Chen had always been good at two things.
Loving other people... and pretending she didn't need anyone to love her back.
She was the friend who always showed up.
The one who stayed when everyone else left.
The one who made people laugh when they were crying.
The one who knew exactly what to say whenever someone needed saving.
But no one ever asked—Who saves Chen when she's the one falling apart?
For years, she convinced herself that love wasn't something she needed.
She had seen enough heartbreak.
Enough goodbyes.
Enough people promising forever before walking away.
So she built walls.
She made jokes.
She pushed people away before they could get close enough to hurt her.
Until one person came into her life.
And suddenly the woman who never believed in waiting...found herself looking for someone.
The woman who always had something to say...didn't know what to say whenever that person smiled at her.
And the woman who always laughed at people in love...found herself falling.
Hard.
But love, as Chen would soon discover, wasn't going to be easy.
Because sometimes, the person you least expect to fall for...
is carrying a past they haven't escaped yet.
And sometimes loving someone means deciding whether you're willing to stay even when they keep giving you reasons to leave.
She thought she knew everything about love.
Until someone came into her life and proved her wrong.
"I spent my whole life being the person who stayed for everyone else. I just never expected that one day, someone would come into my life and make me realize that maybe... I deserve someone who chooses to stay for me too."
DISCLAIMER
This story is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and situations portrayed in this story are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real-life events is purely coincidental.
This story may contain themes of love, heartbreak, trauma, loss, and other sensitive situations that may be emotionally heavy for some readers.
Please remember that this story is created purely for entertainment and creative purposes.
Thank you for reading, and welcome to Chen's story. 🤍
