Three days had passed since the breakup.
The world kept moving—students laughing, teachers talking, buses arriving on time—but for Lina, everything felt strangely quiet, like someone had muted all the sounds of her life.
She walked through the school gates slowly, hugging her books to her chest. The place that once felt warm because of him now felt like an empty stage after the play is over.
Her friends whispered when she passed by.
"Did you hear? Ethan broke up with her…"
"She didn't even cry in front of him."
"Maybe she's pretending she's okay."
She wasn't okay.
---
In class, Lina took her usual seat by the window. The chair next to her—Ethan's seat—was empty. He had changed his seat to the back of the classroom two days ago.
He didn't even look at her.
The teacher's words blurred into a soft buzzing sound. All Lina could think about was how familiar everything was… yet how different it felt.
Her phone buzzed. A message.
She hoped. For a second, she hoped.
It was from Maya.
"I'm here if you need me."
Lina typed back.
"I'm fine."
She erased it.
"Thank you."
She sent that instead.
---
During break time, Lina sat under the old oak tree—their tree. She used to wait for him here, sharing snacks and laughter. Now she sat alone, watching her shadow instead of waiting for his smile.
Suddenly, she heard voices. Familiar ones.
Ethan. And his friends.
She didn't turn around, but every word felt sharp enough to cut.
"Did you really break up with her?" one friend asked.
"Yeah," Ethan replied, his tone cold. "It was getting… too much."
Lina's fingers tightened around her sleeves.
Too much?
Was her love too heavy for him to carry?
His friends laughed. "So you're free now, huh?"
Ethan didn't say anything for a moment. Then, quietly—
"Yeah. I guess."
Lina closed her eyes.
---
The school bell rang. The voices faded. She stayed under the tree for a moment longer, breathing in slowly, hoping the pain would leave with the wind.
It didn't.
But as she stood up, she whispered to herself—barely audible:
"If he can move on… I'll learn to breathe without him too."
Her voice still shook. Her heart still hurt.
But it was the first time she tried to be strong.
And that was the beginning of Chapter 2—
The chapter where love is gone, but life keeps going.