"I'm such a mess" I thought as I sat alone on the cold bench.
It was 8 p.m., and there I was, frozen in place, replaying my life like a badly edited film that refused to end.
Why do I do this to myself?
A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye, landing silently on my hand.
I knew it was coming. I knew exactly what was happening. And still, one stubborn corner of my heart refused to accept it. Refused to believe what I had seen today. Refused to let go.
It felt like a bad dream, the kind where you convince yourself that if you just close your eyes and open them again, everything will reset. I imagined waking up in my bed, wrapped in my blanket, realizing none of this was real. But reality had struck too hard, too fast. The kind of blow that makes you scared to fall asleep again.
My mind had gone completely still the moment I saw him. Him. Kissing another woman. Right in front of me.
Today was supposed to be my birthday. He was supposed to be with me. Instead, he chose the one day that mattered to destroy everything.
I still couldn't believe his words echoed so clearly in my head.
"You know na, Kavya, how much I love you? And forget about that Aria. Stop spoiling our moment. She's just for our future. Once her father accepts me, I'll be a billionaire, the heir to the Menezes company. I'm doing this for us."
I saw it coming. I really did. And yet, I loved him like an idiot.
My phone rang suddenly, the vibration pulling me back to the present. Dad.
I answered, my voice already broken. "Yes, Pa?"
"Aria, I have news for you" he said.
"Yes?" I replied softly.
"You remember that dress you liked two weeks ago? The limited-edition one?"
"Yes" I whispered.
"I bought it for you, my girl. I'm really sorry I forgot your birthday today. Work got hectic, you know..."
His voice faded, drowned out by the sharp ache spreading through my chest.
The tears I had been holding back finally gave up. They poured out like they had been waiting for permission.
I ended the call before he could hear me fall apart.
I knew he loved me. He had never forgotten my birthday before. But I also knew something else. He had always wanted a son. Someone to inherit his company.
He never complained, never said it out loud. But I saw it in his eyes. I could be the heir too. I could do it just as well. But his obsession with the idea of a son blinded him to the fact that, in this generation, girls could be CEOs too.
As I cried, the sky seemed to respond. Thunder rolled softly, as if it understood. A single drop of rain landed on my forehead, making me look up and.
Then another. And another.
Soon, the rain fell steadily, washing over me, hiding my tears from the world.
I wept. Quietly. Carefully. Hard and slow at the same time, making sure no passing pedestrian noticed.
My head dropped toward my lap. My hair fell forward, shielding my face as I stared blankly at my hands.
Suddenly, the rain stopped touching me.
I paused, my breath catching. Slowly, I looked up.
A black umbrella hovered above me.
I turned my head slightly. A man stood beside the bench, tall, wearing an oversized black T-shirt, holding the umbrella and looking at me with an unreadable expression.
I was still trying to process what was happening when he spoke.
"Do you want to catch a cold?" he asked. His voice was deep, not mocking, not amused. Just... genuine.
He sounded rude. But not unkind.
I tilted my head, confused.
"Are you June, by the way?" he asked.
My eyes widened.
How in the world...