14
Sabrina’s POV
“Sabrina? What’s wrong? What’s wrong with your voice?” dara sounded worried. In an instant, my heart felt a little lighter just by hearing her voice.
“… can I meet you now?” I said softly, trying to hold back the tears that were already on the verge of my lips. “Yes, of course. Where are you now? I can come pick you up,” she said without hesitation.
“I’ll go to your place. I need to get out of here,” I answered quickly, without giving myself room to think any longer.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you. Be careful on the road, okay?” Clara’s voice sounded soft and soothing, like a warm blanket in the middle of a storm. I nodded even though she couldn’t see it.
After hanging up the phone, I hurriedly wiped away the remaining tears, tidied myself up as best I could, and grabbed my car keys. On the way to Clara’s apartment, various feelings were raging in my mind. I felt empty, but also full of anger that was ready to explode. I just wanted all of this to end, or at least find a glimmer of solace from the chaos that continued to haunt my life.
As the car slid between the twinkling city lights, my mind drifted to memories with Clara. Laughter, jokes, and small moments that seemed trivial, but now felt so precious. However, all of that was cut off when the bitter reality approached. How could everything change so fast?
On the way, my fingers trembled on the steering wheel. I wanted to let out my pent–up anger, but I knew it would be pointless if I took it out on an innocent person. On the other hand, I felt frustrated and confused; why did I still care? Why couldn’t I just let it all go?
A sad song played softly on the radio, and I changed the channel, looking for something to distract me. However, every lyric only reminded me of the pain I was holding in. Finally, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Hopefully, when I arrived at Clara’s apartment, I would find the right words.
When I arrived, the tall building seemed deserted. With a click, the car door opened. After a few steps toward the elevator, anxiety gripped me. What would I say? What if all this only made things worse? However, I knew one thing: I couldn’t keep running away from reality. It would take courage to face what was really happening.
As the elevator doors opened and I stepped towards my spy apartment, my resolve began to strengthen. No matter how heavy this burden is, there is no other choice but to face it. Before that, I have to make sure that I can speak clearly, without burning emotions taking over me. 1
Arriving at Clara’s apartment, I knocked weakly on the door A few seconds later, Clara opened the door and immediately pulled me into her arms. I couldn’t hold back any longer, all the pain I had been holding in all this time spilled out into tears that I was finally able to release on her shoulder.
“Relax, I’m here. You’re safe now,” Clara whispered while rubbing my back gently. My hands gripped her shoulders tightly as if she was the only thing I had left to hold on to.
After a while, Clara led me to the sofa and handed me a cup of warm tea. “You can tell me whenever you’re ready. There’s no need to rush, Sabrina. I’m here for you.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and began to tell her everything. About Nicholas, about Hazel, about Charlie… about the pain that was getting harder to hold each day. Clara listened patiently, without interrupting at all, giving space for all my feelings to come out.
“Sabrina, you’ve been holding this in alone for too long,” she said after I finished telling her story. “You don’t have to feel guilty for feeling what you feel. What they did to you was so unfair.”
1/2
+25 BONUS
I nodded slowly, taking in her words. For the first time, there was someone who truly understood my pain without judging it. I felt a little lighter as if Clara had shared my burden if only a little.
“You know, maybe it’s time for you to rethink what you really want out of life,” she continued softly. “If staying is only going to hurt you inore, maybe there’s another patli you can take.”
I lowered my head, letting her words sink in. Maybe Clara was right. All this time, I’d been holding on because I was too afraid to step out of the life I knew, even though it was full of pain. But here, amidst the warmth and understanding of a friend, I began to feel a small courage growing inside me.
I didn’t know what I was going to do next, but today I learned that I wasn’t alone. And for the first time, I felt a small hope that, maybe, I could find happiness beyond this
Clara looked at me with a serious look after hearing my story. In a gentle but determined tone, she said, “Sabrina, I think maybe you could start opening up to Nicholas. Maybe he really doesn’t know how you feel. Everything you’ve been holding in, all your pain… maybe he doesn’t even realize how hard it is for you.”
1 shook my head slowly, feeling doubtful. “Clara, Nicholas he’s always busy with Hazel, with Charlie. It feels like he doesn’t care about me.”
Clara took a deep breath and took my hand. “Sabrina, listen Nicholas may not have been treating you well lately, but what if… what if he really doesn’t know how much you’re hurting? Maybe he thinks you’re fine or doesn’t understand the depth of your heart. Often we expect someone to understand without us actually saying what we’re feeling, and that can lead to misunderstandings.”
I fell silent, letting Clara’s words sink in. All this time, I had always thought Nicholas would figure out on his own that I was hurt, that I couldn’t stand his coldness any longer. But I realized, I rarely really said how I felt. I kept it to myself, hoping that Nicholas would one day realize what was going through without me having to say anything.
