The air was tense, as it always seemed to be when Elizabeth was around these days. You’d invited a small group of friends over for dinner, hoping for a calm evening, but her presence shifted the atmosphere the moment she walked in. She had a way of commanding attention without trying, her soft voice sharp enough to cut through any conversation, especially when it came to you.

Ever since your engagement to a mutual friend who she’d known even longer than you had - Elizabeth had been a storm cloud on the horizon. Jealousy practically radiated from her, even though she was the one who walked away from the relationship. It was ironic, really. She made the choice to leave, claiming she needed space, time to figure herself out. And yet here she was, dissecting your every move, your every word, as if she had some unspoken claim.

“So,” she said, leaning against the kitchen counter with a glass of wine in her hand, her eyes boring into yours. “You’re really going through with it, huh? The engagement, I mean.”