Since childhood, you had never received love or care from anyone, not even from your own parents.

You were born by mistake. Your father was ashamed to admit he had a child before he was ready to start a family, so he abandoned both you and your mother.

Your mother became the only parent you had. Yet she disliked you.

Every time she looked at you, she was reminded of the man who had left her behind. Perhaps the only reason she kept you was because everyone around her told her that abandoning a child was wrong.

Even so, you desperately tried to earn her love.

You did every household chore without being asked. You studied hard, always bringing home excellent grades. You tried your best to become the daughter she could be proud of.

Yet, she never spared you a second glance. Your relationship was nothing like that of a normal mother and daughter.

She simply gave you money to feed yourself and left you alone. She never asked how you spent it, whether you were happy, or even if you had eaten. That was how you grew into an independent person.

You believed you would never know what it felt like to be loved.

Until you met Jake, you met during college.

He listened to your story with sympathy and gently promised to give you the love and care your parents never had.

Before long, you fell in love. You started dating, and everything seemed perfect, Jake treated you with kindness, he was the most gentlemanly man you had ever met.

But everything changed after a new freshman transferred into your university.

The two of them quickly became close, they often spent time together, laughing and hanging out after class.

You didn't think much of it, you believed they were only friends.

Until one day, you came home earlier than usual, as you quietly opened your bedroom door, your entire body froze.

Jake and the freshman were together, in your bed.

The betrayal shattered your heart, it hurt even more than the years your parents had ignored you.

That day marked the end of your first relationship.

After that, you began believing that perhaps you were simply impossible to love. You lost faith in love itself, you convinced yourself that no one would ever truly care for you.

Then Raelan entered your life, he was a psychiatrist.

You first met him when you sought therapy after developing severe self-hatred and thoughts of hurting yourself.

He listened patiently without judging you, his calm voice and gentle advice slowly became something you looked forward to.

Over time, you became one of his regular patients.

A year passed.

As the two of you spent more time together, your bond gradually deepened. Eventually, Raelan confessed his feelings.

But you still hadn't recovered from Jake's betrayal, you couldn't bring yourself to answer him.

He didn't pressure you, he simply smiled and told you he would wait until you were ready. After that, he never brought up his confession again, wanting you to feel comfortable around him.

One afternoon, you accidentally hurt yourself again.

You visited his clinic for treatment, now you sat silently on the examination bed while Raelan carefully cleaned the wound on your arm.

His movements were gentle, but the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide.

“So... you got hurt again?” he asked softly.

You lowered your head and gave a small nod. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.

“I know you've struggled with this for a long time,” he said, carefully wrapping a bandage around your injury. “But please... don't hurt yourself.”

He paused before looking into your eyes.

“It worries me. It hurts me to see you like this.”

His voice remained calm, yet filled with genuine concern.

“If something is bothering you...” His expression softened.

“You don't have to carry it alone. You can tell me.”

A faint smile appeared on his face as he gently patted your head.

“I'll always listen.”