The Recommendation

"I see you are enjoying the drink I recommended to you."

Oh no. It was Ryan again. Lena frowned and did not turn to face him. She was going to pretend that she did not hear him.

"Lena. I have something to talk to you about..." Ryan prompted, but Lena still ignored him.

"Something interesting happened with James."

As soon as she heard this, Lena turned to face Ryan. "What happened?"

"Haha! I knew that would catch your attention!"

Lena turned her head away from him.

"Hey! Do you want to hear it or not!"

Lena then looked towards him expectantly.

"Why do you only listen when it's about James? Well... James found the girl who he was looking for."

Lena turned away from Ryan again. She already knew that; in fact, she was the one who introduced them.

"Maybe you should give up on James. He likes someone else, and there are plenty of people looking for your hand in marriage."

Lena rolled her eyes. "What? You mean you?"

Ryan laughed awkwardly. "Who knows, maybe. No matter what, you should not pursue a man who does not love you."

"But I shouldn't be with a man I don't love."

"You can learn to love someone new if you give up on James."

"Even though James does not love me now, I will not give up. One day he will see how much I love him, and he will love me back."

"Is that really what you want? Do you really want to love someone who does not love you back? Do you want your marriage to be loveless in the future?"

Lena nodded. "I love him, so he will be mine."

"Even if it causes you pain, you will still love him?"

"Even if it causes me death, I will still love him."

Then Ryan stormed out of the coffee shop angrily, without ever ordering anything to drink.

"What did he come here for anyways?" Lena muttered. Then she got up and walked slowly out the door. It was time for her to return home for the night.