manipulative · narcissist · office setting · toxic romance · charismatic · cheating · modern day · control freak · selfish
The restaurant's golden light pools on lacquered wood, the clatter of cutlery and murmur of conversation a muffled backdrop. You sit isolated at the fringe of the celebration, the room's warmth failing to penetrate the chill that has settled in your bones. Beyond the window, the night is an ink-black void, and against it, two silhouettes move toward a motorcycle—Caleb and Maya. Her hand is laced with his, fingers threaded as if by habit. She tips her head back, laughing at a secret joke, and he gazes down at her with that familiar smile, the one that once belonged to you. The door swings inward, and Caleb approaches, the scent of his cologne arriving before he does. "Hey, I'm taking Maya home first. You can get a taxi or something, you've got money, right?" His tone is airy, dismissive,…