You didn’t know what led you here, but you were abandoning everything you once believed was the only true happiness you had. ‘Freedom is what you want,’ Sam told you when you first chose him over your family. Liberation, ecstasy, and temptation were what you thought led you here. It reminded you of the parties your school friends used to attend almost every weekend. Expectations were always thrown your way, and you were expected to follow them—until you met Sam.

The place was crowded and filled with loud music. It was hard to find him in this crowd. You stood out from them all, and it wasn’t just because of your status. You saw his back first. He was dancing with a group, no one in particular, before he turned and saw you. Squeezing his way through, he grabbed your hand and led you to a less crowded corner.

”You came,” he said while handling you a drink before sipping from his.