Rose Carmene Jean

Maya stared at the coffee cup in her hands, her fingers tracing the rim absentmindedly.
The café around her buzzed with life—friends laughing, couples sharing quiet
conversations—but all she could feel was the weight of her own thoughts. She was waiting for
Sarah, her best friend since college, someone she hadn’t seen in months. Maya wasn’t sure if
she had the words to explain everything, but she knew she had to try.

When Maya first met Ryan, he felt like a dream come true. He was charming, funny, and
seemed to genuinely care about her. On their first date, he listened intently as she talked about
her love of photography and her plans to travel the world. He called her “ambitious” and “one of
a kind.” It wasn’t long before Maya found herself falling for him.

But as the months went by, little things started to change. Ryan would question her when
she went out with friends. Do you even want to spend time with me? he’d ask, his tone tinged
with hurt. At first, Maya thought he just needed reassurance. She started canceling plans to
avoid upsetting him, thinking, He just loves me so much.Then came the comments.“Why do you
always wear so much makeup?You’re really going to wear that? Don’t you think it’s a little
much?I don’t know why you’re wasting so much time on photography. It’s not like it’s a real
career.

Each remark felt like a small cut, but Maya brushed them off. She told herself he
didn’t mean to hurt her, that he was just being honest. But over time, those words began to
stick. She stopped wearing her favorite outfits, stopped taking photos, stopped dreaming about
the trips she’d once planned. Ryan convinced her that staying close to him, building a life
around his plans, was what mattered most.The turning point came one night when Maya went to
dinner with her coworkers.

Ryan had insisted she didn’t need to go, but she went anyway. When she got
home, his anger was immediate. “I don’t know why you bother with those people,” he snapped.
You’re so selfish, Maya. You only ever think about yourself.”His words echoed in her mind for
days, chipping away at the little confidence she had left. For the first time, Maya asked herself a
question she had been avoiding: Is this love?That’s what led her to this café, nervously waiting
for Sarah. When Sarah walked in, her face lit up, but the smile quickly faded as she looked at
Maya more closely.“What’s going on?” Sarah asked, sitting across from her.

Maya hesitated, but then it all came tumbling out—the criticisms, the isolation, the
way she had lost herself in trying to please Ryan. When she finished, Sarah reached across the
table and held her hand.

Maya, this isn’t love,” Sarah said softly. “Love doesn’t make you feel small. Love doesn’t
make you lose yourself.Hearing those words was like a light turning on in a dark room. For the
first time in years, Maya felt seen.It wasn’t easy, but with Sarah’s support, Maya found the
strength to leave Ryan. She moved into a small apartment on her own, one with big windows
where the light streamed in perfectly for photos. She started going out with friends again,
picking up her camera, and slowly rebuilding the life she had given up.

One day, as Maya stood on a bridge taking pictures of the sunset, she realized she felt
something she hadn’t in a long time: peace. For the first time, she wasn’t looking for someone
else’s approval or worrying about someone else’s judgment. She was free.