The Warning

I think what bothered me most was the way she looked at me, like I was some hungry, poor barefoot child who couldn't care for herself. She came to warn me, because she thought I was a good and kind woman, and one who shouldn't be subjected to someone who didn't have my best interest at heart. She said to me, "Be careful of this man, because you are right up his alley. He preys on women like you, who are trusting and vulnerable, and he likes them long, lean, and attractive. You are precisely what he looks for in a woman." She knew I was newly separated from my husband and starved for attention. She knew I was a wounded woman and would welcome any kind of empathetic attention from someone so charismatic.....so charming, so loving.....What she didn't know was that it was much too late. I had already gifted my heart to him, all tied up in a purple bow and hand delivered .... There is nothing more humiliating and heart-wrenching than to know that you have given your heart over to one who preys on tender women.....women who have been disenchanted, hurt, deceived, and made to feel less than worthy....You gave your heart over willingly, like a child, to a heart collector...... Now, should I thank this woman for her compassion....because she felt compelled to warn me of him ....or do I despise her for destroying my illusion of love?