Woman Corrupted ✸ Joseph Descamps

One / The Concept of Romance, True Love and, Everything in Between

              Hera knew about the first epic love. It was like lighting a match, while you were experiencing it, it was wonderful, exciting, and hot, but eventually, it would burn out and crumble. Her first love was a weak relationship that was bound to go nowhere. 

               Jean-Pierre Magnan was a character she wished she could forget. 

               He was mean, dismissive and, had an insufferable righteousness and superiority complex he could never shake off. He was judgmental and only cared for what Hera could give him. Which she soon learned was her lips and excitement of sneaking around the summer he visited La Rochelle [2]. Hera was there because of her family. He was able to go through a school trip apparently, but Hera suspected it was a lie. 

               But he wasn't all that bad. He could be nice, sweet... but always in secret. His kisses were enjoyable, and she felt like she was wanted when she was with him. He was smart, he wasn't terrible to look act, and he cleaned up well. He was pleasant, not too overbearing. But Hera guessed he had his terrible jealousy to make up for it, and immense distrust he had in their relationship. When the summer ended, Jean-Pierre broke up with her after laughing in her face about long distance. 

               Hera could still remember his voice, his figure, even the face he made when she asked about his address to send letters to. 

               "It was just some summer fun, a fling if you will." He paused as if he was not the only one who recognized what he said to be true. 

               "What? Did you think you were my girlfriend or something?" When Hera didn't respond. He let out a small scoff, standing up straighter. 

               Taking out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it up, he brought the small stick away from his face as he let out a puff of smoke. "Hera, I have a future. A bright one and I'm not going to let some girl I met in the summer jeopardize that." He paused as he took another puff. 

               "You understand right?" Hera laughed in shock. 

             Maybe he broke up with her because he never got what he wanted. Her body, or maybe it was because he genuinely believed she was just a silly girl who would fail in her future just because she never dressed up like she was going to church every day. Or maybe it was because she let him kiss her, instead of saving her first kiss for her husband. Surely that was what he wanted in a partner. A girl who was touched by no man but himself. Who could only live and think for him? But Hera did not know. All she knew was that that girl was not her, and honestly? She was glad. 

               But that did not mean it was not infuriating. The audacity that man had to act as if she was beneath him. 

               Her second relationship was nothing but a rebound, a quiet boy from her school who sat alone during lunch. Louis would sit in the library reading nothing but fiction. They never did anything beyond holding hands. He was a great lunch buddy and an even greater boyfriend. She loved him, but she wasn't in love with him. She always knew he deserved better, after all, he could not give him that romantic love everyone wanted, but she could give him a platonic one. To say the relationship lasted six months was shocking to Hera, but she was glad. Because they were both able to heal from their first loves and came out better for it. 

               Hera would be forever grateful to Louis, for being so patient. For being a saint, for understanding during a time no one could. 

               Hera closed her book as she thought about it. Getting off the hammock and standing straight as she stretched, she felt the breeze of summer and the gorgeous sun that would visit her every day for three months. To say she was excited about the summer was an understatement.