The Truth Hurts

Lies. There are so many of them on planet earth. Some can be small and harmful. They can save our friends feelings. Others can escalate out of our control. This lie built up and up until, when the truth was finally revealed, it nearly killed the person on the other end.

Two people in love can be the most powerful thing in the world, but it can also be the thing that splits up the most wonderful of friendships. The boy was called Michael, and the girl was called Hope. Their love was as strong as a star, but a time was to come when that shining star would die.

Michael had loved Hope, in the beginning. He didn’t love her now. Another girl had caught his eye. Hope loved him with all her heart so he felt bad at letting her down like that. He lied about his love for the other girl. This lie went on for three months before he cracked. It was their anniversary of their love.

Michael walked down the street towards Hope’s house, longing for this night to be over. He convinced himself that he would tell her tonight. Tell her the truth about the lie. He had reluctantly put on the suit that he was struggling with. He fiddled with his collar, hoping to loosen its choking grip.

“Michael!” exclaimed Hope. She was leaning out of the top window of her house. “I’ll be right down. You look so handsome in that suit!” She disappeared from the top window of the house and reappeared at her front door, breathless and with a huge smile on her face. She was wearing a silver dress and silver heels. A diamond necklace flashed in the moonlight as she ran to embrace her so-called lover. “Michael, I missed you so much! How are you? You look a little pale. Are you allright?” She stepped back, grabbed him by his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “Maybe we should cancel I mean if you’re not -”

“I’m fine, stop worrying. It’s only seeing your beautiful face that made me have butterflies that danced around in my chest. I hope that the music never stops.” Said Michael as he bent down on one knee and kissed her hand.

“Oh Michael, you’re so romantic!” She leapt into his arms and allowed herself to be swept away into his powerful arms. She giggled and kissed him on the cheek. “Oh, stop. Now are you taking me on this date or not?”

“Of course I am! What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I told you a lie?” He said nervously, dropping her back onto the ground and taking her hand.

They walked to a 5-star restaurant where they had a romantic evening under the stars with the candlelight and the violin music dancing and twirling around the star-crossed lovers. (Well, maybe one of them) Of course, Michael was getting increasingly nervous as the night progressed. But Hope did not see through his lie, even though he kept avoiding any conversation with her. But the time had to come when the truth would be revealed.

“Hope,” Michael said hesitantly.

“Yes, my love?” asked Hope as she stared dreamily into her lover’s eyes.

“I have to tell you something,” he began, “I don’t love you anymore. I thought I did but, I love another girl. Listen, it’s not you, it’s me!”

But she had only heard half of it. She had run out of the restaurant with tears streaming down her face. The next morning he rang her again and again but to no avail. She kept leaving the phone to ring until it hit voice mail. So he went over to her house and rang the doorbell but there was no one in. He knew where Hope hides her spare key so he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Her house was in pieces. Clothes and food were strewn all over the floor and her bedroom was in some ways worse than the mess downstairs. As he entered the room, he caught a smell of candles. And as he peered round the door, he saw his worst fear. On the table in the far- corner of the room, was a shrine dedicated to her so-called lover. There was an envelope on the table with a heart on the outside. He ripped apart the heart shaped wax seal to reveal a letter. It read as follows.

“Dear Michael,

I want you to know that I shall never see you again and that it is useless to follow me. I am going somewhere that you shall never find me.

I thought you had loved me. Obviously I was wrong. Though you may be kind; to me you are cruel for what you did. I hated to see you lie.

Why would you lie? Because you know what?

The truth hurts.

Love

Hope.”