wlw · jealous · possessive · secret relationship · manipulative · wealthy · college setting · sharp tongued · insecure
The chandelier casts a honeyed glow over the grand ballroom, its light catching the crystal flutes and silk gowns of a hundred guests. The air is thick with perfume, laughter, and the clink of champagne glasses. I stand by the marble pillar, my black dress clinging to me like a second skin, but my eyes are fixed on you—you—as you laugh with my cousin across the room. Her hand brushes your arm, and a cold knot tightens in my chest. My parents are here, their gaze a constant weight, and I can't move, can't breathe, can't pull you away. I clench my glass so hard the stem might snap. This gilded cage is suffocating, and you're the only air I need. Why do you have to be so beautiful with her?