Chapter 3 Profound Sadness

Karen returned to a home where her parents appeared indifferent to her feelings, leaving her heart shattered by the stark reality of what her family had become. “Are you really asking me to accept my father's despicable behavior and his mistress?” Karen demanded, her voice laced with disbelief. “I’m not like you, Mom! I can’t live here anymore!” she retorted, her voice echoing as she hurriedly tossed her clothes back into the box. With hurt flooding her heart and tears streaming down her cheeks, Karen picked up her phone and dialed her best friend, Jane. “Hey, Jane, I’m at home. Can you swing by in about 30 minutes?” Karen’s voice quivered. Jane sensed the weight of her friend’s anguish, even from a distance. “Karen, are you okay? You don’t sound right. What’s going on?” Jane asked, her concern deepening with each word. “Just hurry and get me out of here, please! I’ll explain everything later,” Karen said urgently before ending the call. In less than an hour, Jane pulled up outside Karen's house and whisked her away. Living alone, Jane welcomed Karen to stay with her for a while. As they reached Jane's house, Karen broke down in bitter sobs. The absence of her parents overwhelmed her, leaving a profound sadness in her heart. Lying on the bed, tears streaming down her face, Karen opened up to Jane about everything. Jane wrapped her arms around her tightly, offering comfort and soothing words of hope. Amist Karen's dilemma, Karen's phone buzzed. It was her boyfriend Phil. He was the managing CEO of Platinum Haven Ventures, close to Aurelia International. “Hi, Phil. How are you?” Karen answered, her voice trembling from the tears she had shed. “Hey, Karen, are you alright? What’s happening?” Phil pressed, picking up on the distress in her voice. Karen didn’t want to hide anything from him. After five years of dating, she knew that hiding the truth was never a good idea. After all, he was her boyfriend, and their relationship was built on trust and love, wasn’t it? With that in mind, Karen decided to be completely honest. She opened up to Phil and shared every detail of what had happened, leaving no stone unturned. "I got you babe, all you need to do right now is to calm down. I love you so much, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy,” Phil reassured her. His words wrapped around Karen like a warm embrace, providing the comfort she desperately needed. “You know what, babe? Marry me. We’ve been together for five amazing years, and I think it’s time I introduce you to my parents. I love you so much and I can't wait for you to be my lovely wife." Phil proposed, romantically. Karen could hardly process the reality of the moment. Phil’s words washed away her pain and tears, and she quickly wiped her eyes dry. Her family was a mess and now, she is set out to build own family with Phil. It felt like a dream come true; she loved him deeply and had longed to build her world around him. "Are you serious, Phil? Are we finally getting married?" Karen giggled excitedly, her face brimming with smiles. "Yes, babe. I will see you tomorrow, let's meet at the luxury bar, we need to start planning for the wedding immediately." With that, Phil disconnected the phone call and Karen bubbled with excitement. "Congratulations, Karen, at least you can now stop crying." Jane teased, giving her a warm hug. Karen woke up with a sense of joy as she hurried to get ready to meet Phil. As she was about to leave, she quietly tiptoed around the room, careful not to disturb Jane, who was still sound asleep. Before heading out, she decided to leave a note. Grabbing a soft notepad, she wrote: “I’m going out with Phil! Get ready—when I’m back, we’ll go shopping for my wedding dress. Love, Karen.” As Karen dropped the note on the table, her phone chimed. Swiftly, she opened the message, hoping it was from Phil. “I’m sorry, Karen, but we can’t get married. Forget about it, and I never want to see you again,” she read, her eyes widening in disbelief. Stunned and heartbroken, her bag slipped from her grasp and tumbled to the floor as she cried out in anguish. “Why is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve this? Oh my God!” she sobbed, sinking slowly to the ground. Jane jolted awake, her heart racing. “Karen? What’s wrong?” she asked, quickly jumping out of bed and rushing to her friend’s side on the floor. The emotional pain was too much for Karen to bear as she grappled with her family issues and her boyfriend’s betrayal. Sobbing uncontrollably, her heart overwhelmed by the flood of emotions, Karen suddenly collapsed into Jane’s arms, losing consciousness. “Karen! Wake up! Come on, girl, wake up!” Jane exclaimed, gently shaking her shoulders in desperation. As Karen's eyes fluttered open, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. “Where am I?” she whispered, struggling to sit up. “Just relax, Karen,” Jane urged, gently guiding her back down onto the bed. Karen sighed deeply as she stared at her friend, tears brimmed behind her eyelids, blurring her vision. Everything that had unfolded felt like a surreal nightmare, and a haunting question lingered in her mind—was Phil actually playing a cruel joke on her?