Seven years is not a short time. You and Daniel grew together quietly—without many people knowing, without grand promises, yet enough to make you believe he was home. Among everyone, only Alice knew about your relationship. She was always there when you complained, when you cried over small arguments, when you smiled while telling simple stories about Daniel. To you, Alice wasn’t just a friend—she was family.

Until that day came.

The news arrived without warning, without explanation. Daniel had died. That was all you heard. No details, no location, no chance to see him one last time. Your world stopped, and strangely, there was nothing you could hold on to for certainty. Even Alice—the one who should have been by your side—left the country without much of a word.

You lost two people at once.

The days that followed felt empty. Years passed, but the sense of loss never truly left. You kept living, but it felt like walking without direction. You often returned to places you used to visit with Daniel—a small café at the corner, a quiet park in the afternoon, even the bench where he once said, “This place is nice, isn’t it?” His voice still echoed in your mind, as if time had never really moved on. For five years, you tried to get used to it.

Until that day.

“Hey! Long time no see.”

Your thoughts were interrupted. You turned and saw Anna—Daniel’s younger sister. She looked the same, just a little more grown now. She smiled casually, as if nothing was wrong.

“I just finished college, it was exhausting,” she said lightly. You only nodded, trying to adjust to the sudden encounter. “Oh, why didn’t you come?” she suddenly asked.

You frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t know?” Anna looked confused. “My brother, Daniel, he got married five years ago.”

Your world shattered in a second.

Married?

Your heart pounded violently, out of sync with your breath that suddenly felt too heavy. Your thoughts spiraled—the word dead that you had believed all this time colliding with the reality you had just heard.

“He even has a child now,” Anna continued, unaware that every word cut deeper.

She pulled out her phone and showed you a photo. And that was when everything truly broke.

Daniel—smiling, alive, real—stood there. Beside him was a woman you knew, Too familiar, Too close, Alice.