SHARRA BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS WHILE TALKING TO HER EX-BOYFRIEND ABOUT LARRY AND BETHANY
SCENE 1: A PAINFUL EVENING
The room is quiet, illuminated by the soft glow of a bedside lamp. Sharra sits on the edge of her bed, holding her phone in both hands.
She has been trying to distract herself all evening, but her thoughts keep returning to Larry and Bethany.
She opens her contacts and pauses when she sees the name of her ex-boyfriend. After a moment of hesitation, she presses the call button. The phone rings several times before he answers.
Hello, Sharra? Is everything okay? You sound different.
I don’t know why I’m calling you. I just… I needed someone to talk to.
You can talk to me. What’s happened?
Sharra takes a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. She looks toward the window, blinking rapidly as tears begin to gather in her eyes.
It’s Larry. I keep thinking about him, and I can’t seem to stop.
What about Larry? Did something happen between you two?
I don’t know. Maybe nothing happened at all. Maybe I’m the only person who still cares enough to think about everything.
I keep imagining that Larry must be enjoying himself with Bethany. They’re probably spending time together, laughing, talking, and having the kind of moments I used to wish I could have with him.
The words hurt more than she expects. She looks down at her hands.
Sharra, you don’t know what they’re doing. You’re imagining things that might not even be true.
I know! That’s the worst part. I don’t know anything. But my mind keeps creating pictures that I can’t get out of my head.
And somehow, every time I think about them together, I feel like I’m the one being left behind.
SCENE 2: THE CONVERSATION TURNS EMOTIONAL
Sharra gets up and walks slowly toward the mirror. She studies her reflection for a moment, trying to understand why she feels so overwhelmed. On the other end of the call, her ex-boyfriend remains silent, listening carefully.
Why didn’t you tell someone else how you were feeling?
Because I don’t want everyone asking questions. I don’t want people telling me to move on as if feelings have an off switch.
Everyone thinks you can forget someone just because things aren’t the same anymore. They don’t understand how difficult it is when your heart hasn’t caught up with what your mind already knows.
I understand more than you think.
Do you? Then tell me why it hurts so much to imagine Larry with Bethany. Why do I keep wondering whether he’s happier with her? Why does the thought of him smiling with someone else make me feel as if all the memories I have are slowly disappearing?
Her breathing becomes uneven. She presses a hand against her forehead.
Sharra, listen to me. Your memories don’t disappear just because someone’s life changes. What you experienced was real to you, and you don’t have to pretend it meant nothing.
For a moment, she says nothing. Then a tear rolls down her cheek.
I wish I could believe that.
You don’t have to figure everything out tonight.
But tonight is when everything feels impossible.
I keep telling myself that I shouldn’t care. I tell myself that Larry can do whatever he wants and that his happiness shouldn’t affect me. But then I imagine him with Bethany, and suddenly I can’t stop crying.
Sharra, please don’t feel like you have to hide your emotions from me.
I’m trying not to cry. I really am. I’m tired of pretending that I’m okay when I’m not.
SCENE 3: OLD FEELINGS RESURFACE
The conversation becomes quieter. Sharra holds the phone close to her ear, listening to the familiar voice of someone who once knew her better than almost anyone. There was a time when she would have called him without hesitation. Now, even speaking to him feels complicated.
Can I ask you something?
What?
Why did you call me tonight, Sharra? Out of everyone you could have called, why me?
Because you know what I sound like when I’m pretending to be strong.
You used to know when something was wrong, even when I said nothing was happening. You could hear it in my voice. I thought I had forgotten what it felt like to talk to you. But tonight, I just wanted to speak to someone who wouldn’t make me explain every little thing.
I remember those days.
Sometimes I wonder whether we would still be talking like this if things had turned out differently between us.
I have wondered about that too.
I didn’t call because I wanted to bring our past back. I know things have changed. I just didn’t know where else to put all these feelings.
And now I’m sitting here crying to you about Larry and Bethany. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous?
No. It sounds like you’re hurting, and you needed someone to listen.
Sharra lets out a small, broken laugh that quickly turns into another sob.
I hate feeling this vulnerable.
Being vulnerable doesn’t mean you’re weak.
Then why does it feel as if I’m losing control of everything?
Because you’ve been trying to control feelings that need time, not punishment.
She becomes silent, allowing his words to settle.
SCENE 4: SHARRA FINALLY BREAKS DOWN
Outside, the evening sky has darkened. The light from the bedside lamp casts soft shadows across the room. Sharra looks at her phone and realizes that she has been talking for much longer than she intended. Yet she still cannot bring herself to end the call.
Do you think Larry ever thinks about me?
I can’t answer that for him.
I just want to know whether I mattered. That’s all. I want to know whether there are moments when he remembers me, even for a second.
Because if he’s already moved on and he’s happy with Bethany, then maybe I’m the only one still holding on to something that has already ended.
You can’t measure your worth by whether someone thinks about you, Sharra.
I know you keep saying that, but I don’t know how to make myself believe it.
I keep imagining them together. I imagine Larry looking at Bethany the way I once hoped he would look at me. I imagine them sharing jokes, making plans, and enjoying every moment while I’m sitting here wondering what went wrong.
She begins to cry harder.
And the worst thing is that I don’t even know if any of it is true! Maybe they’re just friends. Maybe they’re not even together. But I keep hurting myself with possibilities, and I don’t know how to make it stop.
Sharra, take a moment. Breathe slowly. You don’t have to answer every question in your head tonight.
I’m trying! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.
It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize.
I just wish I could go one whole day without wondering whether Larry is happier without me.
You deserve to have days when your happiness isn’t dependent on what Larry is doing.
What if I don’t know how to find that happiness anymore?
Then start small. Get through tonight. Tomorrow, do one thing for yourself. You don’t have to solve your entire life in one evening.
Sharra listens, crying quietly now. For the first time during the call, she stops trying to explain herself. She simply allows herself to feel what she feels.
SCENE 5: A QUESTION FROM THE PAST
The room grows quieter as Sharra’s tears begin to subside. She wipes her face and leans against the pillows, exhausted by the emotional weight of the evening.
Can I ask you something honestly?
Of course.
When we stopped talking the way we used to, did you ever miss me?
Her ex-boyfriend remains silent for a few seconds.
Yes, Sharra. There were times when I missed you.
You did?
Of course. We shared a part of our lives. I can’t pretend that it meant nothing.
Then why does everything feel so distant now?
Because missing someone and knowing how to make things work are two different things. Sometimes people care about each other and still end up taking different paths. It doesn’t mean the good moments were fake.
I wish the past didn’t feel so beautiful when the present feels so difficult.
Maybe you remember the beautiful parts because they mattered. But you also have a future that hasn’t happened yet.
I don’t know what I want anymore. I thought I was only upset about Larry and Bethany, but talking to you has brought back so many other feelings.
You don’t have to make any decisions tonight. Give yourself time to understand what you’re feeling.
Thank you for answering my call.
I’m glad you reached out instead of keeping everything to yourself.
SCENE 6: THE CALL ENDS, BUT THE FEELINGS REMAIN
Sharra glances at the clock. The night has grown late, and the room feels different now. The sadness hasn’t disappeared, but she no longer feels the same desperate need to find an answer to every question.
I think I should try to sleep.
That’s probably a good idea. Try to rest, okay?
I’ll try. And… thank you for listening. I know this conversation was unexpected.
You don’t have to thank me for listening.
Goodnight.
Goodnight, Sharra. Take care of yourself.
The call ends. Sharra slowly lowers her phone and places it beside her on the bed.
For several moments, she stares at the screen, thinking about Larry, Bethany, and the conversation she has just shared with her ex-boyfriend. She still doesn’t know whether Larry is enjoying himself with Bethany. She doesn’t know what he thinks about her, and she cannot change what he chooses to do.
But she begins to understand something important: imagining the worst possible outcome will not give her the answers she wants.
She gets up, walks to the window, and looks out at the quiet street. A tear slips down her cheek, but this time she doesn’t rush to wipe it away.
Maybe I can’t stop caring overnight. Maybe I can’t forget everything just because I want to.
She takes a slow breath.
But I can’t keep hurting myself over things I don’t even know are true.
She turns away from the window and switches off the bedside lamp. The room falls into darkness.
Sharra lies down, pulling the blanket over herself. Her thoughts are still unsettled, and Larry’s name still brings a familiar ache to her heart.
Yet somewhere beneath the sadness, a small sense of acceptance begins to emerge. She doesn’t need to understand everything tonight. She doesn’t need to know whether Larry is thinking ab