Deceived Me

Chapter 9:

" Why did you... "

" You said you'll never be able to get near to your dream. You said you have a big responsibility on your shoulders. But now, you've gotten closer to your dream and I've gotten closer to you. I'll make all the distance between us disappear."

" ... " Alice was still so shocked that she couldn't react. She was flabbergasted. Before she could say anything, the bell rang. The food must be here. Stella got up to take the delivery. Alice looked at her back in a daze.

Stella soon came back and they had dinner together. After dinner, it was already quite late. Alice planned to leave but Stella seemed to be stalling time.

" Alice, are you going back?"

" Yeah. It's late. I should go to sleep."

" Alright. Then, can we have breakfast together tomorrow? I'll prepare it."

Alice looked at Stella unsure of what to say. But the look in Stella's eyes instantly defeated her. She couldn't break that hope that was in her eyes.

" Yes." A bright smile comes up on Stella's face. She then said happily.

" Then I'll prepare a healthy breakfast for you. You can come over as soon as you are ready. I'll wait for you."

Alice nodded and walked towards the door. They stood at the exit. Alice opened the door and looked back to bid her goodbye.

" Goodnight," Alice said.

" Goodnight. Take care and call me if you need anything. "

" Hmm."

Alice left. She didn't look back but knew that Stella was still looking at her. She entered her house and closed the door. She leaned back on the door and slid down. An expression of breaking down came over her face but she didn't cry. She went out to the balcony and sat down with her hands wrapped around her legs. The cold wind blowing made her feel sane.

What went wrong in this life? How come Stella became a doctor? Everything that she narrated was too overwhelming for her. She started thinking about what could bring such a big change in this life.

' I left earlier and it was I who left her in this life. She, she still seemed to love me. More than ever before. But by now she should have been successful and her love for me should have died down. Why did it not? Just why is she still in love with me? How is that possible? How is she so broken because of me? Why?! Why even after making the right decision, she makes me feel that it was wrong?!'

A few tears slipped from her sparkling eyes. The moon shone in her tears. She looked down. This was all too much. The harder she tries to not break down, the harder the world pulls her down. When she has given up absolutely every hope of ever getting her love back, this is how it results in. Was it just because she wanted to get her as she couldn't? Is it not about love? Would it be just her desire to earn her?

But... She knows her Stella. She might have stopped loving her, but her kind heart would never do something like this. She would never cry like her world has ended. She would never shed tears looking so miserable. The year that they break up, Stella had been at her worst. She didn't smile genuinely for a moment. And that was the only reason she let her go.

It was like her soul was deprived of her. That sight, for Alice, was more heartbreaking that any amount of tears. But just now, she saw the same desperation, the same misery on her face, the only difference being this time, this misery came from not being with her and not because of being with her. Just what the hell is this game that fate is playing with her? She is not so strong as the world thinks. She has used every ounce of her energy to survive without Stella. Do not... Please do not test her tolerance...

Alice stayed like that for a while before freshening up and going to bed. Meanwhile, Stella was feeling a lot of emotions all at once. Everything that was going on with them was a lot to take. She has promised to never ask her why she left but the question kills her. She was scared of the answer yet she wanted to know.

She wasn't blind or stupid. She could see just how much pain Alice shared with her. She shared just as much as her pain. But she also seems to have lost trust in their love. She seemed so broken when she fell down. All her life, never did she for a single moment see Alice break down like that. She didn't even see her cry in all the time they spent together. So what went wrong? What did she do that made Alice leave her?

She went over the events of the past million times. The days spent with and without Alice and there wasn't a single moment she could recall. She has searched for a reason in herself again and again but there just wasn't anything that could break them apart. She still remembers the last time they met before Alice disappeared. Nothing was wrong at that time and they were so happy.