Betrayed by the men in her life, Sarah must come to terms with her past and learn to trust again in order to get the future she deserves. Will she give herself a second chance?
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Meet Sarah Suarez, a talented young woman at the start of her caree...
After a hectic week at work, Sarah finally had her weekend off approved. Two weeks had passed in a blur, and tomorrow would be her 26th birthday, and their first official date. For the first time, she looked forward to celebrating a birthday she hadn't celebrated in the last twenty years. Ironically, she celebrated other people's birthdays without fail because she did not want anyone to go through the disappointment she went through once.
Due to excitement, Sarah managed to wake up at 7 a.m. on a day off, breaking her long-standing record of 8 a.m. She treated herself to a spa day and later dolled herself up for her date. She chose a black mini-dress, a long brown trench coat, knee-high boots, and a statement necklace. She transformed her hair, with the help of a hairdresser, into an elegant updo. Sarah almost couldn't recognize the mesmerizing girl in the mirror.
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At 6.30 pm, Sarah took an Uber to the agreed-upon restaurant, arriving half an hour earlier than the agreed-upon time. A petite staff guided her to their reserved table in a semi-private booth overlooking a well-manicured flower garden. Tiny water droplets clung to the soft petals, creating an enchanting sight.
An hour passed, yet Henry hadn't shown up. Anxiety crept up her heart. Flashes of her 7th birthday replayed in her mind, and she tried her best to push the memories back. She took out her phone and sent a text message. [I'm here. Where are you?]
Ten minutes later, she sent a second text. [Is the date still on? Just so you know, I'm not a fan of waiting.]
The clock ticked by. People came in and went after finishing their food. Minutes turned into hours. Sarah sat by the table, waiting. A waitress came to her table and tapped her shoulder for the second time. "Miss, should we serve now?"
Sarah glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 9:45 PM. Perhaps he's held up with something. She looked at the waitress and smiled. "Let's wait a little longer." With that, the waitress nodded and left. Sarah texted again. [Why aren't you replying?]
Sarah placed her hands on the table and rested her head on her left hand. Why wasn't he here yet? She tapped the table with the fingers of her free hand as her mind wandered, her gaze fixed on the gentle yellow flame of the candle in front of her. She watched the candle become shorter and shorter as many other people came to dine and left.
Still no reply. She nervously sent one last text. [C'mon, say something. Anything]
Time passed quickly, and the hand she was resting on had become slightly numb. Fewer and fewer people came in. After the long wait, someone walked by her table and stood beside her. Finally, he's here! Relief washed over her, and her broken heart sped up. She could feel the warmth mending the cracks in her heart as her eyes sparkled.
She turned around, ready to leap into a hug, and her entire body froze. It felt like she had been doused in ice water several times in a row. A fat man stood beside her, his bearded face covered with sweat. His bulging beer belly threatened to rip off a few buttons of his shirt. Perhaps he should have worn a size bigger or done something about the belly.
