That evening, Viona sat at a small café that had become their meeting place since long ago. Her hand gripped her coffee glass, but she didn't drink it at all. She was too anxious, too scared of what she was about to hear.
When Frans finally appeared before her, her heart raced. He looked tired, with a faint shadow of weariness on his face. But he was still Frans—the man who had always been her place to lean on.
Or at least, he used to be.
Frans sat across from her and let out a slow breath. "Vi…"
His voice sounded gentle, but Viona didn't want to waste any time.
"Are you going to get engaged to Calista?"
Straightforward. No pleasantries.
Frans fell silent for a moment. Their eyes met, and there, Viona saw something that made her heart ache even more—doubt.
Frans rubbed his face, then looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I can explain."
Viona let out a small, humorless laugh. "So it's true?"
Frans sighed. "My family has indeed been discussing it. They think Calista is a suitable match for me, someone who can support my career and the family business."
Viona bit her lip, trying to hold back the emotions that were starting to flood her chest. "And you?"
Frans fell silent longer this time.
"I never meant to hurt you, Vi," he finally said. "I know this is hard for you, but I'm also caught between my family and my own feelings."
Those words made Viona feel even more shattered.
"So you really didn't say anything to me?" her voice trembled. "I had to hear it from the news? From someone else?"
Frans looked down, as if feeling guilty. "I didn't know how to tell you."
Viona clutched her glass tightly, fighting back the tears that wanted to break free again. "If I hadn't asked, would you have just remained silent? Would you have stayed with me until suddenly you were engaged to her?"
Frans opened his mouth, then closed it again. No answer.
And that was more than enough for Viona.
She forced a small smile—not out of happiness, but because she finally realized something.
"I'm foolish, aren't I?" she said softly. "All this time I believed in you. I always thought if I were in your position, you would surely convince me to hold on. But now… now I don't know anymore."
Frans looked at her with regret. "Vi, I…"
"Please don't give me uncertain answers, Frans," Viona interjected, her voice slightly trembling. "If you really still want to be with me, say it. But if you can't, if you prefer your family and Calista… I also need to know."
Silence.
Frans stared at her for a long time, as if trying to find the right words.
And when he finally spoke, Viona already knew his answer before the words came out.
"I don't want to lose you, Vi. But I also can't leave my family."
Suddenly, the air around Viona felt so heavy.
So this is how it ends.
She took a deep breath, looking at Frans with a small, painful smile. "Is that your answer?"
Frans did not respond.
Viona smiled wryly. "I understand."
She grabbed her bag, standing slowly. Tears were welling up again in her eyes, but this time, she rejected them.
Frans stood up as well. "Viona, I—"
"Please don't make this harder," Viona cut in quietly. "I'm tired, Frans. I'm really tired."
Frans fell silent.
Without saying anything else, Viona turned and walked out of the café, leaving the man who used to always make her feel secure.
But this time, she needed to find her own certainty.
Without Frans.
Frans reached out his hand as if wanting to stop Viona from leaving. "Vi, wait," his voice was almost trembling.
Viona halted but did not turn around.
"I never promised to leave my family," Frans continued. "I always said I would try, but I also have responsibilities, Vi. I can't just reject them."
Viona closed her eyes, trying to calm the emotions bubbling over inside her. Then she turned around, looking at Frans with eyes full of disappointment.
"And me?" her voice trembled. "What am I to you, Frans? You were the one who assured me we could get through this together. You were the one who always said we had to trust each other."
"I know, Vi, I wasn't lying then," Frans tried to defend himself.
"But you didn't keep your promises!" Viona shouted, her voice rising slightly. Some people in the café began to glance at them, but Viona didn't care. "You said you'd never leave me. You said you'd fight for us. But now? As soon as there's pressure from your family, you go silent!"
Frans fell silent, his jaw clenched. "I'm not silent, Vi. I'm trying to find a way for us to still be together without having to fight them."
Viona let out a small laugh, but there was no happiness in it. "And your way is to stay silent for days? So I find out from someone else that you're going to get engaged?"
Frans rubbed his face in frustration. "I didn't know how to tell you."
"You should have told me from the start!" Viona's voice was shaking more. "We're a couple, Frans! I have the right to know. I have the right to hear it directly from you, not from the news or someone else!"
Frans looked down, as if he could not argue. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Viona stared at him for a long time, catching her breath because of the emotions that had burst out. "But you still hurt me."
Those words were like a slap to Frans. He looked at Viona as if he wanted to say something, but not a single word came out.
Viona took a deep breath, trying to control the tears that were welling in her eyes. "Frans, I really want to believe that you will keep your word. But today, I realized one thing."
Frans looked at her, as if afraid to hear what Viona would say next.
"You may never have promised to leave your family. But I also never promised to hold on to someone who isn't sure about me."
Frans looked crushed by those words. But this time, Viona didn't wait for his reaction anymore.
She grabbed her bag and turned to leave, leaving Frans to stand still with an expression that was hard to interpret.
Viona's steps felt heavy as she exited the café. Her heart ached, as if something had shattered inside her.
But this time, she wouldn't allow herself to remain trapped in uncertainty.
If Frans couldn't fight for her, then she would fight for herself.
Once she stepped outside the café, the cold wind greeted her immediately. The gray sky hung low, and the rain began to fall slowly, creating a patter on the sidewalk.
Viona stood beneath the weeping sky, just like her heart.
The rain intensified, soaking her clothes, drenching her hair, but she didn't care. She stood there, letting the tears mix with the raindrops flowing down her cheeks.
It was suffocating.
Viona felt so overwhelmed that she could barely breathe. All the pain, disappointment, anger, and sadness that she had held back finally burst forth.
She cried.
Cried along with the rain.
No one could see her tears, but that didn't matter. She didn't need anyone to witness how broken she was at that moment. She just wanted to feel everything, to let out all the wounds she had buried.
Her legs felt weak, and she almost fell if she didn't grab onto a lamppost beside her. Her breath was hitching, sobbing in between the sound of the rain pouring down.
"Why, Frans…" she murmured, barely audible. "Why did you never truly choose me?"
The rain continued to fall, as if it could feel the pain she felt.
Once, Frans always said he wouldn't let Viona feel alone. That he would always be there for her. But now, in the midst of this downpour, Viona truly felt alone.
There was no Frans. No one to hold her hand and say that everything would be alright.
And it was unclear how long she stood there, crying silently, until her body finally shivered from the cold.
But let it be.
Maybe, for the last time, she would cry for Frans. For the love she fought for alone.
After this… she had to learn to let go.