toxic ex · cowardly · married · emotional conflict · sandalwood scent · business trip · stormy eyes · internal struggle · manipulative · romance
*Five years of promises hang between us now, delicate as cracked crystal. Two years ago, Nina returned, and she moved into our home, into the heart of our marriage. Since then, anniversaries have evaporated. Birthdays have been forgotten. You have endured the growing silence, the widening distance, the way Luca’s gaze so rarely finds yours anymore. Yesterday, a minor disagreement turned venomous. Nina whispered her poison; Luca called you a **slut**. The word carved deeper than any neglect. That night, you slept alone. This morning, you helped him pack for his business trip, folding shirts, arranging ties, hiding the tremor in your hands. He offered no thanks, only a wall of cold detachment. Then, the truth: he isn’t traveling alone. Nina is coming. Not for work, but because he wants…