That past he was so disgusted by was not my fault. In fact, I had fallen and gotten back up time and time again, fighting to build a good life.
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was the true warrior, the one who deserved respect.
The application process for the internship went smoothly.
The only hurdle was the cost. The university provided a partial scholarship that covered my tuition, but I had to cover my own living expenses. To make extra money, I worked as an assistant at a counseling center during the day and as a waitress at a bar at night.
And in that glitzy, neon–lit world, I saw Benjamin again.
He was lounging on a sofa, legs crossed, while a dancer writhed beside him.
I kept my head down as I delivered drinks to the table behind him. As i passed, I overheard one of his friends ask, “So, you and Cynthia are really over? You were about to get engaged.”
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Benjamin lit a cigarette, his voice casual. “What’s the rush? She’ll come crawling back to me within three days.”
His friend quickly agreed. “Exactly. I think Cynthia just doesn’t know her place. Her background, her family… how is she even worthy of you? And she still puts on airs.”
“All our Benjamin has to do is snap his fingers, and he’ll have a line of beautiful women waiting for him.”
“I’d say it won’t even take three days. She’ll probably call you tonight.”
Benjamin didn’t say anything, just a smug smile playing on his lips.
It was true that in our past arguments, I was always the one to back down first. I knew about his condition, and I worried he wouldn’t be able to handle it if I ignored him for too long.
But not anymore.
I finished serving the drinks and turned to leave. But one of his friends spotted me. “Hey, isn’t that Cynthia?”
Benjamin shot me a look that said, I knew it. He leaned back arrogantly, waiting for me to speak first.
His friend started jeering. “Cynthia, don’t tell me you don’t have the money for your trip abroad, so you came here to ‘accidentally‘ run into our Benjamin for some breakup money?”
Benjamin’s brow furrowed. “What money? What trip? You’re going abroad?”
“Cynthia applied for an internship overseas. You didn’t know?”
