--
"Don't cry, Eisen. It's okay. You've done more than enough," she reassured herself, her voice barely audible. Deep down, she had always known that it wasn't about her, that he would never choose her.
"F***. Loving someone is so hard," she spat out into the wind, the bitterness in her words carried away by the gusts. As if in response, delicate snowflakes began to descend from the sky.
"Now you're trying to sympathize with me?" she whispered to the night sky, her voice filled with a mix of frustration and confusion. "Why do you lend your ears and shed tears if it's not what I prayed for...?"
She gazed into the emptiness before her, purposely avoiding any attempt to process the turmoil within her. For years, she had denied these feelings, aware of the foolishness they could bring. But when she finally allowed herself to fall, she fell with a force that no one could contain.
How ironic it was that faith could be the cruelest teacher. It owed nothing to anyone, bound by no rules, and yet, once denied, it would teach its lessons in the harshest way possible. Like a mischievous child, heaven would find its way to cause tears, only to be consumed by guilt and shed its heaviest tears.
Once again, she raised her gaze, observing how the snow gracefully descended, seeming to offer her solace. "Guess I am a fool," she admitted, acknowledging her own vulnerability. She had willingly embraced the mischievous dance of fate, only to be struck with the most brutal blow.
She had attended multiple schools, perhaps more than twelve, but it was the one she hadn't even considered that taught her the most profound lesson.
"So, this is what I got, huh?" she muttered bitterly, realizing that she had provoked her own downfall, leaving her defenseless against the blow that followed.
As the snow fell harder, so did her tears, which had been concealed for far too long. In that moment, memories of his words flashed through her mind, when he had called her the strongest and toughest person he had ever met. "Who did you say was the strongest?" she whispered, her voice trembling with vulnerability. She allowed her knees to buckle, sinking to the ground and wrapping her arms around her legs, seeking comfort within herself.
"I need a hug too..." she confessed, her words filled with longing and sorrow. In that instant, a whirlwind of emotions and memories crashed into her, shattering her into countless fragments. How arrogant she had been. For so long, she had been labeled as tough, as strong. But now, she knew the truth. In this vulnerable moment, she realized who she truly was. She was the most cowardly, hiding behind a disguise of strength, concealing every weakness within the confines of a fragile box. And now, that box had exploded, leaving her with nothing left to hide. She was nothing more than a woman cowering behind a shield of steel, desperately yearning to protect herself.

BINABASA MO ANG
Breaking The Iron Lady
Historical FictionAs the snow fell harder, so did her tears, which had been concealed for far too long. In that moment, memories of his words flashed through her mind, when he had called her the strongest and toughest person he had ever met. "Who did you say was the...