Bathroom: My Built-in Toxic Friend

 

The woman's biggest dream had finally come true: to remodel the home her grandparents left her. After years of saving and pinching pennies, she had finally made it happen.

She had hired contractors to bring her modern, classic vision to life. Though the process was gruelling, she savoured every moment.

The results exceeded her expectations. It was everything that she had ever dreamed of in a home. The kitchen island, the coffee corner, the reading nook, and her favourite, the hotel-style en-suite bathroom.

It encompassed every detail you could dream of. A shower cabin with a built-in bench for shaving. A bidet. Twin sinks, even though she lived alone. And ample storage. Yet the space's highlight was the sleek half-body mirror, framed by luminous lights around its edge. Inexplicably, she found a strange power in seeing herself reflected so vividly.

A shiver of excitement coursed through her when she thought about the spa days she'd enjoy there. She stepped closer to the mirror, eager to remove the protective film and inspect her reflection.

But her joy quickly faltered. She couldn't help but focus on her blemishes and the softening curve of her chin. She chastised herself for indulging in dessert after last night's dinner, as she promised to cut back.

When she blinked, something changed.

Her reflection didn't blink back. It didn't move at all.

It stood frozen, staring straight into her eyes.

She stared back, unable to look away.

"They say that friends are the family you choose, but unlike with family, you have the luxury of cutting them off when you're incompatible. Because of this, the ones that remain are truly special. They have chosen you, and you have chosen them. You're there for each other through thick and thin. Another beautiful thing about friendships is that you can have as many as your heart desires. You may have a friend for the parties, one for the gym sessions, another for stimulating debates, and so on. If you're really lucky, you may have one you can do it all with. We are complex beings, capable of connecting with people of different personalities, norms, and values. This is probably why the combination of your friend groups at your birthday gathering was so chaotic. Only one friend can encompass everything your ideal friend has, and that is me.

Our connection is one of a kind simply because no one knows your soul the way I do. Even though you are my very own dream friend, you are everything that a real friend isn't, because as much as I try to build myself up, you tear me down.

As much as I say how beautiful I am, you tell me how ugly I am.
As much as I say how intelligent I am, you tell me how moronic I am.
As much as I say how strong I am, you tell me how weak I am.
As much as I long for companionship, you isolate me.
As much as I take care of myself, you neglect me.
As much as I praise myself, you berate me.
As much as I appreciate myself, you take me for granted.
As much as I believe in myself, you doubt me.
As much as I make myself laugh, you make me cry.

You would never think to say half the things you say to me to your worst enemy, let alone a friend, so why me? They say that comparison is the thief of joy, right? Perhaps that's the culprit. Even so, it's a futile battle because I'm quite certain that I'm not the only one with this horrid friend inside of them. Unlike your other friends, I'm the one friend who can't be cut off. Be the friend to me that you are to others."

The woman's reflection stilly looked into her eyes before snapping back to normal.

The woman stumbled back from the mirror, her chest heaving rapidly. The silence in the room was deafening. Nothing could be heard except the faint hum of the lights around the mirror. Her trembling hands reached up to her face, anticipating her reflection to rebel again, but it didn't. It moved with her, obedient and unremarkable, just as it always had.

Her eyes slowly scanned her facial features, lingering on every imperfection that had once seemed disastrous. Nothing had changed, but something within her had. The words from her reflection replayed in her mind like an echo in an empty hall.

Be the friend to me that you are to others.

She closed her eyes for a moment and stepped closer, leaning into the mirror as if to get a better look at the stranger she had been treating herself as. This time, instead of searching for flaws, she let her eyes fall on the things she had overlooked for years: the way her lips were naturally lined and curled into a slight smile, the determination etched in her full brows, the glimmer of hope and resilience in her deep brown eyes.

"I'll try," she whispered, her voice barely audible, unsure if she was making a promise to the mirror or herself.

The lights around the mirror seemed to flicker for a brief moment, but it was probably just her imagination. With one last glance at her reflection, she turned away, leaving the bathroom.

 

Listen to the story below.