John & Katie

No One Is Safe

KATIE.

Tuesday morning felt heavier than usual.

I climbed out of bed with an ache in my chest.

The moment my feet touched the floor, my mind wondered back to the text I’d sent John.

I could still see the words on my screen.

Words I wished I could take back.

Damn you, Steven, for taking away the one person I thought could become something real in my life.

John hadn’t deserved any of this. He hadn’t done anything wrong.

And yet, I was the one who had pushed him away.

The guilt settled heavily in my chest as I realized that, because of Steven, I might have just lost the person I was beginning to care about.

I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath.

I had to believe I was doing the right thing rather than risk letting Steven hurt him later.

That was what I kept telling myself.

But knowing I had a reason didn’t make the pain any easier to bear.

While moving through my morning routine on autopilot, I showered, dressed, grabbed my bag and headed for the train, going through the motions without really feeling present. But beneath the familiar rhythm of it all, I felt completely hollow.

I pulled out my phone on the train and scrolled through the messages John had sent me. With every word, it became clear that he was hurting too.

For the first time since meeting John, I was heading to work knowing I wouldn’t get to see his smile.

I was determined to take a different route, even if it meant going out of my way to avoid him.

And somehow, that hurt more than I was prepared for.

Without thinking, my feet carried me in the direction of John’s building.

I had almost reached the corner when reality hit me.

I froze mid-step, my feet suddenly refusing to move, staring at the building I had been so determined to avoid.

I drew in a slow breath, turned around, and retraced my steps, cutting down East End Avenue toward First Avenue.

Three blocks later, I slowed my steps, letting out a quiet breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

“This route isn’t so bad,” I whispered, though the words felt empty the moment they left my lips.

“I just need to get used to it.”

My phone chimed, and my heart skipped a beat.

It was a text from John.

John:We need to talk.

I stared at the words for what felt like minutes, my fingers hovering over the screen. I wanted to answer. God, I wanted to I wanted to explain everything — to tell him the truth, to make him understand.

But I couldn’t.

If I answered him, I knew I’d lose whatever little strength I had left to hold on to the decision I’d made.

So, with a slow breath, I locked my phone and slipped it back into my bag.

Out of sight.

Out of reach.

At least for now.

I arrived at work a little later than usual, the new route adding a few extra minutes to my morning.

I fell into my usual routine with Sara, letting the familiar rhythm of the morning settle me. Once we finished, I gathered our things and packed them up for the park—the new one I’d decided would become our usual spot from now on.

It was a small change, but one that was needed for our safety.

Looking at her cheerful little face made my heart ache.

She was going to miss her friends at the old park.

And if I was being honest, so was I.

Once everything was ready, we took the elevator down to the lobby, where we said our hellos to Tony, the doorman, before heading out.

When we stepped outside, I began pushing Sara’s stroller towards the new park. She looked around curiously, taking in the unfamiliar sights, completely unaware that we were starting a new routine.

Four blocks later, we reached Lexington Avenue and the park came into view.

It was beautiful and noticeably larger than the one we were used to. Bigger climbing structures filled the playground, wider paths wound through the grounds, and shaded benches offered families a place to sit and relax.

I looked down at Sara, watching her take it all in with a curious smile.

“This was the right decision,” I whispered.

Even when, deep down, I wasn’t convinced yet.

About twenty minutes later, my phone chimed.

Susan:Where are you? Tony said You left almost an hour ago, and you’re still not here.

I quickly replied.

Me:Susan, I’m at the park on Lexington Avenue. I have to stay away from Steven, and this is the only way I know how.

Her reply came almost immediately.

Susan:Oh, crap. That makes sense. I was wondering why you hadn’t shown up, but then I remembered the situation with Steven. I can understand why you’d rather find somewhere else for a while. Probably better to avoid running into him right now.

I sighed, staring at her message.

Me:I know. I just don’t feel safe going back there anymore. After everything Steven has threatened to do, I don’t want to take any chances.

I knew how drastic this must have sounded.

But I didn’t know what else to do.

Me:Just tell him I quit. I don’t want to deal with his nonsense anymore.

Three dots appeared on my screen, disappeared, then appeared again.

Susan:Are you really willing to turn your whole life upside down just to avoid that creep?

I stared at the question for a long moment.

Was I willing to do that? I thought to myself.

Me:That wasn’t really a decision I got to make, Susan. It was made for me.

I hesitated before sending another message.

Me:What would you do if you were in my shoes?

This time, the silence lasted longer.

Finally, her response came.

Susan:Honestly... Like I told you before, I would talk to John.

I looked across the playground, seeing Sara laughing as she chased after a colorful ball, completely carefree.

For a moment, I watched her, grateful that she didn’t understand any of this.

Then my eyes fell back to my phone.

Me:Susan, the only reason I’m going to such lengths is because I want to keep John safe.

Susan’s next message came almost instantly.

Susan:Have you heard from him today?

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Me:Yes. He texted me this morning.

Susan:Katie, this is so messed up. You know that, right?

I sighed.

Me:I know.

Susan:The girls are here. We’ll talk later.

Me:Okay.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

For a moment, I simply stood there, watching Sara play.

Then I walked over and joined her. If I couldn’t have the life I wanted right now...

I could at least make sure Sara’s world stayed happy.

We spent the morning on the swings and exploring the playground before settling onto a nearby bench to eat our lunch.

Before I knew it, nearly two hours had passed, and it was time to head back.

I gently lifted Sara into her stroller and started toward the apartment building, quietly singing one of her favorite nursery songs in hopes of keeping her awake until we got home.

She blinked sleepily, fighting to keep her little eyes open, but managed to stay awake just long enough to make it home.

Once we were back at the apartment, I changed her diaper, slipped her into something comfortable, and tucked her into bed for her afternoon nap.

Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

The apartment grew quiet.

For the first time all morning, I had a moment to myself.

Then my phone chimed.

I glanced at the screen.

Susan:Hey, we need to talk. Stop by my apartment when you get a chance.

My heart skipped a beat.

Me:Is everything okay? Sara’s napping.

Her response came quickly.

Susan:Just come when Sara wakes up.

I stared at the message.

Me:👍

I placed my phone onto the counter, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling settling in my chest.

For the next two hours, I couldn’t stop wondering what Susan wanted to talk about.

Whatever it was, she clearly didn’t want to discuss it over the phone.

And that worried me.

Finally, Sara stirred awake from her nap.

I changed her diaper, gave her a small snack and a cup of juice, then picked her up and quickly headed for the door.

We rode the elevator to the third floor. By the time we reached Susan’s apartment, my stomach was already in knots.

I knocked.

The door swung open almost immediately.

Before I could react, Susan grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside.

“What’s going on?” I asked, staring at her.

“Just come.”

She led me toward Jess’s playroom. I gently placed Sara on the floor, and she immediately wandered over to play with Jess, completely unaware of the tension hanging in the air around us.

I turned back to Susan.

She looked anxious.

Almost nervous.

“What has gotten into you?”

Susan took a deep breath before speaking.

“John came to the park looking for you today.”

My breath caught.

“He... what?”

“He was worried sick. He asked if anyone had seen you.”

I stared at her, unable to speak.

“He really likes you, Katie.”

Her voice softened. “He wants to help. He even asked me for your address.”

I looked up sharply.

“You didn’t give it to him... did you?”

Susan immediately shook her head. “No. I told him I couldn’t.”

She paused.

“He looked absolutely heartbroken.”

My chest tightened.

“Honestly... She lowered her voice. “We all felt terrible for him.”

The guilt I’d been carrying all day suddenly became unbearable.

I lowered my head. “I never wanted to hurt him.”

“I know,” Susan said gently.

She waited a moment before asking, “Katie, why did you break things off with him even after we all told you not to.

I looked at her, tears welling in my eyes.

“I didn’t have a choice.”

Susan’s expression softened as she reached for my hand.

“You do, Katie.”

I looked at her, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“You can still see John.”

I stared at her, stunned.

“How?”

“Think about it. You’re not going back to the old park anymore, so Steven won’t be watching you there.”

She paused, letting her words sink in.

“As long as you meet John somewhere outside Manhattan, Steven won’t have any reason to suspect that you’re still seeing him.”

I considered her words.

They actually made sense.

For the first time, I felt a tiny spark of hope.

“You really think that could work?”

Susan smiled. “I do.”

But Susan’s smile quickly disappeared.

“There’s something else.” She whispered.

The seriousness in her voice made my stomach drop.

“What is it?” I asked, my voice trembling. “You’re scaring me.”

She hesitated.

“After John left, the girls and I confronted Steven.”

“You did what? Are you guys insane?”

Susan hesitated.

“Well... it didn’t go as well as we hoped.”

My stomach tightened.

“What do you mean?”

He said, “If you are not back at the park by tomorrow......”

Susan’s voice caught.

She swallowed hard before continuing.

“Steven threatened to meet with our employer at the park and tell them we were irresponsible and couldn’t be trusted with their children. He told us, ‘None of you ladies will have jobs by Monday.’”

My stomach dropped.

“He can’t be serious.”

Susan’s expression hardened.

“Unfortunately, he is.”

“Oh my God. This situation has escalated. What were you guys thinking?”

She looked at me, her expression serious.

“I don’t know, Katie.”

“I thought staying away from Steven would keep everyone safe.”

Susan reached for my hand.

“Katie, this isn’t your fault.”

“But he isn’t just threatening me anymore.”

My eyes drifted around the playroom, where Sara and Jess were still happily playing.

A chill ran through me as the weight of his threat sank in.

Steven had started with me.

Now, he was dragging everyone around me into his fight.

And suddenly, I understood something I hadn’t wanted to believe.

No one was safe.