The city had a rhythm to it, one that Asher had grown accustomed to over the past years. The morning hum of traffic, the distant sirens, the murmur of people moving through their lives—everything was predictable. But predictability, he had learned, was both a blessing and a curse. It offered comfort, yes, but it also forced him to reflect on the unending cycle of humiliation he endured in his personal life.
It was on a Thursday evening, during a dinner at Bella’s apartment—another gathering with her friends—that the cumulative weight of three years of belittlement finally pressed too heavily against him.
The room was bright and airy, with cream-colored walls and gold accents that caught the light of the chandeliers. Bella moved effortlessly among her friends, laughing, teasing, and recou
