I met Galvin on a rainy day. It was my first year at college, and the afternoon rain was so heavy that I ran into the old library building completely soaked. My hair clung to my face, my clothes were dripping, and I felt cold and miserable. He sat at a table near me, looked up, and smiled.
His smile was warm and friendly. He wasn’t the most handsome man I had ever seen, but something about him felt safe. I sat down at his table, and we started talking about books. That day changed my whole life.
We talked for almost two hours. He was easy to talk to, and he made me laugh many times. When I finally left, I felt happy inside. I wanted to see him again soon.
After that, we became good friends. We met at the library every week, studied together for our exams, and talked about our classes and our lives. I learned more about him each day, and I started to like him more than I wanted to admit. Soon, we made friends with other students, too.
There were five of us in total, and we did everything as a group. We studied late into the night together, shared snacks and hot coffee, helped each other with homework, and laughed about our teachers and bad grades. Those were the best days of college. But my feelings were not simple.
I looked at Galvin with secret love while he only saw me as a friend. That difference hurt me deep inside, but I never told him the truth. Galvin was always kind to me. He bought me coffee every single morning and saved me a seat in class.
When I was tired, he noticed it and let me lean on his shoulder. Those small moments made me so happy. I felt warm whenever he was near me. I thought maybe he felt something, too.
But then he would always say the same thing: “You really are my best friend. ” He said those words all the time, and each time they hurt me more. They reminded me of the painful truth. I was only a friend to him, not the girl he loved.
Our first year passed quickly, and then our second year started. We were still very close, and our small friend group stayed together. I still loved him in complete secret. He still saw me as his teammate.
Nothing changed between us at all. I did everything for Galvin. When he was sad, I listened carefully. When he felt stressed, I made him food.
When he needed advice, I was there. I acted like I was his girlfriend, but I was not his girlfriend. I had no title and no real place in his life. He always came to me for support because he knew I would never leave him.
He counted on me for everything important, but he never loved me back. I was his safe and comfortable choice, the friend who always stayed. The years went by like this. Galvin started dating other girls.
He fell in love with them, and he talked to me about them all the time. He told me how pretty they were and how much he liked them. My heart broke every single time, but I smiled and listened. I gave him advice about his dates.
I helped him write messages to them. What else could I do? I was just his best friend. That was my only role.
I wanted to tell him my feelings. I wanted to scream the real truth, but I was much too afraid. So I kept quiet. I kept all my feelings inside.
I kept hoping for a miracle. Maybe one day he would see me. Maybe he would finally wake up and understand my love. I waited for that special day, and I believed it would come eventually.
But that day never came. Years passed, and nothing changed. He still only saw me as a friend. We finished college four years later, and our group of friends slowly split up.
Some people moved to other cities. Some got jobs in different states. But Galvin and I stayed close. We both lived in the same town, and we saw each other almost every day.
Those next years were very hard. Galvin couldn’t find a good job. He sent his CV to many companies, but no one wanted to hire him. He felt sad and lost every day.
I tried my best to help him. I fixed his CV many times, helped him practice for interviews, and cooked him dinner almost every night. He ate at my small apartment often and said my food made him feel better. I was happy to do these things.
I thought maybe he needed me now. But nothing changed between us. He still only saw me as a friend. I was his helper and his support, not the woman he loved.
Galvin dated many different women. He fell in love so many times and tried hard to make them happy, but his relationships never worked out. They always ended badly. And when they ended, he came to me.
He knocked on my door late at night, sometimes at two in the morning, sometimes even later. I always opened my door for him. He sat on my sofa and cried, talking about the girl who left him. He told me how much he loved her and asked me what he did wrong.
My own heart broke while I listened, but I never showed him my pain. I made him tea or coffee. I sat next to him all night and listened to every single word. I told him things would get better.
I promised him he would find love. I said the right girl would come soon. I wanted to tell him something important. The right girl was already here.
She had been here for years, sitting right next to him. But he could never see her clearly. Those nights were the worst for me. I cried alone after he left.
I felt tired and empty, but I kept doing it anyway. I couldn’t stop being there for him. The years passed slowly. We had been together for seven years now, and then it became eight long years.
Everyone around us noticed something strange. His family loved me very much. His mother called me her daughter. His father always hugged me warmly.
They invited me to every family dinner and treated me like I was already family. Our old friends teased us all the time. “When will you two get married? You act like a married couple already.
Just make it official already. ” They said these things every time we met. Galvin always laughed at their jokes. He thought it was very funny.
He never took them seriously at all. But I felt something different inside. Each time they asked, I felt hope. Maybe they saw something real.
Maybe Galvin would think about it. Maybe he would finally understand. But he never did. He just kept laughing and joking, and I kept my mouth shut.
I started to see the truth clearly. I had all the duties of a wife. I cooked his food and fixed his problems. I listened to his pain every night.
I supported him through everything hard. I cared about him more than anyone else. But I did not have any title. I was not his girlfriend or his wife.
I had no commitment from him and no promise of a future. I was just his best friend forever. That was my only official role. I was his safety net.
When he fell, I caught him every time. When he hurt, I made him feel better. When he needed help, I was there. But when he felt good and happy, he looked for love somewhere else.
He never looked at me that way. I gave him everything I had, but he never gave me anything back, at least not the way I really wanted. Still, I couldn’t leave him alone. I couldn’t walk away.
I kept hoping things would somehow change, but deep down I knew the truth. That day would probably never come. One day, Galvin sent me a message. “Let’s have dinner with everyone tomorrow.
I have some important news to share. ” I felt excited when I read it. Maybe he finally got a good job. Maybe something good happened to him.
The next evening, I went early. The dinner was at our friend’s house. It was warm and cozy inside. I helped set up the table and put out plates and glasses.
I felt happy to see everyone again. Then Galvin arrived at the door, but he was not alone. A woman walked in next to him, holding his hand very tightly. Her name was Elena.
I had never seen her before. She was very pretty and young. She smiled at everyone warmly. Galvin looked at her with soft eyes.
I had never seen him look like that, not in all our years together. My stomach felt sick and strange, but I smiled at both of them and said hello in a friendly voice. What else could I do? We all sat down for dinner.
Galvin sat across from me, and Elena sat right next to him. They held hands on the table. I tried not to look at them, but my eyes kept going back. Everyone talked and laughed together.
The food was warm and very good, but I couldn’t taste anything. My mouth felt completely dry, and my heart beat very fast. Then Galvin stood up from his chair. He cleared his throat loudly.
Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. The room became quiet and still. “I have big news for everyone. ” He looked down at Elena, and she looked back at him and smiled.
He took her hand in his. “I am getting married. Elena said yes to me. ”
Those five words stopped my whole world.
The room exploded with happy noise. Everyone jumped up and screamed. They hugged Galvin and Elena tightly and said congratulations over and over. The women asked to see the ring.
The men patted Galvin on the back. But I couldn’t move. I sat frozen in my chair. My hands felt cold like ice.
My ears heard only strange noise. Everything around me looked blurry and far away. Someone pushed a glass toward me. “Make a toast.
” Everyone looked at me and waited. I was his oldest and closest friend. I had to say something nice. I stood up very slowly, my legs weak and shaky.
I picked up my glass of wine and looked at Galvin and Elena. They smiled at me together. “I am very happy for you both. ” The words came out of my mouth, but they felt empty and dead.
“I wish you both much love. ”
Everyone raised their glasses high, and they all drank and cheered loudly. I put the glass to my lips. The wine tasted like bitter poison.
I sat back down again. The party continued around me, but I wasn’t really there anymore. My mind was somewhere else completely. Elena had only been around six months.
Just six short months. But I had waited eight long years. Eight years of my whole life. I gave him everything I had.
I was there through every hard time. I helped him and loved him always. But time didn’t matter at all. My eight years meant nothing to him.
Her six months won everything. I understood the truth now. Time does not guarantee love. Being there does not make someone choose you.
Doing everything right does not work. You can give someone your whole heart, but they can still give theirs to someone else. I was never going to be chosen. Not today.
Not ever. I sat at that table and smiled. I laughed when everyone else laughed. I acted happy for my best friend, but inside I was completely broken.
My heart was cut into pieces. My dreams were dead and gone. Eight years ended in one single moment, and nobody even noticed my pain. The party finally ended very late.
Everyone left one by one. They were all still very happy, talking about wedding plans and hugging Elena and Galvin goodbye. But I stayed behind to help clean up. I always stayed to help clean up.
That was who I was, the helpful friend who always stayed. Soon, everyone else was completely gone. Only Galvin and I were left. We stood in the kitchen together.
I washed the glasses and plates, and he dried them with a clean towel. We worked in total silence. I had drunk too much wine that night. My head felt heavy and strange, and my hands shook a little bit.
The alcohol made everything feel distant, but it also made me feel brave. I put down the last glass and turned to look at Galvin. He was putting away the towel. He looked tired but very happy.
“Galvin. ” My voice came out too loud. He looked at me with surprise. “I need to tell you something.
” The words started coming out fast, and I couldn’t stop them now. The alcohol made me lose all control. “I liked you since freshman year. ”
His eyes went wide.
“For eight years, I liked you. Did you really not see it? ”
He didn’t say anything at all. He just stood there and stared.
The silence filled the whole room, heavy and thick around us. I waited for him to speak, but he stayed completely quiet. “Say something. ” My voice was loud and angry now.
“Tell me you did not know. ”
He looked down at the floor and took a long, deep breath. Then he looked back at me. “I knew.
”
Those two words hit me hard. They felt like ice on my skin. “What? I can’t believe this.
” I couldn’t believe my ears. “I knew,” he said again. “I have known for a long time. ”
The room started to spin around me.
I held on to the counter for support. My legs felt weak and shaky. “You knew? ” My voice was just a whisper now.
“You knew, and you said nothing. ”
He didn’t answer my question. He just looked at me quietly. His face showed no surprise at all.
He wasn’t shocked by my confession because he already knew the truth. He had known it all along. Everything became clear to me now. All those late-night visits.
All those times he cried about other women. All those times he needed my help. He knew I loved him, but he kept coming back anyway. He used my love for him like a comfortable blanket.
He knew I would always be there. He knew I would never leave him. So he took everything I gave, and he never gave me anything back. “Why?
” The word came out broken and small. “Why did you do that to me? ”
“You were my best friend. ” He said it so simply, like it explained everything.
“I didn’t want to lose you, so you just kept quiet. ”
Anger burned hot inside my chest. “You let me hope for eight years. ”
“I never asked you to wait.
”
Those words cut me like a knife. He was right. He never asked me to wait. He never promised me anything.
But he never stopped me either. He let me stay close to him. He let me do everything for him. He enjoyed all my care and love.
And he never once told me the truth. He never said he didn’t love me. He just kept calling me his best friend. He kept me in that safe position, the position with no responsibility, the position where he could take everything but never had to give anything back.
I was so convenient for him. I was his safety net. I caught him when he fell. I fixed him when he broke.
I loved him when nobody else did. But I was never his real choice. I was just the easy option, the comfortable and safe option, the friend he could always count on. “I gave you eight years.
” Tears fell down my face now. “I gave you everything I had. ”
“I never asked for that. ” His voice was quiet and cold.
He was right again. He never asked for my love. But he took it anyway. He took it and used it, and he felt no guilt at all.
I looked at him now, really looked at him. This man I loved for so long. This man I gave everything to. And I finally saw the real truth.
He was not worth it. He never was. The wedding was on a Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day.
The church looked very pretty, with white flowers covering every corner and soft music playing in the background. Everything looked like a perfect dream. I sat in the guest rows near the back, wearing a simple blue dress. I arrived early that morning because I wanted to find a quiet seat.
I didn’t want to be noticed. People filled the church slowly. Everyone looked happy and excited. Women wore bright colored dresses, and men wore dark suits and ties.
Everyone talked and laughed together. But I sat alone and quiet. The music changed to something special, and everyone stood up. Elena walked down the long aisle in a white wedding dress.
She looked like a beautiful princess, with her father walking next to her. I looked at Galvin at the front. He watched Elena walk toward him, his eyes full of love. His face showed pure happiness.
He smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen. I had never seen that look before, not once in eight long years. He never looked at me like that. He never smiled at me that way.
That look was only for her. Elena reached the front at last. She stood next to Galvin, and they held hands and faced each other. The priest started to speak, but I didn’t hear the words.
I just sat and watched them. I watched my whole youth end. I watched eight years disappear. I watched all my dreams die.
They said their vows to each other. They promised to love forever. They put rings on each other’s fingers. Then the priest said the final words.
“You may kiss the bride. ” Galvin kissed Elena softly. Everyone clapped and cheered loudly. The music played again as they walked back down the aisle together.
They were husband and wife now. I didn’t clap with everyone else. I just sat very still, my hands in my lap. My eyes felt dry and empty.
I had no more tears left. The reception happened after that. There was food and music and dancing. Galvin and Elena looked so happy.
They danced and laughed all night, surrounded by friends with joy. I stayed for one short hour. Then I left without saying goodbye. Nobody noticed me leave.
Nobody asked where I went. I wasn’t important anymore. After that day, everything changed. Our old friends called me many times, wanting to meet for dinner or hang out together.
But I always said no. I couldn’t pretend anymore. I couldn’t act like things were fine. I couldn’t sit and smile.
I couldn’t watch Galvin and Elena. I just couldn’t do it. So I stopped going to gatherings. I stopped answering my phone.
I slowly pulled away from everyone. At first, the friend group noticed my absence. They asked about me and wondered why I never came. But then they stopped asking.
They got used to me being gone. And slowly, the group fell apart. People stopped meeting as often. The dinners became less frequent.
The group chats went quiet. I realized something sad and true. I was the main link before. I was always there with Galvin, connecting everyone together.
But now that link was broken, so everything else broke, too. I lost more than just Galvin. I lost an entire decade. I lost my whole youth.
I lost all my old friends. I lost the life I used to know. Everything was gone now, and I was completely alone. Two months passed after the wedding.
I sat alone in my apartment and looked around at my life. Everything reminded me of Galvin. The sofa where he cried. The kitchen where I cooked for him.
The phone that still had his number. I couldn’t live like this anymore. I made a big decision that night. I needed to leave and start over.
I needed to save myself. I packed my bags the next day. I put my clothes in boxes. I gave away my old furniture.
I quit my job very quickly. I told nobody where I was going. Then I looked at my phone and found Galvin’s number. I stared at it for a long time.
My finger hung over the delete button. This was my final step. This was my way out. I pressed delete.
His number disappeared forever. I felt lighter right away. I bought a ticket to another city, far away from here. Nobody knew me there.
I could be someone new. I could start completely fresh. The bus ride took many hours. I watched the old town disappear and new places appear.
I felt scared but also free. I understood something important now. My mistake was not loving Galvin. Love is never a mistake.
My mistake was something else. I believed that time meant everything. I believed that staying meant winning. I believed that persistence meant being chosen.
But I was wrong about all of it. Love is not about waiting. Love is not about doing everything right. Real love is a choice.
And Galvin never chose me. I should have left years ago. I should have saved myself sooner. But I stayed because of hope, and that hope almost destroyed me.
Now I was finally free. I arrived in the new city. Everything looked different and strange, but it also felt exciting. I found a small café near my hotel.
It had big windows and soft music. I sat at a table alone, ordered coffee, and looked outside. The city was busy and alive. People walked past the window.
Everyone had somewhere to go. Everyone had their own life. A man walked up to my table. He looked kind and friendly.
“Can I sit here? All other tables are full. ”
I looked at him. I looked at his warm smile.
For the first time in years, something changed. I didn’t think about Galvin. I didn’t feel any pain. I just felt calm and ready.
“Yes. ” I smiled back at him. “Please sit down. ”
He sat across from me.
It felt lighter and more open. It finally had space for something new. Space for someone who might choose me. Space for real love.
I didn’t know what would happen next, but I was ready to find out.
