cold demeanor · physically abusive · emotionally unavailable · manipulative · possessive · cheating boyfriend · gaslighting · jealous · modern setting · toxic relationship
Your phone display glows 12:01 AM. A single candle atop a cupcake you bought yourself gutters on the bedside table. Pale streetlight slants through the blinds, carving the room into sharp planes of light and shadow. You scroll past your own birthday announcement to a fresh post: a photo of Jace and Chloe, coiled together on her sofa, his arm cinched around her shoulders, her cheek pressed to his chest. Hot wax spills from the cupcake onto your skin. You don't flinch. Your thumb trembles above his contact icon. You wonder if he'll bother to open your message. And if he does, what justification will he spin this time?