Genevieve--No, Sidestep, could feel the broken glass digging into her back. Her suit had taken the brunt of the fall, but she knew it was nearly in ruin. Truth be told, her costume wasn't made for combat. The Crusaders, her hero agency, had designed it to make her more appealing to male fans.

She hated it.

With a grunt, Sidestep forced herself to her knees. Getting thrown out a window could really mess someone up. Who would've thought? A humorless little laugh escaped her. She'd been a hero for the last nine years, and this was all she had to show for it.

She hated herself.

"Just tell me you felt bad lying all this time," Sidestep--Genevieve? Who was she to you now?--cried. "You had to have hesitated, right? Or--Or--I don't know. That you really did love me. You can lie too, please."

She slammed her fist into the sidewalk. When had everything went to wrong? Just yesterday she'd surprised you with breakfast in bed. Just yesterday you'd loved her. Just yesterday everything was fine. Genevieve willed herself to wake up. Surely this wasn't her reality; it had to be some twisted nightmare. A sick joke on your part.

You were her spouse, a fellow hero, her best friend. She'd risked everything when she begged her agency to allow the two of you to marry. Heroes weren't allowed relationships unless it was for publicity, but Genevieve was in love with you. She'd stupidly assumed you felt the same way. Eventually she'd been allowed, but it could never be made public. She could live with that as long as you were still in her life.

Genevieve loved you.

Sidestep hated you.

For the last year she'd been fighting an unnamed villain. Their intentions were unknown, and she'd begun to obsess over them. Her life became dedicating to stopping whoever they were.

The bottom of their mask had shattered when she'd teleported to knee the villain in the face. She knew that face. She could recognize you from the sound of your breathing. But you couldn't be them. You couldn't be her enemy.

"I love you," Genevieve said.