to himself. However, there was no doubt, she recognized him. Her eyes widened a bit and then immediately averted her gaze, and even walked away. But, the man beside him grabbed her arm and asked, "where are you going, Sensen?"
It was her. Certainly, no doubt. She was that girl. The girl who changed him.
Jack proceeded with his steps, and so, he was now before them. The woman looked at him with desperate eyes. Desperate to escape. Jack smirked at her and then looked at the man with her that was now staring back at him. Jack held out a hand to the man. "Hi, I'm Jackson Mendez. You...you must be?"
The man just gave a weird look at his hand. "Jimhuesh Anderson."
Jack clenched his hand and pulled it back, and chuckled. "I'm sorry if I came out strange, but I swear, I mean no harm. I just want to say hello to your girlfriend."
"Do you know him?" Jimhuesh asked her.
"Huh? Uh, y-yes, we attended the same university," she answered with a nervous laugh.
Jack sneered, his hand under his chin caressing it. "I still remember the last time we've seen each other. It was unforgettable. Wouldn't you agree, Sen?"
Senthie laughed which seemed to be forced. "Oh, that? Yeah, maybe. By the way, please let me excuse myself, I need to go to the ladies' room."
"Sure," Jack uttered as he shrugged.
"Are you okay?" Jimhuesh asked her, looking concerned. Senthie nodded and smiled, and then went off hurriedly.
Jimhuesh stared at Jack intensely as if he wanted to punch him. He folded his arms and said, "I think Senthie isn't pleased to see you again. Have you done something wrong to her in the past?"
"What?" Jack scoffed. He couldn't believe this man had the nerve to ask him that kind of question. "I'm offended, you know. It was the other way around. Your girlfriend has wronged me in the past. And the pain she had caused me is still here." He pointed at his heart and then sighed. "Let me give you a piece of advice, man. Don't get involved with that woman, stay away from her. She's just playing with your feelings. She's a player! She will make you fall in love with her and when you did, you're done for."
Jimhuesh just stared at him blankly. "Are you done?" He furrowed his brows and looked at his watch as if he was bored. "Thanks for your advice, but I can take care of myself."
Jack shook his head in disbelief. "You must believe me. I wasn't her only victim. I'm saying this out of concern to my fellow man who has already fallen to her trick. Stay away from Senthie." He sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Jack left and didn't wait for his response. He sighed heavily as he shook his head. "I feel sorry for him."
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This was a scene from four years ago when Jack was still a college student. He was on a date with his girlfriend at a park near the university.
"Jack, I have questions for you. Can you promise that you'll answer truthfully?" she said, staring intently into his eyes. What could be her questions?
"What's this? You're making me nervous, babe," Jack uttered with a soft chuckle. "But sure, let's do it." He smiled anxiously as he scratched the back of his head.
He was nervous around her all the time and the situation he was in right now wasn't helping. They were on their date, but he felt like he was being interrogated.
"Do you promise?" she asked for assurance, raising her right hand as if taking an oath to invite the man to do the same.
Jack copied her and smiled nervously. "I promise."
She paused for a brief moment and then asked him, "do you love me?" without averting her gaze at him.
Jack's expression was priceless. He wasn't expecting that question. "What kind of question was that? Of course, I love you. I love you, Senthie." He turned his head to the side to hide his flushed face.
Jack wasn't used to confessing that when he officially asked her to be his girlfriend, he only sent a letter. Not that it was his first time asking a girl out, but he wasn't just confident in front of this girl.
"Uhh. It's not that deep, right?" Senthie asked with a hint of hesitation.
Jack was surprised that he immediately turned back his gaze to her. With his furrowed brows and slightly cocked head on the side, he blurted out, "what? What's with these weird questions, babe? Why are you asking me these?"
He couldn't figure out what was her purpose. Why was she asking those weird questions? Was she doubting his love for her? Wasn't she convinced?
She shrugged. "Nothing. I just wanted to know. I mean, we're just six months in a relationship, right?"
"So?"
"So, I think our love is not that deep yet."
Jack suddenly had the clue where the conversation was heading by her answer. The nerves that he was feeling earlier were now turning to suspicion. "And?"
"And I think before it gets any serious. We should--"
He cut her off and uttered something out of the subject. "I should've listened to him. He was right, after all."
Senthie looked confused and seemed taken aback by the tone of his voice. The tone of disappointment.
"What? What are you talking about?" she asked.
"I am talking about your ex," he answered.
There was a long pause after that. Senthie just stared at him blankly as if she was lost in a trance, perhaps she was. A moment later, Jack repeated his answer to snap her out of her thoughts. Finally, she responded. "My ex? Why are we talking about my ex?"
Jack stood up from his seat and shrugged. "He warned me about you," he said, turning his back to her.
They were sitting on a bench earlier but now they were both standing.
"What do you mean?" Her voice cracked and her breathing became heavy.
Jack turned to face her and twitched the corner of his lips as he snorted, "you were trying to break up with me, weren't you?"
Senthie was shocked that she took a step back. "That's..."
Not waiting for her reply, he cut her off. "He warned me about you, but I didn't listen to him. Do you know why?" He placed a hand on his hip while the other one pointed at her. "Because I never doubted your intentions. I guess I made a mistake."
"What did he say to you?" she asked.
"He said that you make men fall in love with you, and when they did, you leave them hanging," he said, looking dejected.
"What? That's not true!" she wailed.
Jack clenched his jaw as he placed his hands on Senthie's shoulder. "Then tell me. What's the truth?" he asked with gritted teeth.
Senthie couldn't seem to look him in the eyes, so she turned her gaze to her feet, instead. "The truth is..."
Jack waited patiently until she went on again, but her eyes were still avoiding his. "The truth is..."
Jack had now lost his patience. He let his hands fall to his sides and let out an audible sigh. "See? You have nothing to say because the truth is you planned all of this! Am I right?"
"No! I didn't!" she denied firmly.
When Senthie turned to look at him, he was facing the sky, hand on his hip and the other on the bridge of his nose. He was trying to calm himself.
"The truth is... The truth is that I don't know, okay?" Senthie uttered with a tone of desperation.
Jack laughed mockingly. "What do you mean you don't know? Seriously, Sen. You still have the time to joke?"
He couldn’t believe Senthie would give that answer. If that was her excuse, then it would make her look like a terrible person. He thought to himself that if she didn’t know the answer, then it should be her subconscious talent. If she was desperate for love and attention, she wouldn’t leave them hanging. Could she be a natural player? Perhaps, a heartbreaker?
"That's the truth! I really don't know," she exclaimed.
Jack's thoughts earlier were bugging him. He felt the urge to ask a mean question. "How many?"
"What?" Senthie asked in a whispered shout. Eyes fixed to his.
Jack went closer to her, their bodies were only a few inches away now. Senthie took a step back but he leaned even closer. Their noses were almost touching. Senthie paused her breathing and remained frozen. The anxious Jack earlier became bolder as the tension grew heavier. They stayed like that for a few seconds, eyes to eyes, nose to nose, then he leaned to her side to whisper in her ear. "How many of us? How many men have you victimized?"
"What? No! It wasn't like that, I would never!" she rebutted. Jack straightened up and stared at her boringly. “Please, listen to me," she pleaded, placing her hands on his arms. Jack didn’t budge.
"Sure, let's hear what you have to say," he agreed as he shrugged, his hands in his pockets.
Senthie pulled back her hands and gripped the strap of his shoulder bag to stop her hands from shaking. She bit her lower lip and pressed them together. "I don't know how to explain it, but... I can't seem to fall in love."
"There you have it. You do realize that you just admitted, right?" Jack snorted. The corner of his eye let out a teardrop and he wiped it when it reached his cheek. His breathing was inconsistent and deliberate. He was suppressing his emotion but his heart was already shattered when Senthie admitted she wasn’t in love the whole time. She was never in love with him. It was the worst-case scenario that appeared to be the truth. He thought that he was a fool to fall for her trick, although he already received a warning from her ex.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice trembling.
There was a long pause after she apologized. Jack just stared at her waiting for her to continue. He was now in full control of his emotions.
"I thought it was love. I thought I was in love,” she admitted apologetically, looking into his eyes.
Jack was lost to his emotions, tears were now running down his face. He already accepted the fact—but as they say—the truth hurts. He was fooled, he thought. Senthie was the one who approached him first. He never knew her, she’d just popped out of nowhere and confessed that she had a crush on him, though she told him that she wasn’t expecting an answer and that she only wanted to be friends, Jack agreed, and eventually, he didn’t even know that he was already falling for her.
“I thought if I convinced myself that I am in love, then maybe it could actually happen. I thought it would work, but I was wrong. And I am freaking frustrated about it, I didn't know how to tell you this, 'coz I know that it would only hurt you and I didn't want that, but there's no other choice. I have to say it and I'm sorry." she said, gripping the strap of her bag tighter, her gaze on the bench.
Senthie turned her gaze to Jack when she heard him laughing. Perhaps, laughing at the situation he was in. He wanted to shout at her, he wanted to ask why did she approach him in the first place? Why did she have to let him fall for her if it wasn’t intentional? And why did she even agree to be his girlfriend? Was it really only because she thought she was in love? Was that convincing enough? It was as if all that happened was planned by her all along. Jack wanted to let it all out but decided not to. He knew that even if she answered all of his questions, nothing would change. It wouldn’t lessen the pain he was suffering.
"I'm really, really, sorry, Jack." Her eyes were now on his. Senthie reached for his hand but he dodged it.
"Are you happy now?" Jack finally snapped.
Senthie was surprised, eyes grew wider. They were a bit red and teary. She placed her hand on her mouth as she shook her head.
“Well played, Sen. I lost in your game!" His voice trembling in frustration and resentment.
Jack turned his back on her and looked over his shoulder to take a last glimpse of her guilty expression. "Hope you'll get soon what you deserve," he muttered and disappeared from her sight.
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Hello, Noomiells!
Thank you for reading this chapter. Hope you liked it. :D
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