They got together at the strangest of times. What she made out of his words – though half of her doubts he ever told the truth – is that he set an eye on her during the final exams. At graduation, he saw her, although she didn’t see him. At homecoming, he had eyes only for her.

The two of them went to the same high school; they were in the same year, though attending different classes. He was considered a true genius, while she was the girl next door. After prom, everyone went clubbing. She and Chanyeol arrived at the same club, at the same time, but with different friends. When she wanted to walk in, there was a drunk guy by the door, saying how he’d let her in only if she kissed him.

She was about to slap him, when Chanyeol jerked that guy away.

“Thanks for helping me out,” she had said, when walking in.

“For nothing. It seems there are few knights in shining armor around,” he had replied, looking a bit angered.

“Well, looks like I just found one.”

She had been dancing, when one of his classmates came up to a friend of hers, saying how someone had asked for her number. She didn’t care, in truth.

Later on, somehow she had ended up chatting the night away with Chanyeol. From two in the morning, until past four. And they had talked about so many things, things she had doubted any other person would understand. But she had been wrong. Chanyeol did understand her train of thought.

And he proved to be the genius everyone labeled him as.

Soon afterwards, they started dating. He had been a sweetheart, treating her as a lady had to be treated. Her heart was a mess. Truthfully, she had Chanyeol in sight for so long, and not only because Baekhyun was a close friend of his. She used to hang out with him every now and then, but there was nothing serious.

She had felt intimidated by him so many times. Maybe because he was outdoing her in so many fields. He was intelligent, rich, and drawing attention wherever he went. He wasn’t that handsome, but he was charming.

Park Chanyeol wasn’t her cup of tea, but he had bewitched her anyway.

He had to leave in late August, for he had made it into a famous college in Abu Dhabi, so the time spent together was minimal. But she wanted to make the best out of it.

Chanyeol had played his guitar for her so many times, in his unused apartment from the outskirts of their town, he had played his long fingers on her skin, as if she were the most precious of instruments. She had given herself to him for so many times, that she had long lost count.

But every fairy-tale has its ending. And despite knowing theirs was no fairy-tale, she had still allowed herself to drown in the ocean of love.

“How do you say ‘I love you’ in Chinese?” Chanyeol had asked once, while he was holding her body in his strong arms.

Her heart had started to beat so fast, so uncontrollably fast, that it nearly exploded inside of her small chest. Of course, she couldn’t get her hopes high. They were barely dating for a month. How would he fall in love with someone like her?

The fact that she was of mixed races had always intrigued him, who was of pure Korean blood.

“Wǒ ài nǐ.” She had replied calmly, as much as she could, so her voice won’t give her away.

Then came the excuses, the unreturned calls and sleepless nights. She had made a custom out of it, waking up crying and falling asleep with tears in her eyes.

They still had a month to go, until he left. Why was Chanyeol suddenly acting like that?

She had found so many mistakes within herself, that it nearly drove her insane. She could no longer put up with it. The stress of getting into a good college, the high expectations of her parents, their fights and soon to come: the divorce.

Her life had been messed up greatly, but she couldn’t find compassion anywhere. The one she needed most had abandoned her. She could no longer accept his excuses, and not even the sweetest of his lies was enough to make the pain go away.

The day she decided to end it all, she had wanted them to meet and talk things through. He’d promised they’d meet. Yet another empty promise. He didn’t pick up when she had called, he didn’t reply to her texts. So she sent him a text, wanting to break up.

No reply ever came.

Maybe that’s what hurt her the most, the little respect he had left for her. Not even a text, after what they’ve been through?

She thought it would soon end. How wrong she had been.

A week later, the symptoms intensified. She had morning sickness, her period was late, and she felt disgusted with the possibility of being pregnant.

Luckily for her, her best friend had been by her side.

“You should tell him. To take responsibility.” Her friend had told her, as she was playing with her hair.

She was lying in her bed, fatigued from crying.

The girl shook her head in distress. “He won’t ever answer my call! You know what a jerk he is!” And another set of tears fell.

But her friend wouldn’t let it be. This wrong had to be righted.

Her friend did try to get in touch with Chanyeol, as he obviously answered her call. But when they met in person, just the two of them, Chanyeol had laughed it off and walked away.

A week later, word came that he had gone to Abu Dhabi sooner than expected.

And she was left to deal with her pregnancy by herself.

Suicide was one option. But not a successful one.

It only helped her in getting a sudden miscarriage, as she’s been in the fourth week of pregnancy.

And it only made her wounded parents lose faith in their shiny daughter. It only made her hate herself, despise her body and want to peel off her skin.

But she got in college, and managed to become a successful Chinese-Korean interpreter.

And all the hurt she was faced with, how could she allow it to go down the drain?

Tell me, how could she spend one more second looking into the face of the man who’s ruined her?

Tell me…

“I’m sorry. I