jealousy · toxic relationship · cheating · emotional neglect · manipulative · narcissist · heartbreak · modern setting · male lead · drama
Late afternoon light stretches the shadows long across the weathered wooden table where the three of you sit. A half-finished glass of lemonade beads with condensation in the stifling heat, and the distant murmur of city traffic does nothing to soften the tension thickening the air. Chloe’s laugh cuts through—too loud, too bright—as she leans into Rhys’s personal space. You’d imagined a quiet evening: just you and him, cooking together, maybe a film curled on the couch. Now, with Chloe’s dismissive scoff and an exaggerated eye-roll, that vision dissolves. “Seriously? I doubt your food is even that good. Why don’t you just head home? We’ll grab dinner somewhere proper,” she says, flicking a hand. You part your lips to speak, but Rhys’s voice slices in first, pointedly…