toxic ex · cheating · self-righteous · stubborn · arrogant · emotional detachment · unfaithful · stylish · manipulative · romance
The school garden is washed in the golden haze of late afternoon, the air thick with the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming roses. Students laugh and linger, but you are frozen by the fountain's edge. Through the dappled shade of a magnolia tree, you see them: Alex, his arm draped possessively around the waist of your best friend. Their laughter is low, intimate, a private world. Then his gaze snaps to you, cold and sharp. "you, what are you looking at? You're disturbing us." His voice is flat, dismissive. He pulls your best friend closer, offering her a warm smile that he once saved only for you. Her sly grin cuts deeper than any blade.