one word sad story

Alone.

Think of a relationship ending. Like 'She moved on. I'm left in the past.' It's about capturing that one moment of pain or loss. You can also consider the loss of a dream, say 'Dreams shattered. All hope seems to fade.' Here, it shows the despair that comes with the loss of something one has been hoping for.

Some words for a sad story could be 'tragic', 'heartbreaking' or 'melancholic'.

Lost.

Sunset, end, grief, sigh.

Love, lost, alone, cry.

Gift, rejected, sad. Imagine you put a lot of effort into a gift for someone. It could be a handmade item or something you carefully selected. But then that person rejects the gift. It makes you feel sad because not only is the gift not appreciated, but also your feelings behind it are ignored.

Job gone, dreams shatter.

Love lost, heart broken.

Melancholy tale could be used. It suggests a story that evokes a sense of sadness and pensiveness.