23 Relieve Sadness by Shopping

Their breakup caused quite a stir at school. Many younger ladies seemed to see hope in it. However, her friends couldn't comfort Alice, as she concealed her pain, not allowing anyone to touch it.

She would come and go early, spending her days in the library, reading or sleeping, her gaze always heavy.

Surprisingly, she didn't appear as emaciated as a typical lovelorn lady. She always looked forward to meal times, the only time when she could put everything aside and treat herself well, which made her gain some weight.

For a long time, Alice felt dejected and could not forgive herself. She would end things with a kiss, which only made her more attached.

She returned to her hometown, Boston, and hated to say with her family since the breakup. She gave up her love somewhat herself but just hated facing her family.

Once with her sincere parents, she was depressed and miserable to think of Mike and addicted to the sorrow memories. Her parents were extremely worried about her.

During the summer vacation, she met with her father's friend, Mr. Thompson of Roosevelt. They had dinner together, and she decided to simplify her life by working there.

She had only applied once - there was a sense of accomplishment in getting through this ordeal. At the same time, Mike had already gone abroad, so it didn't matter as much anymore.

Despite all the changes in her life, losing the two most important people in her life, it would have been difficult for her to accept if it had happened earlier.

However, Alice surprised herself by being able to withstand it all with a remarkable level of resilience. She went about her days as usual and watched TV, where she saw the madly talented actor playing the character of an older man.

She admired his wisdom and insight into human nature. Suddenly, she realized she was hungry, and it was a sign that she was finally starting to recover.

On her first day of work that year, Mr. Thompson was surprised by how fat she had become and suggested she wear an L-size uniform. Alice felt embarrassed but remembered Mr. Thompson's advice to stay away from the front desk.

The ending song was haunting, and Alice felt its impact on her as she heard the roar of the wind outside the window. The lyrics reminded her of lost love and broken promises, but also of memories she drew upon with tears. It was a year of loss, but also of growth and discovery.

Alice turned off the television, stood in front of the mirror and carefully tidied herself up. Her eyes were slightly swollen from crying, and the cold weather added a bitter edge to her emotions.

She applied concealer, feeling more presentable, and then headed out. Just about ten minutes' walk from her home was a big supermarket shopping center. Alice considered herself someone who loved to shop. The temptation was strong, and she found browsing the vast a store more appealing than staying at home sobbing alone.

She leisurely pushed the shopping cart, continuously putting items into it. It seemed that filling up the empty cart also filled a small void in her heart.

It wasn't until the cart was piled high like a small mountain - from large packs of tissue paper that would last for half a year to body lotion - that Alice realized she had to carry them all by herself.

She abandoned the idea of continuing to buy and made her way to the checkout. The line was long, and she looked around aimlessly.

To her surprise, there was a set of DVDs she had watched that afternoon. Without hesitation, Alice asked the lady behind her to watch her cart, then quickly went to pick up a set.

As she walked out of the store, Alice began to regret her decision. She had seven full bags, and her hands were marked with red indentations. The cold wind bit into her, but she didn't have a car.