Freedom

The party was supposed to be small affair from the get-go, but Cynthia didn’t feel at all at home like she should have been. The stares and the whispers were much closer now as she clung to her couch seat, holding half a glass of champagne.

“How are you doing?” asked her close friend and also hostess of the party, Amy.

Cynthia caught the disgusted look of another brunette from across the room, “I’m beginning to second-guess myself. I really think I should go.”

Amy put a hand on the twenty-something’s shoulder. “No, don’t. The party just started.”

“But they all stare at me as if what I did was a crime,” she explained, “I’ve had girls giving me the stink eye all night.”

“Ignore them. They’re jealous because you look beautiful tonight and you are dating…” Cynthia sent a reminder look to her closest friend and she corrected herself. “…Were dating one of the biggest pop stars in all of South Korea.” Cynthia rolled her eyes.

“See you even you define me that way. All the more reason why I wanted this break. You make it all seem like I was nothing before him.”

Amy hugged the girl. “Don’t let labels get you down, Cyn. People can be stupid sometimes. I knew you before you met that chow mein guy…”

“Choi Minho,” she corrected.

“Whatever his name is, he doesn’t define you, Cyn. You define yourself.”

“How?”

“Well, by your actions,” Amy shrugged.

“But it was my actions that got me into this mess…” A group of girls had advanced on Cynthia and caused her to drop mid sentence. “Can I help you?”

“I just think it was a sour thing of you to do to lead Minho on. He’s so dreamy and any girl would die for a chance to be with him. And here you come to ruin all of that, pretending to be all into him and taking his heart when he gave his all to you. Any girl to step on the heart of a man, who publicly declares his love for her, deserves the most excruciating death,” said the blonde trio leader.

Cynthia fought the urge to grit her teeth at the girl and stood up to meet her. “I suggest you keep your threats and judgments to yourself, especially on things you don’t know a lot about.”

“Whatever,” shrugged the girl, “I’d just like you to know that as long as Minho’s heart is broken, you won’t go unscathed.”

Cynthia went to launch herself at the girl, but Amy grabbed her arm holding her back, “Oh yeah? I’ll take you on any day. You and your girls and whoever else wants to go!”

The girl chuckled, “Americans are such brutes. Girls.” She and her pack turned on their heels and disappeared back into the crowd.

Cynthia collapsed on the couch. “I see red.”

“I mean you did just threaten to beat up a girl over a guy,” supplied Amy. “I think that would cause any woman to see red.”

Cynthia handed the champagne glass over to her comrade. “I think its best if just leave now before I lose it on someone else. Clearly, I wasn’t ready to be in the public again.” She moved to stand.

“But Cyn—” Amy went to catch her friend’s wrist, but it slipped through her fingers. Cynthia continued to make her way to the door and suddenly stopped.

Her eyes had met with a familiar dark pair and her heart dropped.