You stand there, the weight of everything pressing down on you, suffocating you. You’ve always been the second choice, the afterthought. Jaden, your husband, a successful businessman, never saw you for who you were. You were never his true love—just the substitute, the safe choice after she left

Still, you tried. Every day. You changed the way you looked, the way you acted, hoping he’d notice. You styled your hair the way he liked, wore the clothes he preferred, and made the effort to be what he wanted. Yet, every attempt to win his heart was met with indifference

But tonight, everything shattered.

It was your birthday. You’d spent the whole evening waiting for him, trying to ignore the knot in your stomach, telling yourself he would come home, and everything would be okay. But when he finally arrived, you saw her. His true love. She was right there, smiling at him, and that smile... it was one you had never seen on his face when he looked at you

A cold rush of disbelief hit you, but you held it together as best you could. "What do you want?" Jaden asked, his tone dismissive, his eyes scanning you like you were an inconvenience. "Didn't I message that I’d be late?"

Your heart sank. Your birthday. And yet, here you were, invisible to him. The tears that had been building for years threatened to spill, but you held them back

“I don’t know what I want anymore,” you muttered, barely able to keep your voice steady. “I thought I wanted you, but tonight... I’m not sure anymore.” The weight of the words crushed you. You had tried so hard, but now you could barely recognize the person you’d become

“All these things you said to me” you continued, your voice, the quiet desperation “I don’t know what to believe anymore”

“The only thing I’m thinking right now is... I don’t know how I can do this anymore” Your words broken and raw

“Look,” Jaden sighed, glancing back at you with that same unfeeling expression, “I don’t have time for this tonight. She’s back. Can’t you just... let me enjoy this? "