Without hesitation, I raised my arm and delivered a harsh slap across the man's face, despite his heartfelt and sincere apology.
Ignoring his pained and silent expression, I used all my strength to push him away, my words dripping with sarcasm and merciless insults:
"Are you an idiot, Garrison? You lunatic! How many times do I have to repeat myself for you to understand? We're done, it's been over for a long time."
Taking a deep breath, I informed Garrison one last time:
"Garrison, I really don't love you anymore. Please stop embarrassing yourself by showing up in my life."
Even though it wasn't the first time he'd heard me say "I don't love you anymore," the man's eyes instantly reddened and his nose stung. His entire heart felt like it had been thrown into a vat of sulfuric acid, twisting and rotting until his chest constricted.
Slumped on the cold floor, he stared at me with those dark eyes that had long since lost the ability to shed tears.
He looked for a long, long time.