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The Pain of the First Heartbreak

When Paul called her again, there was worry in her heart. So she asked "Paul, why are you calling me again?"

"Didn't I say, I would call again?" Paul asked.

"But why?" Yasmine was kind of confused.

"Can't I call you?" Paul asked.

"Well, it depends..." Yasmine said reluctantly.

"It depends on what? Can't I call you? We still are friends, aren't we?" Paul asked.

"Umm, yes..." Yasmine replied hesitantly.

"Then, why can't I not call you?" Paul asked indignantly.

Yasmine did not reply. She was deep in thought. She was thinking of how it was inappropriate reviving old relationships with him. So she asked "Paul, why are you doing this?"

After hesitating for a moment Paul replied in a soft voice "Yasmine, I have never stopped loving you..."

Thunder seemed to clap in Yasmine's ears. Although she already was thinking of something like this, she was still surprised that he would actually confess like this.

"Paul, what do you mean? You're married with four grown children! How could you say that?" Yasmine was almost angry and wanted to hang up.

"Yasmine! You are the one I really love! I have never stopped loving you!" Paul almost shouted.

"Paul, I can't handle this right now. I have to hang up..."

"Yasmine! Please don't hang up on me!" Paul begged.

But Yasmine still hanged up. She was overwhelmed and she did not know how to handle it. She was feeling vulnerable from Daniel's betrayal, but she didn't want to admit it. She still wanted to believe that it is only those women flirting with him and that he would not allow himself to be entangled with any of them.

Her phone rang again but this time she did not answer. It rang several more times but she rejected it again. She silenced her phone and put it in her pocket.

The she heard her name being paged. She knew it was Paul so she went on the handheld radio and told the operator to say to the caller she is out of the office.

After her rounds, Yasmine went back to the office.

After opening her computer her landline rang.

"Mam, your husband is on the line..." the operator chimed.

Thinking it might be Daniel, she replied "ok, thanks"

However, when she answered the phone is was Paul again.

"Yasmine, please don't hang up on me. Please don't reject my calls, don't shut me out!" Paul begged.

"Paul, please stop! You're confusing me!" Yasmine was frantic.

"Why? I am telling you the truth! I don't love my wife! I have never loved her! Please give me a chance!" Paul begged once more.

"What are you saying? How can you have four children if you don't love her? I'm married as well! We should not start this again. Please don't call me anymore! Restrain yourself!" Yasmine hanged up the phone and dropped her head on her desk. She was having a headache.

The she leaned back on her chair and memories came flooding in.

If her mother did not interfere, they would have been a couple. If Paul had not lost his confidence that fateful night, things might have turned out differently.

She remembered that Christmas eve when she and Paul agreed to tell her parents about their relationship. But Paul arrived too early.

Yasmine took a nap as they attended the christmas masses so early in the morning. Paul arrived at 8:00 p.m. when they agreed to tell Yasmine's parents around 10.

Since Yasmine was still asleep, her mother took the opportunity to talk with Paul alone.

"Paul, I wanted to talk to you alone to make things clear." Yasmine's mother immediately after Paul sat down.

Paul could not refuse. But deep in his heart, he knew that this conversation will not go according to their plans.

Yasmine's mother told Paul "I know you are here to discuss your relations with Yasmine. And I know that Yasmine is considering having a relationship with you" Yasmine's mother looked straight into his eyes and without waiting for a reply, she immediately followed thru " you might as well stop it right now. We already have big plans for Yasmine."

Yasmine's mother did not allow Paul to respond. Instead she stood up and asked Paul to leave. She even asked Paul to bring back with him the gifts he brought for Yasmine.

When Paul left, he threw the gifts in the trash.

Yasmine's mother instructed the maids not to tell Yasmine that Paul arrived.

When Yasmine woke up, she anticipated Paul's arrival anxiously. But it was almost time to leave for church, Paul has not arrived.

Yasmine felt heartbroken. She thought that probably Paul has chickened out and decided not to show up.

She went to church feeling her heart has been pierced with a double-bladed knife.

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