I set my alarm for 8 am. I did not want to be late for my first day of work. However it felt all too early when my alarm began screeching from my bedside table. I sat up in my bed attempting to wipe the sleep from my eyes, cold air immediately making contact with my warm skin. I sleepily look for my phone before checking to see what the day entailed for me. My phone suddenly lit up with several messages from my boyfriend, Evan. A rather normal occurrence as he likes to be the very first thing I see when I wake up in the morning. I smiled to myself but it quickly fell when I saw the content of those messages.
“Mea? Are you awake?”
“I really need to talk to you.”
“I am really sorry.”
“Just please wake up.”
After a quick reply he responded almost instantly.
“I am gonna call you.”
Seconds later the same face that usually gave me butterflies was giving me anxiety flashed across my screen.

I hesitantly pressed accept and with a shaky hand pressed the phone to my face. The cool glass brushing against my cheek. For a while he didn’t say anything.

“H-Hello?’ My shaky voice laced with fear rung through the phone.

“I’m so so sorry.” My chest tightened and I felt my whole world come to a stop.

“Evan what did you do?’ I felt my eyes line with droplets of salty water. Deep breath in, deep breath out. I heard quiet sobs coming from the other end of the phone.

“I just- I just wanted you to know that I’m so sorry and I love you. I just made a huge mistake.” A single tear slid down my cheek. I felt it hit my bare leg but i held my voice strong.

“Just please tell me.” I was doing all I could not to break down.
“I cheated on you.” For a moment I said nothing. I would have much rather it been silent in that moment and to him maybe it was, but all i could hear was the sound of my own heart breaking. While I sat there in shock it became clear to me that the people closest to your heart are usually the ones that end up breaking it.

--10 years earlier--.

I pressed my ear against the door and heard my parents screaming.

“HOW COULD YOU BREAK UP THIS FAMILY LIKE THIS?’ I heard my mother’s cries before my dad’s voice filled my ears.
‘I’m sorry.”

~Present~

“I have to go to work.” I hung up the phone and as soon as the call disconnected every ounce of strength left my body. I broke down and cried harder than I’ve ever cried in my entire life. My chest was tight and heart felt like it was broken into a million pieces. My mother ran into the room and somehow knew exactly what was happening. She held me for a while telling me everything would get better. Soon I realized I had to get to work. However the only way to stop crying was to stop feeling. So I went through the day plastering a fake smile to customers coming and going.

“Good Morning, Let me know if I can help you with anything.” A line I had thoughtlessly thrown at every customer.

“Hi, Rough Morning?” I laughed dryly.

“That’s one way to describe it.” Then in a matter of seconds I was spilling my story to 2 strangers I knew nothing about. When i had replayed every moment i could possibly get out of me I took a deep breath. Then she gave me some of the best advice I’d ever gotten.

“Well that boy is crazy for hurting anyone as beautiful as you, however let me tell you this, You can’t stop people from hurting you but you do have the choice of who hurts you.”

I sat for a while after she’d gone and thought to myself. Then I decided to turn my phone back on. Mostly filled with messages from the one person I was avoiding. I decided to ask him 3 questions. Who is she? When did it happen? And why did he do it? He could only answer 2. Her name was Katie and it had happened the day before. But he didn’t know why. I shut my phone off and i saw myself. I really saw myself. I saw a young girl with red-lined eyes and a broken heart. But I also saw a girl who had her whole life ahead of her.

So I made a decision.