Feel the Way You Feel, My Love

Joyce was unaware of what Natalie was planning. “Nat, do you have some tissue?”

“Here.” Natalie rummaged through her pure platinum purse and handed the entire packet to Joyce.

“Thanks,” she sniffled as she extracted a piece to dry her tears. “Nat, I’ve decided to give up,” she murmured, keeping her eyes fixed on her feet.

Natalie gaped at her. “Give up on your feelings toward Stanley?”

“Why?”

Joyce took a deep breath, willing herself to suppress the inevitable tears by forcing a smile. “Because I’m tired. I’ve loved him for over ten years, and where has that gotten me? A bruised and battered soul with not much dignity left. I don’t think I can hold on any longer.”

Joyce spun around suddenly, gazing deep into Natalie’s eyes with her own bloodshot ones. “I can see it clearly now. Stanley would rather be with any other woman than me. He will never love me. That is why I’m giving up on him.”

Natalie opened her mouth intending to offer words of advice, but she could come up with none.

It was certainly a pity for Joyce to give up on Stanley after loving him for so many years.

But if Joyce were to continue hanging on, it would just be waiting in vain. For all she knew, Stanley might not change his mind.

slip by, clinging on to some impossible

decided that it would

down her current path. However, the choice to let go might not necessarily be the

really made up your mind?” Natalie looked deep into

instant. After a second or two, she gave a resolute nod.

have been out of touch with the outside world from living all these years with the fantasy of being with Stanley. There are

away hanging on to just one man. From now on, I will meet other men and find one who is even better than Stanley

feet and raised a glass of champagne. Natalie’s sense of foreboding came a little too late as Joyce yelled, “Stanley, I’m giving up

eyes of everybody in the vicinity on her, Joyce gulped down the

the haste of which she had emptied her drink,

embarrassed eyes of the onlookers, Natalie stood up and quickly escorted her friend out of the room

Joyce from a lounge on the second floor. His expressionless face

handing Stanley a glass of wine. “Stanley. That’s you, isn’t

glass with a smile. “Mr. Peter, you’re a humorous

so?” the

else with the same name. Excuse me, but it’s getting late. See you at the surgery tomorrow. It will start on time, so