Relief
1036 Words
My body ached from crying, and my head throbbed from lack of sleep. I dragged myself toward the bathroom because I felt like I needed to wash off the whole world.
When I stood in front of the mirror, I froze.
My reflection looked like a stranger.
My eyes were swollen and red. My face was pale. My lips trembled even though I wasn’t speaking. I lifted my hand and touched my cheek gently, as if the woman staring back at me wasn’t me.
Charles’ words came back like a storm.
Too big.
Selfish! Controlling!
Someone like you.
“Do you think I can marry someone like you?”
I pressed my palms against the sink as the pain hit me all over again. It felt sharp, heavy, and endless. Tears spilled before I could stop them.
Why wasn’t I enough?
Why did he say that in front of everyone?
Why did he hate me that much? After three damn years?
My breath became uneven. My chest tightened. The room spun a little as the embarrassment and heartbreak returned like a wave drowning me.
I didn’t remember making a decision. I didn’t remember thinking clearly. All I remember was wanting the pain to stop for one moment. One single moment.
I reached for something nearby with trembling fingers.
I don’t know how long I stood there.
I don’t know when everything faded.
I don’t even remember falling.
The world simply slipped away.
When I opened my eyes again, I was met with very sharp lights. I blinked slowly, trying to understand where I was. This surely does not look like my house at all. My body felt weak, heavy, and floating.
A beep sounded beside me.
Hospital.
I was in a hospital.
I turned my head slightly, and I saw my mother first. Her face looked drained, her eyes red and swollen. She clutched a tissue in her hand and stared at me like she had been praying for me to open my eyes.
Next to her was Sarah, crying quietly into her palms.
When they noticed my eyes open, both of them shot up at the same time.
“Oh my God. Jasmine,” my mom whispered, rushing toward me. She held my hand gently, like she was scared I would slip away again. “Sweetheart, you scared me. You scared all of us.”
Sarah covered her mouth and began crying harder. “I told you to leave him,” she said through tears. “I told you he wasn’t worth it. You should never have gone through that alone.”
I swallowed hard, guilt washing over me in cold waves.
“What… happened?” I whispered, though I already knew.
“You collapsed in the bathroom, you cut your wrist with a blade,” my mother said softly. Her voice broke. “Daniel heard a noise, and when he forced the door open, he found you unconscious and bleeding. We brought you here as fast as we could.”
A tear slipped down her cheek and landed on my hand.
“I thought we were going to lose you,” she whispered.
My throat tightened painfully. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, even though I knew it wasn’t enough. I stared down at my bandaged wrist. I can't believe I actually tried to kill myself without thinking about how it would affect my family. Charles is right. I am selfish.
The doctor walked in shortly after, calm and professional, but his eyes softened when he looked at me.
“Jasmine, I’m glad you’re awake,” he said. “Your body is physically stable, but emotionally… You need rest—a lot of it. Stress and heartbreak can overwhelm anyone. You’ve been through something very public, very painful. It’s important that you don’t push yourself right now.”
He paused before adding gently,
“I suggest you take a full break. From work. From the media. From everything. You need time to heal.”
My mother nodded quickly. “Of course. She will take as long as she needs.”
Sarah wiped her face and looked at me. “I’ll help with anything. Just tell me.”
A few minutes later, my brother Daniel walked in. His face was hard at first, filled with anger, but when he saw me awake, everything inside him softened.
“You scared the hell out of us,” he said in a thick voice. “I’ve been pacing outside like a crazy person.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered again.
He shook his head and took my hand. “Don’t apologize. … don’t ever leave us like that again. Please.”
Tears filled my eyes again. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to—”
“We know,” he said quickly. “We know.”
He sat beside me and exhaled shakily.
“Look,” he continued, “you can’t stay here and deal with this chaos. The videos, the comments, the pity from work, it’s too much. I think you should go somewhere quiet. Somewhere peaceful.”
He sat up straighter.
“There’s a mountain resort three hours from here. Private, quiet, beautiful. You can stay there for the entire holiday season. No cameras. No coworkers. No Charles. Just fresh air, nature, and space to heal.”
My mother nodded immediately. “That’s a good idea.”
Sarah agreed. “Please do it. You need a place where your heart can breathe.”
I looked at all of them. Their worry. Their fear. Their love.
My chest tightened, but this time it wasn’t from pain; it was from the weight of how much they cared.
A mountain resort.
Far away.
Silent.
Safe.
A place where no one would whisper about me.
Where no one would laugh at me.
Where no one would replay the moment that broke me.
Maybe… maybe I needed that.
Maybe I needed to disappear just long enough to find myself again.
I closed my eyes, let out a shaky breath, and nodded softly.
“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll go.”
The room exhaled with me.
For the first time since everything collapsed, I felt the slightest flicker of relief.
- Writer
