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The Lies;

The half truth is the most cowardly of lies.

~ Anonymous

Some things in life you learn the hard way. Like that falling over actually does hurt, trusting someone can get you stabbed in the back and at that on the corner of your street there lives a new nest of magpies that’s mother finds amusement in attacking you as you walk to school. Today was one of those learning moments.

Lesson learnt today; breaking up with Doojoon was like talking to a brick wall.

She’d initiated it, but it hadn’t been her wish to break his heart. Regardless, Minhee still found herself staring across the table in the restaurant he’d proposed to her in, biting her lip to hold back the real reason behind the sudden breakup.

‘You’re lying,’ he whispered. The girl across from him shook her head. His hand reached across the small table, covered in a white lacy table cloth, to touch her cheek gently. Their meals lay before them, half eaten. His fork, which had dropped from a startled hand, lay on the floor. His eyes pleaded with her, but again, she just shook her head.

‘Minhee…’

Tears threatened. Minhee bit her bottom lip; unable to make eye contact with her fiancé she blinked away any impending tears. Sure that she wouldn’t cry she met his eyes again, only to quickly look at the white table cloth. Suffocatingly white. ‘We can’t do this anymore Doojoon,’

His eyes snapped to hers, ‘Is it my parents?’ She didn’t reply, simply watched him search for an answer, ‘your parents?’ He was desperate, hands gripping the table cloth hopelessly.

‘Doojoon,’ she interrupted but he shook his head, ‘I told you not to listen to them, just look at me,’

‘I can’t do it anymore, Doojoon.’ Her eyes didn’t meet his they found a considerably plain spot to the side of his head, ‘It’s over.’

Doojoon slowly realized that no matter what he said he wouldn’t be able to get her to change her mind. If he knew memories would work he’d have brought them up. They’d been together four years, ready to settle down, he knew her better than her friends. But he knew somewhere deep inside himself, that it was helpless.

 ‘Tell me it’s all just a lie,’ again she shook her head, tears spilling down the pale cheeks. A trembling hand reached out, trying to grasp the white shirt of Doojoon but he shrugged her off. ‘Joon…’

‘It’s just a lie.’ There was no opening for her to shake her head, no offer to refuse his statement. He was in denial.

She squeezed his hand, some way of comforting him before she picked up her bag. With a small smile set on her face she pulled out money and placed it on the table for their uneaten meals. With a final nod towards Doojoon she stood with the grace of a princess and left.

‘I hate you,’ she whispered, but it wasn’t directed to Doojoon. Circumstances had forced their way into their relationship, just when the two thought everything had settled. Doojoon should have still been oblivious to the visits she’d gotten from his mother but maybe he’d noticed something astray with her lately. Or maybe it was simply that she was breaking up with him and that was the first excuse he could think of. A shield to protect himself with. She was going crazy.

Doojoon was vaguely aware that no diners in the restaurant had frozen. That couples were still laughing, families sharing inner jokes. Only he was trapped in a mix of heart ache as she walked away from him, her deep purple dress flowing gracefully around her.

‘Come back,’ he whispered, eyes watching as she slowly walked closer and closer to the exit, ‘don’t go.’ His heart stopped when she paused at the doorway. She turned back to him, long hair flowing over her soft shoulder as she met his eyes one more time.

‘Please come back,’ he whispered again. Her eyes flickered to his lips, anguish flowing over her face for a fraction of a moment before she turned her head away from him. Still, she didn’t move. Her feet made no attempt to escape. A battle was waging inside her

‘Don’t…’ She took one step and disappeared from his sight but he was sure the glimmer of a tear had fallen down her cheek.

Long minutes passed. He briefly remembered a waiter coming to request if he was finished and received a mute reply. When he finally looked down he noticed the ring that glimmered off her napkin. The black coat she’d worn to the restaurant still lay draped over her chair and the thought of chasing her struck his mind but he pushed it away. Her engagement ring sparkled as a tear fell from his eye.

‘It’s just a lie,’ he whispered one last time.

She whipped the stray tear from her cheek and, with another silent apology stepped out into the night. The wind was cold, a punishment she knew she deserved. She’d broken his heart. She’d broken her own heart. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered and finally the tears fell, buckets of them that brought gasping chokes to the surface.

She couldn’t breathe, her chest hurt where her heart rested and she was sure she’d never be the same again. His old smile floated into her vision, his old laugh. The one she knew he wouldn’t wear again for a long time.

Until he fell in love again. Until he found someone else to share that side of him with.

The fact was that those dramas where the rich guy gets the normal girl despite the parent’s rejection did exist in real life. Just not Minhee’s version of it.

Slowly she backed towards the wall of the restaurant and slid down its surface. One hand pressed to her heart, the other to to cover the sobs, just in case he came out. Just in case he chased her to bring her back to him.

Just in case the fact that it had all been a lie registered and he came looking to figure out why she’d given him a fictional breakup.

And though she knew he wouldn’t, she continued to lie to herself.