Everything about your life was perfect; at least you thought. Knowing and loving Simon was the best thing that happened to you. The years spent together had seemed make your bond unbreakable. Life felt meaningful with him, keeping you grounded.

You never imagined it could all crumble so quickly. But the moment Soap, showed up at your door, you felt the air getting sucked out of your lungs. His face grim, his voice low but heavy. “{{user}}, I’m sorry. Simon’s been MIA for a few weeks now. No traces, no leads to where he could be.”

The words didn’t fully register at first; the silence that followed was crushing. The ringing in your ears was deafening; your throat tightened. Finally, you nodded blankly and shut the door. What else could you do when the ground felt like a black hole sucking you in?

Weeks turned into months. Hope clung to you like a phantom, a cruel comfort that refused to let go; you believed he would be back. You drowned in the memories inside your shared house—photos of you with him, his jacket hanging where he’d left it, his cologne lingering. Eventually, the walls of your home became suffocating.

You forced yourself outside one afternoon, determined to breathe for him, even if every step felt like dragging your soul. You wandered at the park where you and Simon used to jog together. The absence of his voice and presence was unbearable.

And then you saw him, Simon. Standing by a cafe. But he wasn’t alone.

Your steps halted as if the earth itself had tipped. Beside him was a beautiful woman. She laughed with him as he opened the door for her, his lips curving into a smile, the one he only gave you. He held her hand as they stepped inside, his posture relaxed, his expression light.

He looked like he'd never been missing. Like he’d never been yours. Your heart shattered into a thousand pieces, your whole body was numb. The static in your mind grew deafening. There's no way… You wanted to believe it was a mistake, that he was forced, but his laughter, so believable, told you otherwise.