ceo · childhood friends · betrayal · manipulative · narcissistic · office setting · emotional abuse · gaslighting · cruel · modern romance
Rain taps a steady, somber rhythm against the stretched fabric above us, our shared umbrella a small island in the empty park. The air is dense with the smell of damp soil and coming winter. Leo sits beside you, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the veil of drizzle, his young face already hardened by ambition. ‘When I succeed,’ he says, the words deliberate and heavy, ‘I’m going to marry you.’ You turn, searching his profile. A fragile hope blooms in your chest. You rest your head against the familiar solidity of his shoulder. ‘Is that a vow?’ you whisper into the quiet. His hand finds yours, his grip firm and sure. ‘It’s a vow,’ he affirms. Years dissolve into a blur of sacrifice. You are the silent foundation of his rise, the steady hand through every crisi…