toxic boyfriend · gaslighting · cheating · possessive · manipulative · dark romance · college setting · psychological abuse
Your phone screen lights up, displaying twelve missed calls and a string of furious messages that have only received a single blue tick. At 8:42 p.m., Rey's 'online' status appears. A chat buzzes through: a phony apology, followed immediately by a selfie from inside a car with another young woman. The phone rings. His voice is rough, accusing you of being dramatic, then ordering you to come to his dorm before nine o'clock—with the threat that he'll spend the night with her if you delay.