A FLOWER THAT DIES WITH A HUMAN'S HEART

Chapter 1: The First Bloom Some hearts don't break in a single moment. They break little by little, until one day they no longer know how to feel. This is how the flower begins to die. --- Ernest first saw Magret on a quiet Monday morning at school. She was sitting alone near the classroom window, her eyes fixed on the clouds instead of the blackboard. She looked peaceful from a distance, but behind her gentle smile hid a sadness that no one seemed to notice. For Ernest, it was love at first sight. There was something about her that pulled him closer—not just her beauty, but the loneliness she tried so hard to hide. From that day, he found himself looking for her in every hallway, hoping to hear her laugh or simply see her smile. As the weeks passed, they slowly became friends. One afternoon, while walking home together, Magret finally opened her heart. "My home is not a happy place," she whispered, fighting back tears. Ernest stayed silent, listening carefully. "My father... he abuses me. Every day, I pray that tomorrow will be different, but it never is." Her voice trembled. She smiled to hide the pain, but tears escaped her eyes anyway. Ernest's heart shattered. He wanted to say something that would erase her pain, but he knew there were no words powerful enough. So he simply walked beside her, letting her know she wasn't alone. Before Ernest came into her life, there had been another boy. He was Magret's first love. He promised her forever. He promised to protect her. He promised to stay by her side no matter what happened. Her parents accepted their relationship, and for the first time, Magret believed happiness had finally found her. But happiness is fragile. Her mother slowly destroyed their relationship. Arguments, pressure, and painful words drove them apart until the love they had built collapsed. The boy who once promised to do everything for her eventually played with her heart and left her behind. When he disappeared, he took a piece of Magret's heart with him. Although months passed, she still carried the memories of her first love. She smiled in front of others, but inside, she was still waiting for someone who would never return. Then Ernest entered her life. He became her second love without even realizing it. Unlike everyone else, Ernest never tried to replace the past. He simply wanted to help Magret heal. They studied together every afternoon. Ernest was one of the smartest students at school, and he patiently helped Magret whenever she struggled with her schoolwork. Magret was intelligent, too, but the pain she carried made it difficult for her to concentrate. Some days, she stared at her books while her mind drifted back to the heartbreak she could never forget. Ernest never complained. Instead, he encouraged her. "You are stronger than you think," he would tell her. Those words became the light she desperately needed. Every day after school, Ernest walked Magret home. He wanted to make sure she reached home safely. Along the way, he made jokes, shared stories, and did everything he could to make her smile, even if only for a few minutes. Seeing her smile became the happiest part of his day. But Ernest's love went far beyond friendship. Late at night, when the streets were quiet and the stars filled the sky, he would quietly pass near Magret's house. He never wanted to disturb her. He only wanted to make sure she was safe. From a distance, he watched over the girl he loved with all his heart. He silently promised himself that no one would ever hurt her again. He wanted to protect her from every danger, every tear, and every man who might one day break her heart. But Ernest didn't know one painful truth. The greatest battle wasn't against another man. It was against the broken pieces of a heart that still belonged to someone else. And deep inside Magret's heart... A beautiful flower had already begun to lose its first petals. The days passed quietly, but the silence in Magret's heart never truly disappeared. Although Ernest stayed by her side every day, helping her with schoolwork and walking her home, there was a part of her that remained trapped in the past. The memories of her first love refused to fade. One afternoon, while she was studying, her phone vibrated. Her heart skipped a beat. The name on the screen was one she had tried so hard to forget. It was her first love. The boy who had once promised to spend the rest of his life with her. The boy who had sworn that no matter what happened, he would never leave her. The same boy who had broken those promises. He was also her relative, someone she could never completely erase from her life. For several minutes, Magret simply stared at the message. "How have you been? I've missed talking to you." Her fingers trembled before she finally replied. "I'm fine." That one reply became another conversation. Soon, they were chatting every day, remembering old memories and talking about the dreams they once shared. He even suggested they meet again. Magret knew she should have walked away. But her heart was still searching for answers that had never come. She wanted to know why he had left. She wanted to know why the promises had been so easy to break. She wanted to believe that maybe... just maybe... the boy she once loved still existed. One afternoon, Ernest arrived to study with her as usual. While Magret went to make tea, her phone lit up on the table. Another message appeared. "I can't wait to see you again." Ernest's eyes froze on the screen. His chest tightened. He wished he had never seen those words. His hands slowly clenched into fists. For weeks, he had poured his heart into protecting Magret, making sure she smiled, making sure she never felt alone. Yet someone who had once shattered her heart had returned with only a few words... and suddenly Ernest felt invisible. When Magret returned, she immediately noticed the sadness on Ernest's face. "What's wrong?" she asked softly. Ernest looked at her with eyes filled with pain. "Are you talking to him again?" The room fell silent. Magret lowered her eyes. "... Yes." That single word felt like a knife cutting through Ernest's heart. "He hurt you, Magret," Ernest said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "You cried because of him. You told me everything he did to you. Why would you let him back into your life?" Magret hugged herself. "You don't understand." "Then help me understand." "I never got the chance to ask why he left. I never got the chance to hear the truth." Ernest's voice broke. "What if he lies to you again? What if he breaks you again?" Tears filled Magret's eyes. "I don't know..." "You deserve someone who chooses you every single day." Neither of them realized how close they were to crying. The argument continued, not because they hated each other, but because they were both carrying invisible wounds. Magret was still chasing the past. Ernest was desperately trying to protect the future. Finally, Ernest whispered the words he had been hiding for so long. "I can't bear to watch someone destroy your heart again." His voice trembled. "I've seen you cry. I've seen you pretend to be happy when you're falling apart inside. I don't want to lose the girl who smiles when she forgets her pain." Magret couldn't answer. She simply stood there with tears running down her cheeks. Deep inside her heart, the flower that had already lost its first petals shook gently in the cold wind. Ernest silently prayed that it was not too late to save it. A c***k in the heart The evening air was cold as Ernest and Magret walked home in complete silence. Their footsteps echoed along the quiet road, but neither of them dared to look at the other. Ernest's heart burned with anger. Every time he remembered Magret secretly meeting her first love, he felt betrayed. He wanted answers, but anger had clouded his judgment. "Why did you keep going there?" Ernest demanded. "I told you already," Magret replied through tears. "I went to see my grandmother. I never went there because of him." "You expect me to believe that?" Ernest shouted. The argument grew louder. Hurtful words replaced understanding. Then, in a moment he would regret forever, Ernest raised his hand. Slap! The sound echoed through the empty street. Magret froze. She slowly touched her burning cheek, tears filling her eyes. She couldn't believe the man who had always protected her had become the one who hurt her. Without saying another word, she turned away. "I don't want to see you anymore," she whispered. She began walking in the opposite direction. The anger inside Ernest disappeared almost instantly. "What have I done?" he whispered. His legs felt weak as guilt overwhelmed him. He had promised himself he would never become someone who solved problems with violence. He ran after her. "Magret... please wait!" She stopped but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry," Ernest said, his voice shaking. "There is no excuse for what I did. I was angry... but I was wrong. I hurt the person I love the most. Please forgive me." Magret wiped away her tears. "I was wrong too," she said quietly. "I should have been honest from the beginning. I never wanted to make you doubt me." She opened her phone in front of Ernest. Without hesitation, she deleted her first love's contact and blocked him on every messaging app. "I promise," she said, "I'll never contact him again." Ernest watched silently. He wanted to believe her. He truly did. But deep inside, a painful doubt remained. Magret often visited her grandmother's house, and her first love sometimes came there to visit his own grandmother. Although months—or even an entire year—could pass without him visiting because of work, Ernest couldn't stop wondering... What if one day they met again? He smiled at Magret and accepted her apology. But behind that smile, fear had quietly taken root. For the first time in their relationship, love was no longer enough to silence doubt.