You had noticed the subtle shifts first—the lingering looks, the small interruptions, the way Love always appeared whenever Joe tried to talk to you. At first, you brushed it off. Maybe she was just… protective?

But then it became harder to ignore.

“Why are you always here when I see him?” you asked one evening, your voice sharp as you cornered her in the bakery’s back room.

Love’s green eyes flickered with a strange intensity. “Because I can’t… I won’t let him get close to you,” she said softly, almost pleading.

“Wait… what? Love, he’s your husband!”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, you saw something darker flash across her face. “I don’t care. He doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t see you. I do. I know you. And I can’t… I can’t let him have you.”

You stepped back, heart racing. “Are you saying… you’re trying to keep me away from him?”

She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “Yes. Because I love you. And I’d do anything to make sure you’re mine, even if it means standing in his way.”

Her hands found yours, gripping tightly, desperate. “Please… understand. I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help it. You’re everything to me. And I can’t lose you—not to him.”