Alice thought she’d found the one. Greg was charming, attentive, and made her feel special. After nine months of dating, he proposed, and she said yes without hesitation. Their relationship had been filled with sweet gestures—notes on his windshield, surprise cookies, forehead kisses. So when his birthday came around, Alice poured her heart into a handmade scrapbook filled with memories, inside jokes, and love.
Greg seemed touched when she gave it to him. He hugged her, praised the effort, and even placed it on his living room shelf for all to see. Alice felt seen, cherished. But that illusion shattered days later.
During a casual hangout with Greg’s college buddies, one asked about his birthday gifts. Alice, in the kitchen, smiled, expecting him to show off the scrapbook. Instead, she heard laughter. Greg waved the scrapbook around like a joke, mocking it as “middle school relationship core.” Then, in front of everyone, he tossed it in the trash.
Alice froze. Her heart sank. She forced a smile, not wanting to be “too sensitive.” But inside, she was devastated. That night, she cried harder than she had in years. She questioned herself, wondering if she’d embarrassed him. But deep down, she knew: Greg didn’t value her.
The next evening, they attended a gathering at Greg’s friend Mark’s apartment. Mark seemed distant, watching Alice with quiet concern. Then, in front of everyone, he stood up and held the scrapbook in his hands.
“I found this in your trash,” he said to Greg. “You threw away something she made with love. You humiliated her for a cheap laugh. You didn’t just insult a gift—you insulted her.”
The room fell silent. Greg stammered, trying to defend himself, but Mark wasn’t having it. “You don’t deserve her,” he said. “You spit on something beautiful. And that makes you the biggest fool I know.”
Alice left alone that night. Greg tried to apologize, but she was done. “People who love you don’t humiliate you,” she told him. “We’re over.”
Months passed. Alice healed, rediscovered herself, and focused on her studies. Then, fate intervened. At a coffee shop, she ran into Mark. He confessed he’d been in love with her since the day they met—but stayed silent out of respect. He’d kept the scrapbook, unable to let something so meaningful be discarded.
They talked for hours. Slowly, they began seeing each other. Mark cherished every note, every doodle, every moment. And Alice realized: sometimes heartbreak is the universe’s way of clearing the path to someone who truly sees your worth.
Greg lost her. Mark found her. And that, Alice thought, was the sweetest revenge of all.
