Dear Ex, WATCH ME WIN

Eliana’s POV The sky had been dark long before I reached the apartment I shared with Jeremy, my boyfriend of five years. My heels echoed against the hardwood as I entered, every click a reminder of how wasted the day had been. Rejection. Again. Another interview where I smiled until my cheeks hurt, and they said I needed more “industry experience.” Whatever that meant. All I could think now was to throw myself into bed, bury my face in Jeremy’s chest and forget there ever had been such a thing as the world. I had texted him as I was on my way home. He had not responded, but I was not concerned. Jeremy was terrible at answering text messages. He always has been. He always said he preferred “real conversations.” My bag slid off my shoulder with a tired sigh as I stepped into the living room. Two glasses sat on the coffee table. One still had juice in it, grapefruit, from the color, and the other looked like it had been nearly drained. A faint lipstick stain marked the rim. I swallowed down the first flutter of unease that brushed my chest. He probably had a guest. A colleague, maybe. Or one of his freelance photography clients. He always entertained them here. He was charming like that, Jeremy could make anyone feel at home. That was part of why I loved him. Or… used to. I slipped off my heels and made my way toward the stairs. As I climbed, I noticed it. A sound. Muffled at first. Familiar in a way I didn’t want to admit. My heart began to race. No. It’s the TV, I told myself, trying to convince myself. Jeremy always watched those late-night thrillers, the ones with awkwardly loud soundtracks. That had to be it. But as I reached the top of the stairs, the sound became clearer. A breathy moan. Then another. Louder, more pronounced. My legs stopped moving. My hand gripped the banister. No. It can’t be. I forced myself forward. Step by step. The hallway stretched too long. Too narrow. The walls suddenly felt like they were closing in. I couldn’t breathe. My fingers trembled as I reached for our bedroom door. It was slightly ajar. Light spilled through the c***k. Laughter, feminine, high-pitched. I should’ve turned around. Should’ve walked away. But I didn’t. I pushed the door open all the way. And the world collapsed. Jeremy, my Jeremy, was on the bed. His body bare. His hand tangled in the hair of a red-haired woman who was on her knees, her mouth sucking his d**k like her life depended on it. Pure horror filled my eyes. I gasped, and the sound came out strangled. He didn’t even notice me at first. He was too caught up in the moment, eyes closed, too lost in her, in what she was doing to him. The redhead’s eyes flicked toward me first. “Who the hell is she?” she asked, blinking, his d**k slipping from her mouth. Jeremy’s head snapped in my direction. “Oh s**t, Eliana?” The color drained from his face. He scrambled, grabbing a towel and clutching it around his waist. “Baby, I can explain—” But I wasn’t listening. And I sure wasn’t waiting. I couldn’t breathe, I wanted to escape. To be told this was a dream. A nightmare. My lungs forgot how to work. My chest tightened, and the walls spun. My mouth opened, but no words came out. Just a choked sob. He cheated. The man I had sacrificed everything for, the man I defended, even when my parents warned me he was selfish, he had betrayed me in the most disgusting way. I turned on my heel and bolted. I didn’t even stop to put my shoes back on. I just picked up my bag and ran. My bare feet slammed against the stairs as I fled, the hot sting of tears blinding me. I ran out the door, past the security guard who called after me, and into the night like I was being chased by a ghost. Maybe I was. The ghost of the life I thought I had. The cold air hit me like a slap, but I didn’t stop running. My heart was pounding too fast, my breath broken, my mind blank. I stumbled off the curb— A deafening horn shattered the night. Tires screeched. Blinding headlights flooded my vision. I froze. The sleek black sedan stopped just inches away, the smell of burnt rubber filling the air. The driver’s door flew open. A tall man stepped out, dressed in a charcoal suit that fit him perfectly. His gaze swept over me, checking for injuries before settling on my face. “Are you hurt?” he asked, his deep voice calm despite the near collision. I wanted to answer. I wanted to tell him I was. But not in any way he could fix. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My throat closed around every word. For a brief second, he simply stared at me. His expression shifted from irritation to concern as his eyes lingered on my tear-stained face and trembling hands. Behind him, another car pulled up. “Sir,” a man called urgently, hurrying toward him. “You’re going to be late.” The stranger didn’t look away immediately. His gaze remained fixed on me for one last moment, as though he wanted to say something else. He looked at me for another heartbeat, as though debating whether to stay. In the end, he turned and walked back to his car. For a moment, I just stood there, staring at my reflection in the windshield. My face looked unrecognizable, wild hair, mascara streaks, eyes swollen and empty. My knees gave out, and I collapsed on the cold asphalt. The sobs came hard and fast, tearing through me until my whole body shook. People were staring. Someone shouted if I was okay. I wasn’t. But I couldn’t speak. I pressed my palms against the ground and cried until I couldn’t breathe. Until there was nothing left but the sound of my own heartbreak echoing down the street. And then, slowly, I picked myself up. My legs were weak. My hands were trembling. But I stood. I wiped my face with the back of my hand. My throat burned, and my chest ached, but one thought pushed through the pain, clear, sharp, and steady. He did this. He broke me. He made me this way. And I would make him regret it. It was the one thing I was certain of. I would make him pay for hurting me like this. I didn’t know how. I didn’t even know when. But I knew I wouldn’t let him walk away like nothing happened. Not after everything I gave up for him. And certainly not after everything he took from me.