Love Is Gone

Debts, rejection and divorce. Why did it all have to occur at the same time? Why was life so unfair? Hearing all those three words at the same time, wouldn't it feel like life didn't have any meaning? What was the use of living when no one actually cared or loved you? What was the point of living when there was nothing to fight for?

Resilient. That's how most people described Adeline. She was the type of girl that chose to live by choice, not by chance. She chose to make changes, not excuses. She chose self-teem, not self-pity. No matter what challenges life gave her, she was able to overcome every single obstacle. But what if giving up was the only way to heal her broken heart? Would she be able to bear everything all at once?

(Flashback)

Three years ago...

Coming home from a tiring day at work, Dave slowly sat down on the dinning table, waiting for Carol to finish cooking his food.

"How was your day?" Carol smiled, frying the vegetables in the pan.

"I had a lot of work to do." Dave took a deep breath. "What's taking you so long? I'm starving!"

"Give me a moment. I'm just transferring—"

"Stop talking and hurry up."

"Here you go." Carol brought him a bowl of pasta. "Your favorite."

Dave scratched his head, rolling his eyes. "Pasta again? Is that the only thing you can cook?"

"I-I thought that you wanted pasta since it's your favorite."

"Go make me some salad."

"But-But I just finished cooking... Do you not like it?"

"I thought that you wanted—"

"You can't cook and you can't even clean!" Dave slammed the table, looking at the plates that haven't been washed. "Is it that hard to maintain the cleanliness of this house? Is cooking that hard?"

"Is that what you think? That all these things are my responsibility?"

"You don't even do anything! I'm the one working my ass off to support our daily needs!"

"Working?" Carol laughed. "You're the one that didn't want me to work!"

Dave got the bowl of pasta and placed it in the garbage bag. "After a long day, do you think I deserve to eat something like this?"

"I'm sorry if I didn't—"

"Stop apologizing. Do something to change it!"

"You never even appreciated me..."

"What did you say?" Dave clenched his fist. "How dare you say that!"

"Why? I'm just telling the truth! You don't acknowledge the effort I put into doing all this." Tears started falling from Carol's eyes. "You never did..."

(Present time)

"So this was all your fault?" Adeline looked at Dave. "Was appreciating your wife something you couldn't do, dad?"

"Honey, I used to—"

"Washing the dishes, doing the laundry, cleaning the entire house and cooking... Do you think that was all easy?"

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize to me."

"Enough." Carol looked away. "I've forgiven your father, but we've already made the decision to part ways, Adele. As your parents, we just want what's best for you."

"What's best?" Adeline stood up, folding her arms. "Have you guys ever thought about what'd I feel? Do you think that having a broken family is easy?"

"Sometimes the best way to be happy is to learn to let go if things you tried hard to hold on to that are no longer good for you, honey."

"You made a promise on your wedding day that you wouldn't leave each other!"

"I felt estranged from your father." Carol gave her daughter a warm hug. "I'm sorry, but o-our love's gone..."

"Well how about me? Do you not love me anymore?"

"You can spend time with your father when—"

"I want all three of us to spend time together. Is that so hard to ask?"

Dave held Adeline's hand. "I hope you find someone who'll treat you like the most important person in his life, Adele... Your mother I...don't be like us..."