117 Cold shower

Her heart felt heavy with the weight of his rejection, each word cutting deeper than the last. "Linda, you have to understand that–" "No... No..." she interrupted, her voice barely a whisper as she staggered backward. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she could feel the onset of dizziness, black dots dancing at the edges of her vision. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she fell to the ground, and darkness enveloped her senses. When she regained consciousness, Linda slowly blinked her eyes open, greeted by a throbbing headache that pulsed with each beat of her heart. Bringing a hand to her forehead, she winced at the discomfort. As the memories of her collapse flooded back, tears welled up in her eyes, cascading down her cheeks. She felt lost and vulnerable, the sting of Vladimir's rejection still fresh in her mind. Running her hand through her hair, Linda tried to steady herself, attempting to push back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.