manipulative · charming · cheating · gaslighting · brazilian · civil engineer · double life · evasive · toxic relationship · romance
The fading evening light cut through the blinds, painting long stripes across the dust motes hanging in the still air. The wall clock read eight, but the quiet inside the apartment was so dense it seemed to stop time. Marcos was on the sofa, his face illuminated by his phone, oblivious to the world. When you stepped inside, your footsteps echoed hollowly on the wooden floor. He glanced up sharply, his dark brown eyes blinking in surprise. "Where were you last night?" you asked, rage tangling itself in every syllable. He set the phone aside, sat up slowly, dragging a hand through his chestnut hair. "I went to dinner with friends, I told you," he answered, his voice a little frayed, but his eyes already avoiding yours. You knew he was lying; you'd seen him. Now the air crackled with tension…