I sat in the bathtub whilst the scorching hot water poured down on the entirety of my body. On most days the heat of the water would bother me; today the pain of my feelings overpowered and numbed the physical pain. The events of the night before replayed in my head over and over again. Walking home had been a difficult task- it was supposed to be an innate movement, yet it wasn’t. To me, it was a burden.

Yesterday: Melanie woke up with a look of pure happiness on her face. She walked towards the bathroom to freshen up and looked into the mirror. Her reflection was vibrant - it suggested she was ready to go on her date. The man on the other side of the screen had been meticulous in convincing her to meet at an Italian restaurant. Her monthly paycheck was not enough to facilitate fancy meals at the high end, so she agreed to meet up. The factor that influenced her decision had been looking inside her fridge to discover how empty the interior was and the intense pain in her abdomen.

A few hours before the date, Melanie decided to wear classy yet formal clothing for her dinner with ' Thomás'. She put on her sleek black dress and a few pieces of her thrift store jewellery. Her choice of footwear did not fit into her description of herself- a failed artist with a job as a receptionist. Her Dolce and Gabbana heels hinted at a more affluent female: the absolute opposite of what Melanie Yavec was. However, she wanted to convince Thomás, she was a thriving businesswoman who owned an art gallery.