“It’s over.” She said bluntly looking at the man before her that now stared at her in shock and disdain.

“Wh-what?” He stuttered. “You heard me. I’m ending things between us. And I am sure you don’t mind honestly since.. Well.” She held up her phone to him. On the screen showed the man speaking with someone. “‘ I have her practically wrapped around my finger. Trust me. Right after I’m done with her, we’ll be able to make the transaction and-’” she turned her phone off seeing the man starting to glare at her.

He got the idea.

She looked at him, expressionless. “You… you bit-” She held her hand up cutting him off. “Am I really? I mean, honestly, don’t you think you’re the bad guy here?” she said before smirking. “Besides that, change of topic a bit, you thought I was wrapped around your finger? Really?” she crossed her arms and leaned on one leg proudly. “Hm. I must be getting better at acting.”

He scoffed and turned away. “Right. Cause you aren’t hurt at all or feel betrayed. You loved me, don’t lie.”

She raised a brow behind his back then stepped in front of him. Tears in her eyes. “Jeremy.. Please, tell me it’s a lie. Tell me you didn’t actually use me!” she said in a shrilled and sad voice. Jeremy looked at her confused for a moment. She smiled and he frowned before stomping off. “Stupid little..” “See you!” She said smiling big as she waved him off.

Even if I were hurting, I wouldn’t let anyone see. Let alone someone like you.

My name is Noelle Calivanna. I’m an heiress I guess you may say. My family is wealthy, and we own many businesses. We’re the Calivanna Tech Company. And my father, Alister Calivanna, wants me to marry sooner rather than later. My mother, Alaine Calivanna, wants me to find love in my life soon. I am twenty-two, five foot two, and I don’t believe in love.

Have you ever played those games where if you put two things together, it tells you how well it’ll work out for you? Like those card games where when you have armor on and it’ll tell you your players levels of how much they can take and their strength. Well, when I think of “love” and relationships, I always think of it like that. 

One, not real, just a game. And two, when you have two people enter a relationship, there is already a certain amount of time for how long they’ll last. If they spend a lot of time together, the time gets used up sooner, and the relationship ends sooner. When they don’t spend all the time up at once, it lasts longer. Saying the last part, I see how that theory could be a bit off, but it's close.

However, there is one thing I know for sure. All relationships end in one of two ways. Breakup, or divorce. That is, if death doesn’t end it first. And that makes me think, they say “till death do you part” so after they die, they are no longer married. That also seems like a messed up ending to a relationship. Like divorce.

In all honesty, I think it’s fake. It isn’t real. Love is an excuse to explain what people want. What they want is companionship. What they feel is simply lust. What is the meaning of the title boyfriend or girlfriend? What is the meaning of “dating”?

It’s possession. A way for people to feel safe for having lust for another.

It’s like ownership. Saying “this is my boyfriend” or “this is my girlfriend” is just another way to tell people “this person belongs to me, and you cannot touch or talk to them the same way I do. You cannot give them your lust like I can”. That’s what it is.

I always thought like this. It became more of a fact to me that all of “love” comes to an end in a negative way when I was in my freshman year of high school. They told us in health class how rates have gone up from fifty to seventy-five percent of marriages end in divorce.

And when you look at my family, you’d understand how easy it is to believe it. My mother married two men. She had my eldest brother and I with the first man, and my youngest brother with another. My biological father left a long before I was old enough to remember. The man I now know as my father has married three times, and has dated more till he met my mother. I have four aunts. One has only had a few relationships, all of which ended. Another married, and had my eldest cousin with one man, and divorced. As well as dated other women after that. Another hasn’t really dated much because she’s too busy with work. And the last one proves most of all. She married, and had my three youngest cousins. They are in a divorce as well, and he plays around with her still, and talks about wanting to date someone else.

So when my parents told me to marry, I knew why I was scared, and upset. Love isn’t real. Lust is.