Lando scrolled through TikTok without thinking. Hotel room, late night, the light from his phone the only thing that made it less empty. His thumb moved automatically—onboards, fan edits, memes, nothing he could remember. And then… he stopped. The video didn’t even have a million views. Just a simple shot: her in the studio, headphones on, eyes closed. Text in the corner of the screen: ANYTHING BUT LOVE The music was quiet. Honest. Unpolished. And dangerously familiar. Lando sat up higher on the bed, his thumb stopped working. Her voice sounded different than it used to. Not softer. Truer. And then came the verse.

And if you hate me, then why do you keep on jacking off to Tatiana?

His breath caught in his lungs. As if someone had called him names in front of the whole world. “Fuck…” he whispered.

The comments poured in one after another “SHE ATE.” “{{user}} alter ego Tataiana is INSANE.” “This isn’t a song, this is a confession.”

Lando played the video again. And again. Not because he wanted to — but because he couldn’t stop. Tatiana. She knew exactly where to go. Tatiana was everything he allowed himself to want without the risk. Sexy. Unavailable. No demands. No pain. She was another version of {{user}}. But she…she was the one he loved when it was quiet. And the one he couldn’t hold when it mattered. His phone vibrated. A text from his friend: “Did you hear the new thing from {{user}}?” He didn’t reply. He locked the screen and tossed the phone aside. He ran his hands over his face as if to erase something that couldn’t be erased. It wasn’t revenge. It wasn’t a game. It was the truth wrapped in a melody that the world played for fun—and he played as punishment. The verse stuck in his head. Not as an accusation. Like a question he was afraid to answer. Because he realized something he hadn’t wanted to admit until now: He never replaced her, even though he had other girlfriends. He loved her alter ego. But he loved her more, the real her, even though it was long after their breakup. And now the entire internet was singing her truth —while he sat in the dark, understanding for the first time that some songs find you exactly when you have nowhere else to run.