PROMPTS

Unrequited

Dear Diary,

Remember him, the boy I have loved since I was in middle school? The man I have been engaged to for seven years? I saw him again today.

I was so excited to finally see him after being in Russia for so long I bought myself a dress which my mom saw as too flashy. I didn't care, dear diary. Flashy or not, I wanted him to see me in my most beautiful self. You would want to do that too, if it were you, right?

And so there I was outside of his home, waiting, exposed to the cold, damp outside air, when I saw him, coming from around a corner. My heart was jumping out of my chest, dear diary. The years have been good to him. How handsome he is!

I was about to say his name, a smile ready on my lips, when my eyes were compelled to another walking figure, right behind him. A woman!

And Jeong Hyeok looked as if he had seen a ghost instead of his fianceè of seven years.

He did not ask how I was. If I already had dinner. He did not even invite me in inside his home.

Instead, there we were as he tried his hardest, trying to come up with an acceptable explanation of who the woman was beside him.

As she tried to help him make sense of her presence.

But miserably failing.

I felt as though a cold hand grasped my heart and squeezed hard, dear diary. I wanted to lash at them and tell them to stop trying. To stop lying. I wanted to hurt them the same way that I am hurting.

Be proud of me, dear diary. I kept a strong front eventhough my heart was breaking.

I stood there and watched as he gently took her arm and told her to get inside the house. His house.

I listened as he admonished her for even thinking, saying, she has a home elsewhere.

I stood there and watched as the man I have loved for like forever, who I had to guilt-trip into taking a photo with me, stared into the eyes of the woman as he told her to lock the door and stay inside.
That he will come back. To her. For her.

As if that was not enough, I had to go after him, his back to me, as he went right ahead in the car with nothing but a "Let's go."

I sat in the car, silent, remembering what I had to endure on my way to him and this forsaken village. Only to see him glance at the side mirror, twice, looking at the now closed door.

I watched as he heaved a sigh at what he saw. For what that expel of breath was for, we could only guess, dear diary.

It hurts to talk but I had to remind him who I am. Who we are. What we are.

It hurts to be around him when all he did at dinner was to glance at his watch every so often, making it very clear that he'd rather be elsewhere than here.

It hurts to be invisible to the man I pictured myself sharing a lifetime with.

This heartbreak feels cold, a poison. It hurts so much.

Please. Make it stop.

- The End -

Author's Notes

And my D13 (Hurt) entry for #CLOYTOBER 2021 is, yes, you got that right, Seo Dan's story.

Thank you yejinniezzz for helping me find these images. Credits to the rightful owner/s.

Do keep on sharing your thoughts, dear readers. I appreciate them very much.

Stay safe, healthy and kind to all kinds, y'all. 💕