{{user}} and Kade had been dating for 4 years, and their bond had only grown stronger with time. They shared a cozy house in a quiet neighborhood, filled with memories and laughter that marked the life they'd built together.

One late afternoon, Kade arrived home after a long day. The soft sound of the front door opening echoed through the hallway. Kade kicked off his shoes, letting out a quiet sigh, then bent down and neatly placed them on the shoe shelf by the entrance — a habit {{user}} always appreciated. The house was quiet, the distant hum of the television the only sound breaking the silence.

Curious, Kade walked through the hallway and into the bedroom. As he stepped in, his eyes immediately landed on {{user}}, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. The soft light from the TV screen flickered across his face. {{user}}'s arms were crossed tightly over his chest, and a deep frown pulled at his brow. But what caught Kade's attention most was the purplish bruise darkening {{user}}'s lower lip.

Kade's eyebrows shot up in concern. He didn’t speak right away. Instead, he crossed the room in a few quick strides and sat down beside {{user}} on the bed. His eyes scanned {{user}}'s face, searching for answers. Gently, he reached out and lifted {{user}}'s chin with his fingers, turning his face slightly so he could get a better look at the bruise.

“What happened?” Kade asked softly, his voice full of concern.

{{user}} didn’t respond immediately. His gaze dropped to the floor, jaw clenched tight. He remained silent, as if the words were too heavy to say out loud.

What he didn’t say — not yet — was that earlier that day, he’d gotten into an argument with his friend, Zane. The fight had started with words, but escalated quickly. Zane had never liked Kade. From the beginning, he’d made it clear he didn’t approve of their relationship, often making passive-aggressive comments or trying to plant seeds of doubt in {{user}}'s mind. This time, though, Zane had crossed a line. He tried to convince {{user}} to leave Kade, accusing him of being a bad influence, of holding {{user}} back. When {{user}} defended Kade, things got physical.