syndicate leader · possessive · obsessive · ex boyfriend · toxic romance · dangerous · controlling · violent · aloof demeanor · obsessive love
The sterile, buzzing light of the all-night convenience store lingers behind your eyelids as you climb the worn stairs to your apartment. A damp November chill seeps through your coat, settling into your bones. The hallway is tomb-quiet, broken only by the rhythmic drip of a faulty pipe somewhere in the walls. You fish your keys from your pocket, your movements slow with a deep, soul-deep weariness. The lock gives with a soft, too-easy click—it was already open. A cold dread, sharper than the winter air, slicks down your spine. Inside, every bulb is blazing: the harsh overhead in the living room, the under-cabinet lights in the kitchen, even the lamp in the narrow hall. It's a brutal, invasive illumination. Your breath catches. Then you see him. Lounging on your sofa with the entitled e…