LOST LOVE

SORROW

**Catherine's POV**

My mind is filled with so many questions. It's 5 in the morning, and I'm wide awake. Serena brought me home. I'm lying on the couch with my head on her lap. She stayed with me the whole night. I don't even remember how I got here.

Fresh tears roll down my cheeks as she gently pats my head. I think about my memories with James. We never had any real problems. We didn't fight. I've always been faithful. So what went wrong?

"Cat, sleep a little," she says softly.

Can I sleep? I just want to disappear.

Serena holds my hand, making sure I know I'm not alone. But I can't stop replaying the same scene in my mind. James, walking with a girl, holding her close. They seemed so intimate. Is she a colleague? I couldn't see her face. Am I overthinking? Or is there something I should be worried about?

My tears continue to fall. The clock shows 7 a.m. Cerena is sleeping upright, her palm still resting on my head. I slowly sit up on the couch, causing her to wake.

"Cat, do you want to sleep?" she asks gently.

"No." The word comes out flat and final. I don't want to sleep.

My hair is a mess. Serena tries to smooth it out as I sit there, feeling like a child.

"Cat, go wash your face," she encourages, but I don't move.

"Cat, please. You can't sit like this forever." Her voice is thin with exhaustion. Dark circles shadow her eyes-she hasn't slept because of me.

When I don't respond, she takes my hand and leads me to the bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror. Tear tracks stain my cheeks. My face is blank, my eyes swollen, my lips dry.

I splash water on my face over and over, but my eyes remain dry, empty. I stand under the shower, but I don't feel anything-not even the cold. I stay there for what feels like hours. Eventually, Serena leaves for a quick shower at her place, promising to come right back.

I dry my hair mechanically. The dresses I bought yesterday are still lying in the hall.

**Third-Person POV**

Serena took a quick shower, not expecting that a simple shopping trip would change her friend's life. She saw James holding another woman's hand, walking towards his car. At first, she didn't think it was him, but it was. They laughed together, arms around each other like a couple. Serena tried to approach them but couldn't catch up.

Catherine trusts James blindly, never second-guessing anything he says. She believed his excuses without question. She never suspected his late-night calls, sudden business trips, ignored messages, or forgotten important dates. He always said he was busy, and Catherine always believed him.

Serena returned to Catherine's house, going straight to the bedroom. But Catherine wasn't there. She knocked on the bathroom door, but there was no answer. When she opened it, the bathroom was empty. Serena searched the house, but Catherine was nowhere to be found. Panic set in, and her vision blurred with tears. Why did she leave Catherine alone? She blamed herself.

Serena called Catherine's number, but her phone was still on the table. Running to the garage, she found Catherine's car was gone.

Serena panicked. Catherine wasn't in a good state of mind, and rena had no idea where she could have gone. Catherine had no other friends in the area and had never left without informing her before.

Serena grabbed Catherine's phone from the table. It started ringing.

It was Wad.

She remembered him-the guy who dropped them off the other day. She assumed they were best friends.