Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

Under the dappled summer sunlight, Brian’s voice carried a warmth that made Rachel’s chest tighten.

“Tracy, we’ll be in the same university soon. Once we’re in college, be my girlfriend, okay? I promise…”

Rachel never heard the rest. If she hadn’t been crouched behind the thick trunk of a tree, she never would have overheard his tender words.

She realized that Brian hadn’t failed his exams after all. Every choice he had made—all his sacrifices, all his compromises—had been for someone else. He had someone he liked. And he loved that woman deeply. Rachel couldn’t even begin to put her feelings into words.

It felt as if something inside her had been torn apart, the raw edges burning as though rubbed with salt.

She spun around and ran. Faster. Farther.

She had no idea how long she kept running—only that, by the time she finally stopped, the ice cream in her hand had completely melted.

The pink liquid dripped onto her white dress, splattering like drops of blood from a wounded heart.

That day, she had spent every cent of her pocket money on the prettiest dress she could find, just in case she ran into him. And in the end, she felt like the biggest fool.

As she sprinted uphill, her foot caught on an uneven patch of ground. She stumbled, and the ice cream smeared across her face as she crashed onto the rough pavement. Jagged stones bit into her skin, but she felt nothing.

The only thing that mattered was that the boy she loved already had someone else in his heart. And to him, she was nothing more than a stranger—someone without a name.

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When her senior year began, she buried herself in her studies. She stayed up until one in the morning, then dragged herself out of bed at five—running on only four hours of sleep.

In the sweltering summer, whenever exhaustion crept in, she ran laps on the track until sweat drenched her clothes. Then she’d go right back to her books.

In the biting winter, when drowsiness clouded her mind, Rachel splashed ice-cold water on her face and plunged her hands into a freezing basin. The pain jolted her awake. That sharp sting fueled her determination.

And she endured. For an entire year, she never once tried to see Brian again. Then, just days before her college entrance exams, she did something reckless—something completely out of character. She requested a leave of absence.

a train. She stood for a day and a night, her legs swelling and her feet going numb, before transferring from one bus to another. Finally, she arrived at the gates of his university. She had no phone number, no way to

she could do

university gate, watching the constant flow of students, until her eyes ached from

the school’s bulletin boards, her heart pounding with anticipation.

crisp white shirt. His features had grown even more refined,

year had passed—365 days,

that time, he had

looked older, sharper,

boyish innocence in his gaze had faded, replaced by the quiet

moment her eyes landed on the picture, tears welled up.

passing by noticed her crying and handed her a tissue. “Miss, are you okay?

wiped her tears and forced a

not crying. I’m happy.” How she wished, one day,

Brian’s class information was

sense of purpose, she quickly made her

the bell rang, she fixed her gaze on the classroom door. She held her breath, heart racing with every person who stepped out. But as the crowd thinned, her

was empty. Only then did she step away, her shoulders

that couldn’t be right. The bulletin board information had to be accurate. Brian

forward, grabbing the arm of a passing student. “Excuse me,” she blurted out, struggling to steady her

“Oh, he left for a competition.

Tomorrow? Her stomach dropped.

barely had any money left. She had planned to catch the train back tonight, right after seeing him. If she stayed another day, she wouldn’t even have enough for a

she

and forth, her

some hesitation, she made her way to the train station, rescheduled her ticket, and used her last bit of

freezing. By the second half of the night, she was curled up in her chair,

night finally

first light touched the sky, she got up and headed straight

first to step out

and crisp white pants, his outfit exuded an effortless charm.