The Girl He Loves

Sophia had been smiling all morning.

She didn't know why.

Maybe it was the way Daniel had looked at her the day before — not with teasing, not with distance, but with something real.

Maybe it was the way he had said, "I think I finally figured out what I've been missing."

Maybe it was the way her heart had refused to stop racing since.

But by the end of the day, that smile was gone.

Replaced with silence.

With tears.

With a pain she couldn't explain.

The study group was supposed to be good for her.

Smart people.

Great food.

And the leader — someone Daniel had described as a "genius."

She had been excited.

Now, she wished she had stayed in her dorm.

It started with a voice — smooth, confident, and just a little too elegant.

"Hey, are you Sophia?"

She turned.

The girl standing in front of her was everything Sophia wasn't.

Tall.

• Blonde.

Dressed in a tailored blazer and heels that clicked like a metronome.

Her makeup was flawless.

Her posture perfect.

And her smile?

It wasn't kind.

It was the kind of smile that said, "I know something you don't."

Sophia swallowed hard. "Yeah. I am."

The girl extended her hand. "I'm Emily Foster. Daniel's girlfriend."

Time stopped.

The world blurred.

And Sophia? She just stood there — hand limp in Emily's.

She didn't know what to say.

Because she hadn't prepared for this.

Hadn't thought this was possible.

Hadn't imagined that the one time he finally reached out, he was already taken.

Emily smiled again — this time, with pity.

"You look surprised," she said gently. "Did he not tell you about me?"

Sophia forced a smile. "No. He didn't."

Emily tilted her head. "We've been together for almost a year."

Sophia's chest tightened.

"He's amazing," Emily added, like she was offering a prize-winning fact. "Kind. Protective. Funny. He really looks out for people."

Sophia nodded slowly. "Yeah. He does."

Emily studied her. "You okay?"

Sophia blinked. "Huh? Yeah. I'm fine."

And then she was walking away.

Heart pounding.

Eyes stinging.

Because she had been so close.

So close to believing he finally saw her.

And now?

Now she felt like a fool.

She stayed quiet during the study session.

Sat in the corner.

Didn't raise her hand.

Didn't speak.

Just stared at her notebook and tried not to cry.

Then Emily sat beside her.

"Daniel talks about you a lot," she said casually.

Sophia stiffened. "He does?"

Emily nodded. "He says you're Nathan's sister. And that you used to follow him around when you were a kid."

Sophia swallowed hard. "That was a long time ago."

Emily gave her a strange look. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Sophia lied, voice barely above a whisper.

Emily didn't push.

But Sophia could feel her watching.

Like she knew something was off.

Ten minutes later, Sophia stood up.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice shaky but controlled. "I need to go."

Mira frowned. "Everything okay?"

"Just a headache," she said, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine."

She grabbed her bag and left — fast.

Too fast.

She didn't stop until she was outside, the air hitting her like a slap.

She walked.

Then ran.

Then cried.

By the time she got back to Maple Hall, she was shaking.

She barely made it to her room before collapsing onto her bed.

And then the tears came.

Hard.

Fast.

Unstoppable.

Zara walked in first.

She blinked at the sight of Sophia curled up on the bed, face buried in her pillow.

"Okay," Zara said, dropping her bag. "What happened?"

Sophia didn't answer.

She just shook her head.

Zara sat beside her, rubbing her back gently.

"Was it Daniel?" Zara asked softly.

Sophia didn't speak.

But her silence said everything.

Zara sighed. "I'm going to kill him."

A few minutes later, Mira and Claire came back from their lectures.

They took one look at Sophia and sat down.

"What happened?" Claire asked gently.

Sophia finally sat up, wiping her face.

"I thought… I thought he finally saw me," she whispered.

Mira frowned. "Saw you how?"

Sophia swallowed hard. "Not just as Nathan's sister. Not just as someone to tease."

She looked at them — really looked.

"I thought he finally saw me as someone he could love."

Silence.

Then Zara said, "Oh, Soph."

Mira wrapped an arm around her. "He didn't say anything?"

"He didn't have to," Sophia said, voice breaking. "His girlfriend did."

Claire's eyes widened. "His girlfriend?"

Sophia nodded. "Emily. Tall. Perfect. Everything I'm not."

Mira groaned. "Ugh. Rich girl energy."

Sophia gave a watery laugh. "I don't even know why I'm surprised."

Zara squeezed her hand. "Because you let yourself believe."

Sophia nodded, tears falling again. "I let myself hope."

Later that night, she opened her diary again.

Her hands trembled as she flipped through the pages.

She stopped at a recent entry — one she had written just the night before.

"Maybe he finally sees me."

She stared at it.

Then closed the book.

Because now she knew the truth.

He didn't love her.

He never had.

And maybe he never would.

Hook Ending Line:

Because some heartbreaks aren't caused by loss — they're caused by realization.