“Just finishing up at the office. Is this important?” he replied, his tone casual, even a bit annoyed.

He wasn’t even trying to lie convincingly. The ease in his voice confirmed what I already knew. I felt a bitterness rise in me as I looked at the video again.

“Let’s break up,” I said, my voice firm and even.

He scoffed, dismissive. “You’re being dramatic again, Maisie.”

My fingers clenched around the phone as I replied, “Browse the pack’s chat if you want to know what I mean. You’re a regular celebrity there now.”

Before he could respond, I hung up. My hand shook as I placed the phone down, but I didn’t let myself dwell on it. I’d made my decision, and I wouldn’t let him waver it. I looked around his apartment—no, it was never really ‘our’ home, just a place I’d existed in, trying to hold on to someone who never fully belonged to me.

The foods I’d prepared were now cold. I packed them into containers, then gathered my things, knowing I didn’t want to wake up here anymore. The life I’d clung to was as empty as this apartment now.