Revealing her feelings

"But after that drug incident, you went through so much healing and therapy. Are you sure you still feel that way despite everything?" Elena asked, concern lacing her voice. She reached across the table, placing her hand over Luciana's in a gesture of solidarity.

Luciana sighed, her gaze drifting to the bustling mall around them. "When I said I forgave him, the first step was to make peace with the truth myself and then relieve myself of that pain. We were both victims. He was too… Just because I was a woman and poor, and he was a man and rich, I placed all the blame on him and made him the villain. He took every pain inflicted to him like cotton without complaining. He surrounded me asking for forgiveness when he had no fault. It was me who was stuck in a loop of guilt, self-loathing, and so many conflicting emotions.