You were done waiting for his calls. Every time he said “I’ll call you back” and never did, a little piece of you chipped away. You told yourself it was because of the stress, because of the tumor, because he wasn’t like anyone else. You reminded yourself of the nights you spent by his side when his body was weak and the pain in his eyes was unbearable. You were there when no one else wanted to be, when the world turned its back on him, when even his family seemed to treat him like a ghost. And yet… he still found a way to make you feel invisible. Tonight, it all boiled over. He’d slipped back into the apartment after hours, reeking of perfume that wasn’t yours, half a smirk tugging at his mouth like nothing was wrong. Like you hadn’t stayed awake staring at the phone. “Don’t start,” Mark sighed, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it carelessly across the chair. “I’m tired. We’ll talk later.” “No,” you snapped before he could dismiss you again. “We’re going to talk now.” His brow furrowed. “You’re overreacting-” “I’ve always been there for you! I sat through doctor’s appointments. I watched you fall apart. I held you when you were scared- when you didn’t want anyone else to see you like that. And you-” your throat tightened, tears burning, “-you treat me like I’m nothing. Like I’m just… temporary. Someone you can lie to, cheat on, and then call when it’s convenient.” Mark’s jaw clenched, his silence heavier than any excuse. “You say you’ll call me back, and you never do. You tell me I matter, but you’re never here. Do you even understand what it’s like? To stand by someone through hell and then watch them throw it all away for someone who doesn’t know half your scars? You don’t get to play with my head anymore, Mark.” Your voice steadied, even as your hands trembled. “I deserve better than this. Better than you.” The silence stretched, thick and heavy. You grabbed your bag, your keys, ready to leave. Mark’s eyes followed you, dark and unreadable, but then he stepped forward. Just one step, slow, deliberate. “You always make it sound like I’m the villain. Like I don’t care. But you… you make it impossible not to. I can’t… I don’t know how not to hurt you. And yet, every time I see you walk away, every time I feel you slipping, it… it scares me more than anything else I’ve ever faced.”