Chapter 2

We drove to the diner in silence, the tension between us thick. I tried to shake off the feeling of unease, attributing it to Victoria's cruel words earlier.

But as we settled into a booth of our favorite diner, Jake's demeanor remained distant.

"Hey, can I get you something?" the waitress asked, breaking the silence.

Jake ordered for us, his brown eyes never meeting mine.

As the waitress left, Jake's gaze finally locked onto mine.

But instead of warmth, I saw a cold calculation.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, fiddling with my fingers under the table, an act I did whenever I was nervous.

"Kae, we need to talk," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

My heart sank.

I didn’t like the sound of that.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to sound calm despite the storm that was brewing inside of me.

Jake leaned back, his eyes roaming over me.

"It's just...I don't think this is working out,” he gestured at the empty space between us.

My mind reeled.

"What do you mean? We're fine, aren't we?" I asked, holding onto hope.

Jake's expression twisted.

"Honestly, Kalynda, I deserve better."

Better?

The word stung.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jake's gaze dropped to my body, and he didn’t even try to hide his disgust.

"It's just...your weight, Kae. It's...unattractive."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "You're ashamed of me," I stated, my voice cracking.

Jake shrugged.

"I'm just being honest, Kae. You need to lose weight if you want to keep a guy like me."

A guy like him?

The phrase echoed in my mind.

"You're breaking up with me because of my weight?" I asked, incredulous.

Jake nodded.

"I deserve someone hotter, someone who takes care of themselves."

Hotter?

Someone who takes care of themselves?

“Look, don’t get me wrong. You’re cool. You’re smart. You helped me with all of my homework and tutored me till my grades got better. You’re funny too, but that’s all you’re good for,” he shrugged and scratched the back of his head.

The words cut deep.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.

Tears streamed down my face as I realized the truth.

He’d used me. All the times he’d say he wanted to hang out with me then proceed to dump all of his homework for me to do, replayed in my mind, and then, I did then without questions because I thought he loved me.

The realization made my heart plummet into my belly with a sickening crunch.

Jake never truly loved me.

He loved the idea of having a girlfriend, but not me.

Not my curves, not my flaws.

"I thought you loved me," I whispered, my voice shattered.

Jake's expression turned cold.

"I tried to, Kae. But love isn't blind to reality, and right now, you’re not enough. You need to take care of yourself."

Reality?

This was my reality.

Being broken, being unlovable.

The waitress returned with our food, but I couldn't eat.

I couldn't breathe.

Jake tossed some cash on the table and stood up. "I'm sorry, Kae. But it's for the best."

Best?

This was my worst nightmare.

He’d literally ripped my heart out of my chest and stormed it over the floor and that was what he had to say?

As Jake walked away, I collapsed into the booth, sobbing uncontrollably.

The diner's noise faded into the background.

All I heard was Jake's voice, echoing in my mind.

"You're not good enough."

"I deserve better."

The words haunted me.

I wasn't enough.

I'd never be enough.

The tears wouldn't stop.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

I was alone, broken, and unlovable.

I stumbled through the front door, tears streaming down my face like rivulets of pain. The diner's neon lights still danced in my vision, but the darkness within me eclipsed everything. The weight of Jake's words settled heavy on my shoulders, crushing me as I made my way home.

As I entered the foyer, Victoria's voice pierced the air, a venomous dagger to my already shattered heart.

"Well, well, well. Look what the wind blew in," she sneered, her tone dripping with malice.

She leaned against the banister, a sly grin spreading across her face like a cruel mask.

"Hey, Kae-pig. How was your day?" she taunted, her eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure.

I tried to brush past her, but she blocked my path, her slender frame radiating an aura of superiority.

"Where's Jake? Didn't he want to drop you off himself?" she asked, her voice laced with mocking curiosity.

Her eyes sparkled with malice, and I knew I was in for a torment.

"We broke up," I mumbled, the words barely escaping my trembling lips.

Victoria's grin widened, her face alight with triumph. "Ah, I knew it. He finally realized he was dating a whale," she cackled, the sound sending shivers down my spine.

Her words stung, but I stood frozen, unable to move, unable to escape.

"You're so fat and ugly, Kae. No wonder he dumped you," she spat, each word a razor-sharp knife slicing through my soul.

"Maybe if you lost some of that blubber, you'd be worthy of love," she continued, her voice dripping with venom.

"But let's face it, Kae. You'll always be a fatty. No one wants that."

Tears streamed down my face, but Victoria continued, relentless in her cruelty.

"You're disgusting. Your thighs are bigger than your waist. Your stomach is sagging."

She mimicked my walk, exaggerating my movements, making me feel like a grotesque caricature.

"Look at you, waddling around like a duck. While others walk, you roll!” she cackled loudly at her own joke.

I felt like I was drowning in her cruelty, suffocating under the weight of her words.

"Stop it, Victoria," I begged, my voice cracking, my pleas falling on deaf ears.

But she wouldn't relent.

"You're a joke, Kae. A pathetic, fat joke," she spat.

My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the stairs, my body wracked with sobs.

Victoria's laughter echoed through the hallway, a cold, mirthless sound that sent shivers down my spine.

"You'll never be loved, Kae. You'll always be alone," she hissed.

As her words faded, I realized I was alone.

Completely and utterly alone.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

The tears wouldn't stop.

My body shook with sobs.

Victoria's footsteps faded upstairs, leaving me broken, leaving me shattered.

The foyer's silence enveloped me, a heavy shroud that suffocated me.

I was lost in a sea of despair, drowning in the depths of my own self-loathing.

The darkness closed in, and I let it consume me.