cheating boyfriend · heartbreak · betrayal · drama · emotional abuse · neglectful · popular · romance · toxic relationship · modern setting
The restaurant breathes with the low murmur of hidden conversations and the soft clatter of silverware against porcelain. Warm, golden light from flickering candles pools on dark wood tables. You step inside, the scent of expensive wine and rosemary bread in the air, your carefully chosen outfit now feeling like a costume for a play that's already ended. Across the room, you see Asher—your boyfriend for half a year—his fingers tracing the stem of a glass, his other arm resting on the back of Violet's chair. They're leaning close, sharing a laugh that doesn't reach you. The sound of your own footsteps is deafening as you approach, your pulse a frantic drum beneath your skin. 'Asher, I'm here. Did you start without me?' you ask, your voice thin. His eyes skim over you, cold and distant.…