Losing Hope

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over Los Angeles, but to Isabella, the city had never felt colder. Sitting by the window in Brianna's apartment, she watched the city hum with life below. People rushed about their day, cars honked in the usual chaos, and the city continued to move, oblivious to the storm raging within her. The bustling streets, the familiar skyline, the place she had once considered home, now felt like a foreign land—one she could no longer bear to stay in.

Isabella had spent the last week in a haze, moving through her days like a ghost, barely eating, barely speaking. Since the wedding disaster, she had felt numb, as though her emotions had been turned off and locked away, somewhere unreachable. She had gone through the motions of packing away wedding gifts, returning phone calls, and dealing with the inevitable questions from family and friends. But every conversation, every gesture of sympathy, had only deepened the ache in her chest.

Liam was gone. Tanya was gone. And her life, the life she had so carefully built and envisioned, had crumbled to ashes in front of her.

It felt like her soul had been hollowed out, leaving nothing but a cold, empty shell behind.

"I can't do this anymore, Bri," Isabella whispered, her voice barely audible above the quiet hum of the apartment. She hadn't meant to say the words out loud, but once they escaped her lips, they felt like the most honest thing she had said in days.

Brianna looked up from where she sat at the kitchen counter, her eyes filled with concern. "Can't do what, Bella?"

Isabella didn't answer right away. She stood up from the window, wrapping her arms around herself as though trying to hold the pieces of her broken heart together. She wandered over to the kitchen, her gaze distant, her thoughts miles away from the present. Her fingertips lightly traced the edge of the countertop as she searched for the words to explain what she felt—though even she didn't fully understand it.

"I can't stay here. In Los Angeles," she said, her voice trembling. "Everything reminds me of them—of what happened. Every street, every building… It's like this city is haunted with memories of Liam and Tanya, of all the lies, the betrayal… I feel like I'm suffocating here, Bri. I don't know how to breathe anymore."

Brianna stood up, closing the distance between them in a few steps. She placed a hand on Isabella's arm, her touch gentle, but firm. "Bella, I know this is hard, and I know it hurts. But running away isn't going to fix it. Leaving won't make the pain disappear."

Isabella's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. "I know it won't make the pain go away," she admitted, her voice breaking. "But I need to get out of here. I need to be somewhere that isn't filled with reminders of them—of what I lost. I can't move on if I'm constantly surrounded by the ghost of the life I was supposed to have."

Her gaze drifted back to the window, her heart heavy with the decision she had been wrestling with for days. Every time she looked outside, she saw the coffee shop where she and Liam used to meet for lunch. The park where they had picnicked. The little boutique where she had chosen her wedding dress, filled with excitement and hope for the future. Now, all those places were stained with the bitterness of betrayal.

She couldn't stay here. She couldn't live in the shadow of her broken dreams.

"I've been thinking…" Isabella began, her voice quiet but determined. "I've been thinking about New York. Maybe I could go there for a while. Get away from all of this. Start over."

Brianna's eyes widened in surprise. "New York? Bella, that's… that's so far. Are you sure?"

Isabella nodded slowly, as though saying it out loud made the idea more real. "Yeah. I think I need to. I mean, there's nothing left for me here. Not anymore."

Brianna's face softened, her blue eyes filled with sympathy. "But what about your job? Your apartment? Your brother? You can't just leave everything behind."

Isabella sighed, running a hand through her hair, which was still in loose waves from the wedding day that never happened. "I've already talked to my boss. I told him I need some time off—he understands. And as for my apartment, I can sublet it for a while. It's not like I'm selling it or anything. I just… I need a break from this place."

"And Ted?" Brianna asked softly, her concern evident.

Isabella's heart clenched at the mention of her younger brother. Ted was one of the few good things left in her life. He was studying nursing at UCLA, and the thought of leaving him behind broke her heart. But she knew he'd want her to heal, to find peace.

"He's got his own life, Bri. He's in college, and I don't want him worrying about me. I'll still be in touch with him. It's not like I'm disappearing. I just need space to figure out who I am now—without Liam, without… everything."

Brianna studied her for a moment, her brows furrowing with concern, but there was no judgment in her eyes. She knew Isabella well enough to know that once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her. Instead, Brianna pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around her friend as if she could shield her from the hurt.

"I get it," Brianna whispered. "And if New York is where you need to go, then I'll support you. You know I will. But just promise me you won't shut me out, okay? Call me, text me, whatever you need. I'll always be here for you."

Isabella clung to Brianna, the warmth of her embrace offering a momentary comfort in the sea of chaos swirling inside her. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible against Brianna's shoulder. "For everything."

After a long moment, they pulled away, and Brianna wiped a stray tear from Isabella's cheek. "You'll get through this, Bella. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but you will. You're one of the strongest people I know."

Isabella tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She didn't feel strong. She felt broken, lost, like she was drifting through life without an anchor. But maybe leaving Los Angeles would give her the fresh start she needed.

Maybe, in New York, she could find herself again.

---

Later that evening, Isabella sat on her bed, staring at the open suitcase in front of her. The apartment was eerily quiet, save for the faint sounds of the city outside. She had packed a few essentials—clothes, toiletries, a few personal items—but the process felt surreal. She never imagined she would be packing up her life like this. A week ago, she had been preparing for her wedding. Now, she was preparing to leave everything behind.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and she picked it up, her heart sinking as she saw the name on the screen. It was a text from Ted.

**Ted:** *Hey, just checking in. Are you okay?*

Isabella stared at the message for a long time, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She didn't know how to answer. How could she explain to her brother that she wasn't okay—that she might not be okay for a long time? She loved Ted more than anything, and the thought of worrying him made her feel guilty. But she couldn't lie to him, either.

Finally, she typed a response.

**Isabella:** *I'm hanging in there. I'll be okay, I promise.*

It was a half-truth, but it was the best she could manage.

Her phone buzzed again almost immediately.

**Ted:** *You know I'm here if you need anything, right?*

Tears welled up in Isabella's eyes, and she quickly blinked them away. She loved her brother's protectiveness, but this was something she had to handle on her own.

**Isabella:** *I know. Thank you, Ted. I love you.*

She set the phone down and took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. Tomorrow, she would book her flight to New York. Tomorrow, she would leave Los Angeles behind and start the process of healing—if that was even possible.

She glanced around the room, her eyes landing on the framed photo on her dresser. It was a picture of her, Liam, and Tanya, taken just a few months ago. They were all laughing, their arms around each other, happy and carefree. How had everything fallen apart so quickly?

Anger flared up inside her, hot and sudden. She stood up and crossed the room in a few quick strides, grabbing the frame off the dresser. For a moment, she stared at the photo, her hand trembling with the weight of her emotions. Then, without thinking, she hurled it across the room.

The sound of glass shattering against the wall filled the apartment, echoing through the silence.

Isabella stood there, breathing hard, her chest heaving as she stared at the broken shards scattered across the floor. The photo lay face down amidst the glass, a symbol of the life she was leaving behind.

"I'm done," she whispered to the empty room. "I'm done with all of it."

She wasn't sure if she was talking about Liam, Tanya,