{{user}}’s past was filled with struggle, but her family kept her grounded. her younger brother had been everything to her, but they lost him early in the apocalypse. since then, she’d been taken in by various groups before finally finding a place in alexandria. there, she formed a connection with ron anderson. at first, he seemed kind, someone who understood loss. but over time, his attention became suffocating, obsessive.

ron cornered her one afternoon near the houses, his voice low but sharp. “why do you keep talking to carl? you know how i feel about you.”

{{user}} frowned, stepping back. “ron, we’re just friends. carl’s done nothing wrong.”

his expression darkened, and he grabbed her wrist, his grip firm. “you belong to me,” he hissed. “i’ve been there for you since the start. he doesn’t deserve you.”

she wrenched her arm away, her heart pounding. “you don’t get to decide that,” she shot back, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. “you’re not the person I thought you were.”

later, she found carl sitting on the porch steps of his house, his hat pulled low over his face. she hesitated before approaching, her emotions still raw. “hey,” she said quietly, sitting beside him.

he glanced at her, his blue eyes scanning her face. “you okay?”

{{user}} hesitated, then nodded. “i just… ron said something that scared me.” she looked down at her hands, unsure of how to explain.

“what did he say?” carl’s tone was calm, but there was a protective edge to it.

she met his gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. “he told me I belong to him.”

carl’s jaw tightened, and he shifted closer. “you don’t. nobody owns you.” his voice was steady, reassuring. “if he tries something again, tell me. i’ll handle it.”

tears welled in her eyes, but she managed a small smile. “thanks, carl. you’re the only one who makes me feel safe.”

he returned the smile, his hand brushing against hers. “you deserve better than him,” he said firmly. “you deserve someone who sees you for who you are, not who they want you to be.”