I quickly donned my crimson gown, which I had purchased specifically for the occasion. I was scheduled to meet with George, who had mentioned having something important to discuss.

I couldn't help but hope it was a proposal.

I and George had been together for nine months, and I had been expecting a proposal for quite some time.

I styled my hair in the most elegant manner possible, applied cosmetics, and finished with a daring red lip gloss. Finally, I slipped on my black stilettos. I stood before the mirror, inspecting my reflection.

The gown that had seemed so perfect in the shop now appeared to be at least two sizes too small. My belly protruded past the dress's waistline, and my skin was discolored and uneven.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't shake the sensation of being embarrassed and unsure of myself. I sighed and put on some more lipstick, hoping it would improve my appearance and make me feel more at ease.

When I looked in the mirror again, nothing had changed. I still felt less than perfect. As I stood there, staring at the Mirror, my mind was consumed with thoughts of George.

The mere thought that he might propose to me lifted my spirits and sent my heart racing.

I loved George so much - he meant everything to me. He was the only one who truly saw the real me, beyond my outer appearance and insecurities.

To others, I was just a chubby, unconfident girl with an ugly face. But George saw beyond all of that, and for that, I was eternally grateful.

He had brought so much joy and happiness into my life, and I couldn't imagine a future without him.

As I daydreamed about our future together, I couldn't help but smile at the thought of spending the rest of my life with the man who had seen me for who I truly was.

*****************

As the restaurant came into view, my heart was pounding in my chest. I tried to calm myself down, but it was no use. I couldn't help but feel like my life was about to change forever.

I took a deep breath and walked into the restaurant, feeling more nervous than I had ever felt before. But as soon as I saw George's face, all of my worries melted away.

He stood up and smiled at me, and I felt like I was floating in the air. We sat down at our table, and the waiter brought us our menus. But I couldn't even think about food - all I could think about was the moment that was to come. The moment when I would find out if my hopes and dreams were about to come true.

I fidgeted in my seat, glancing at George every few seconds. He must have noticed my nervousness because he reached out and took my hand. His touch was warm and comforting, and it grounded me at the moment. I took a deep breath and tried to relax.

"Are you ready to order?" the waiter asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. I looked at George, who was still holding my hand. He gave me a small nod, and I took a deep breath.

"I'll have the chicken marsala."

"And I'll have the salmon," George pronounced

still looking at me with a reassuring smile.

The waiter took our menus and walked away, leaving us alone again.

"I have something to say to you, Melanie."

OMG, I hope it's a proposal, I thought to myself, trying to contain my excitement.

"I'm all ears," I replied with a smile on my face, waiting for him to speak.

"I want us to break up."

His words hit me like a ton of bricks.

My heart sank, and I felt like I was going to pass out from the shock.

I was devastated. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After all this time, after all we'd been through, he wanted to end things. I felt like my world was crashing down around me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I struggled to keep my composure. But I knew I had to try to stay strong. I had to face the reality of the situation, no matter how painful it was.

I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts.

"Why?" My voice was barely above a whisper. "Why do you want to break up".

"I am so sorry, Melanie. I only asked you to be my girlfriend so that I could get closer to Amelia. I understand that this might have hurt you."

"Amelia?" I was stunned.

Amelia was my step-sister, and we weren't as close as sisters should be. I always admired her from a distance. She was my exact opposite in every way - where I was fat; she was slim. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel color, and her hair was a stunning shade of blonde. Amelia exuded confidence and always seemed to be well-liked wherever she went.

Amelia was always so rude to me, and she would constantly call me a fat pig, She would say no one would ever love me. She would tell me to stop hoping for love, and that it would never happen to me. I couldn't believe that someone could be so cruel.

"No," I stammered, shaking my head in disbelief. "I don't believe you. You can't possibly mean that. You can't have only wanted to date me to get to Amelia. That... that's not possible. I thought... I thought you cared about me."

I felt my heart break into a million pieces, and my eyes welled up with tears. "Please, please tell me that's not true," I begged, my voice trembling. "Please tell me you were not using me."

I stared at him, my gaze pleading for him to tell me it was a horrible joke.

"I'm sorry for any pain I caused you. I didn't realize that ending our relationship would be so painful for you. But I had to end it because Amelia had agreed to date me, and I didn't want to be a bad person by dating sisters. I hope you'll forgive me."

Each word that came out of his mouth felt like a knife cutting through my heart. I felt as if I was being stabbed over and over again, my whole body trembling with pain.

I had never felt so hurt before, and I didn't know if I could ever recover from the wounds he had inflicted on me.

I couldn't understand why Amelia would say yes to him, knowing that me and George were still dating.

It was as if she was trying to prove to me that she was superior, that she was "better."

I never said anything about who was "better" between us, but Amelia always made it a competition. She always had to be the best, to prove that she was superior to me. She would do anything to come out on top, no matter what it took. It was as if she needed to constantly prove herself to me, But I didn't care about who was "better." I just wanted to be happy and for her to be happy too.

The words he had said stung, and I couldn't bear to stay there any longer. I got up from my seat and ran out of the restaurant, not even looking back at him as he called out to me.

The door slammed behind me, and I found myself standing on the street, tears streaming down my face. I felt lost, and completely alone.

The person I thought loved me, the person I thought cared about me, was now gone. I felt like a part of me had been ripped away, and I didn't know how to go on without it. My heart felt empty, and my world felt dark. I felt like I had lost everything, and I didn't know how to move forward.

The rain was falling in heavy sheets, soaking me to the bone. It felt like the weather was mirroring my own emotions, cold and heavy.

The pain I was feeling went far beyond the physical, and it felt like it would never end. I felt like I was drowning in sorrow, with no way to escape.