Chapter 6

As Florence stared at her reflection, the weight of her struggles pressed upon her shoulders. She felt trapped in a life that seemed perfect from the outside but lacked the depth and meaning she longed for. Money and material possessions had become her armor, shielding her from the realities she couldn't change.

She sighed, wiping away a stray tear that threatened to betray her façade. It was true that wealth provided comforts and opportunities, but it couldn't fill the void within her. The love and connection she yearned for were intangible treasures that no amount of money could buy.

She recalled her grandmother's words, spoken with unwavering belief in the power of determination. Yet, Florence had come to understand that not all problems could be solved with sheer willpower. Some wounds ran too deep, some circumstances were beyond her control.

Sometimes, you had to accept the fact that there exist things in the world you could not change. Not with a thousand prayers or uncountable drops of tears. Not with violence or with silence. All you could really do was watch it damage itself and along with it, a part of you. 

Smearing a dark lipstick across her lips, Florence pressed them together and forced a smile on her face. She eyed her reflection in the girls' bathroom mirror. 

She looked beautiful, adorned from head to toe in expensive brands. Her eyes darted to the new bag she'd purchased from Paris only a month ago. It costed more than what most parents of her peers earned monthly. 

Anyone would die to be in her place. Live her life. She had everything and yet...

Her heart sank everytime she realised that she was only existing, never living. Things happened around her and she was a part of it. 

The other students in her class were better off with their mediocre salary-earning parents. She was sure they at least owned a part of their attention and time. Love too, perhaps. 

Money doesn't buy happiness, they said. 

Ask someone who was filthy rich like herself—money did buy happiness. Temporary happiness. 

Out of the two problems in her life, she had put her all in the past seventeen years to fix one. Everything could be fixed if you're determined enough, right? No. 

No amount of determination and hardwork could fix problems that cannot be fixed. That was the principle of real life. And Florence was no character of a fictional story. 

She was exhausted but every time she decided to put a full stop to her efforts, a sliver of hope clung to her heart, telling her—just a little more and it'll be alright. 

She groaned, sensing another incoming headache. She couldn't let her life fall apart like her parents' marriage. Divorces occured everyday. It was no big deal. 

She was filthy rich. She had all the resources to spin her life into a beautiful one. She wouldn't let P*******t quotes sadden her anymore.

And she would start by fixing the problem she never really focussed on before. 

Confessing her love for Daniel. 

***

The heels of her boots clicked against the stone pathway that led out of the school building. Her field of vision was filled with green trees and hormonal teenagers running around. 

A quick glance at her watch and she knew there were twenty minutes more before the last class for the day began. Daniel had to be around here somewhere. The woods were their favorite place. 

As she walked deeper into the woods, the familiar scent of pine trees and earth filled her senses. The rustling leaves and the distant chirping of birds created a tranquil ambiance, but her heart raced with anticipation and anxiety.

She scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of Daniel. The moments they had spent together in these woods held precious memories for her, memories she hoped would provide the foundation for a deeper connection.

Spending all those years alongside him in school had gotten her the recognition as his 'best friend'. Soon, she realised she wanted to be more. 

Initially, she shrugged it off as a stupid feeling. Infatuation with a guy possessing a funny personality was inevitable. She believed time would shake sense into her and the feeling would go away. But as time passed, the feeling intensified. 

She concealed it all these years in the fear of being rejected. She didn't want to force her feelings on him. 

As she walked through the woods, her heart weighed heavy with the knowledge of his recent escapades. She had always been there for him, supporting him through thick and thin, even when it came to his relationships. But lately, it had become increasingly difficult for her to bear witness to his encounters with other girls.

Every time he recounted his experiences, sharing intimate details that tore at her heart, she felt a pang of jealousy and sadness. It wasn't that she judged him or felt entitled to his affection, but the contrast between their deep connection as friends and his casual encounters with others left her feeling broken.

She longed to be the one he confided in, the one he pursued with genuine intent. The realization that she was not the object of his pursuit was a bitter pill to swallow, and it fueled her restlessness.

In the depths of the woods, she found herself overwhelmed by her emotions. With tears welling up in her eyes, she mustered the courage to express her feelings to him, hoping that their bond could transcend their current dynamic.

It was better to confront him than live in the fear of the unknown and yet, every step she took increased the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

How would he react? 

Does he already know? 

Would he reciprocate her feelings? 

Or just laugh it off and break her heart again? 

The questions popped into her mind, one at a time, melting her brain. 

One confession and she would receive an answer to all of them. 

With a determined smile, she marched forward with a newfound courage. However, she stopped mid-track when her eyes witnessed a heartbreaking deed. 

Daniel stood beneath a tree, kissing a girl passionately. His hands were all over her. They parted and he waved her off with a wide grin, the kind which was only reserved for Florence. Even when the girl had vanished into the crowd, he still kept staring in her direction, gently rubbing his palm across his chest. 

He had already found his 'the one'. 

And she wasn't Florence.

Florence's heart shattered into a million pieces as she stood frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from where the painful scene had occurred before her. The reality of the situation crashed down on her with brutal force, crushing her hopes and dreams in an instant.

The weight of unrequited love bore down on her, leaving her breathless and numb. She had held onto a glimmer of hope, believing that maybe, just maybe, he would come to see her as more than a friend. But seeing him with someone else, with her own eyes, witnessing the passion and affection he reserved for another, shattered that hope into irreparable fragments.

In that moment, she felt a profound sense of loss. It was as if everything she had built within herself, the love she had nurtured silently, had been in vain. The pain consumed her, wrapping around her heart like a vice, squeezing out any remnants of happiness or contentment.

A mix of emotions swirled within her—grief, anger, and a deep sense of betrayal. It was as if she had been living in a bubble, deceiving herself into believing that their connection was something special, something that could transcend the boundaries of friendship. But reality had cruelly shattered that illusion, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.

With a heavy heart and tear-stained cheeks, Florence turned away from the devastating sight. Her resolve, once fierce and determined, crumbled under the weight of her shattered dreams. She couldn't bear to see him, to face the painful truth that she wasn't the one he longed for.