Dylan stood in front of the bathroom mirror, his eyes scanning every detail of his reflection. He was used to looking himself up and down, but today something seemed different. Perhaps it was the shadow of disappointment weighing heavily on his shoulders, or maybe it was the uncertain look staring back at him in the mirror. He was 1.5 meters tall, a height that had always made him feel invisible. In a world where stature seemed to equate to power, he had never found his place.
He thought back to the scene earlier that morning. The exact moment when he had gathered the courage to propose what he believed would be the greatest gesture of his life: a marriage proposal. A sincere, almost naïve offer. He loved her. He was sure of it. She was beautiful, brilliant, and so different from anyone he had ever known. But her rejection had been brutal. Without compassion, she had looked at him like an insect being squashed underfoot.
"Who do you think you are?" she had said, bursting into laughter. "Look at yourself! What are you? A little man with a little body and little ambitions. You really think I'm going to accept being your fiancée?"
The words had come like a slap. Dylan had felt his legs buckle under the intensity of the pain. He had wanted to speak, to tell her it wasn't fair, but the words got stuck in his throat. What was the point? She had already made her decision.
She hadn't just rejected his proposal; she had humiliated him. His heart had tightened when she continued:
"It's your money that interests me, nothing more. You really think I'm going to marry you?"
Disappointment had transformed into a dull ache. His whole life, Dylan had been confronted with the cruelty of mockery about his size. The kids at school, the adults who never took him seriously... But he had always believed that love could erase everything. Today, he was no longer sure of anything.
With a sigh of resignation, he turned away from the mirror and dressed mechanically. He had no idea that his day was about to take a dramatic turn. As he left his apartment, sadness still etched on his face, he noticed a hunched figure in the street. A woman, trembling, seemed to be begging for help.
His natural instinct to be kind took over, and without thinking, Dylan approached her. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe the universe was giving him a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of life.
He extended his hand, the first of a long series of gestures that would change his perception of love. But for now, all he knew was that he had just crossed paths with someone in need, and he was determined to help.