The intense love we once shared had faded over the past decade, becoming as fragile as thin paper, crumbling at the slightest touch.
Once, Benjamin couldn’t bear to let me carry anything heavy. Now, I could lug my suitcase with both hands.
"I believe Benjamin won't change.
"He won't."
The eighteen-year-old Eleanor’s face was set with determination, her voice brimming with unwavering trust in Benjamin.
I glanced at her youthful, innocent face beside me, suppressing the bitterness rising in my chest. I didn’t want to shatter her beautiful illusions. But the harshness of reality wouldn’t change. It would continue to cut into us like a knife, leaving deep, painful wounds.
It hurt a lot.
Eighteen-year-old Eleanor was full of vitality. Her eyes were full of love and trust, as well as expectation and longing for the future.
But now, those memories were like stinging slaps, leaving me humiliated and unable to lift my head.
I had turned her future into a mess.
I ruined her expectations.
Realizing this, it felt like a massive weight pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. My body trembled, trying to endure the searing pain that pierced my heart.