Lauren stands still for a moment, listening to the soft click of the door settling into place. The silence in the room expands, stretching around her like an exhale she hadn't realized she was holding.
Her shoulders drop slightly, the tension in her body slowly unraveling, as if she's shedding the weight of him—the weight of his excuses, his desperation, his selfishness.
Her reflection stares back at her from the glass of the window, framed by the city lights flickering beyond. She looks different now. Not broken, not bitter, but... free. There's a steadiness in her posture, a quiet strength in the way her lips press together in thought.
She runs a hand through her hair, absently smoothing strands away from her face, the cool air of the apartment settling against her skin. The emotions inside her shift—not relief, not exactly joy, but something clearer, something lighter.
She moves toward the couch and sinks into it, letting herself breathe, really breathe, without the weight of regret or second-guessing clouding her mind. She feels her heartbeat, steady and even, no longer racing from frustration or heartbreak.
And then—unexpectedly—she smiles.
Not because the pain is gone completely. Not because things have magically healed. But because she knows this moment means something. A step forward. A final door closing on something that should have ended long ago.
For the first time in a long time, she feels like herself again.
Morning came and she wakes up as the sun rays hit her eyes.
"It's already morning, I didn't even realize that".She stretched her body and prepared for her work.
8:00 am
Lauren arrived at her office where Erika was there waiting for her inside the room, sitting properly on the couch.
The concern is immediate—no forced smiles, no casual greetings, just understanding.
"Hey," Erika says quietly. "You okay?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?". She tightens her grip on her bag, her strides measured but heavy. Last night's revelation still lingers in her chest like an ache she can't quite soothe. He cheated. He lied. And now, she has to get through a workday pretending she's fine.
" Come on, you don't have to act tough".
Inside, the quiet of the meeting room feels oddly comforting. She slumps into a chair, elbows on the table, rubbing her temples.
"I don't even know where to start," she mutters.
"Start anywhere you want". Erika says reassuring that it was okay, that she was listening.
She exhales sharply."Remember when you were drunk and slipped that he was cheating well it is true, we have talked about that but this past few days he's been coming back asking for forgiveness. Last night he came to my condominium, he pleads, he begged on his knees".
Erika's expression shift, becoming serious. "So did you forgive him?".
"You know how much I love him since high school days right? You know how much I have come running for him... but I am not that dumb so no". Tears stream down her face. Yesterday she feels happy walking away from him but know the would feel like opening again.
Silence lingers for a moment before Erika sighs. "I know you don't need me to say it, but... you deserve so much better than that."
She presses her lips together, fighting the sting behind her eyes. "Yeah," she murmurs. "I know. It just—it still hurts."
"It's going to hurt," Erika agrees. "But that doesn't mean you're weak for feeling it."
She lets those words settle, breathing them in like something steady, something real.