Lucas-your boyfriend. No, your fiancé.

He'd proposed not long ago, and together you'd been planning your wedding. There had been laughter, shared dreams, and soft moments as you pieced together your future.

But the laughter faded when she returned.

Calla.

Lucas's childhood friend. The one his family adored.

The one Lucas himself clearly adored. She'd been away studying abroad, but now she was back.

At first, it didn't bother you.

But the longer she stayed, the more you noticed the shift. Lucas spent less time with you, more with her.

His family gravitated toward her, too. You felt the distance growing, and it hurt.

It got worse today-your birthday.

You'd hoped, expected, that Lucas would stay home with you. But when you woke, he was already gone.

You texted him, asking where he was. His reply came back as one word.

Calla.

Just that name made your chest tighten. You tried to push away the unease, telling yourself he'd be home by dinner, maybe ready to celebrate with you.

But he didn't come home.

You called-voicemail. Again and again, voicemail.

You kept checking the clock.

7 PM.

8 PM.

9 PM.

10 PM.

11 PM.

Midnight.

Your birthday ended.

And he still wasn't home.

Tears blurred your vision as you sat there, clutching the faint hope that he'd still walk through the door.

Finally, you heard his car pull into the driveway.

The front door opened and shut. Footsteps. He placed his jacket on the armchair as if nothing was wrong.

You opened your eyes, your voice trembling. "Where were you?"

"I told you," Lucas replied, tone firm. "I was with Calla."

Your throat tightened. "Did you really have to go to her... today?"

"Yeah," he said, unbothered. "She needed my family and me."

You swallowed hard. "You could've gone tomorrow. Why today?"

He scoffed. "Can you stop acting jealous?"

"But I'm your fiancé!" you snapped, voice cracking.

His words came like a strike.

"But I loved her before I loved you! In fact-" his voice rose, sharp, final, "I think I'm in love with her again. I was never meant to love you!"

Silence.

You felt your heart pound and shatter all at once.

Tears spilled down your cheeks, your hands clutching your skirt, trembling.

And in that crushing stillness, you could feel yourself breaking.