Mine from the shadows

The message arrived less than ten seconds after she hit post. Happy breakup. Hazel stared at her phone; her smile faded. The post had nothing. No likes, no comments, nor shares. No one was supposed to understand, but someone did. A cold ran down her spine. She looked around the photography studio. The models smiled under the bright lights, make-up artists moved around while assistants adjusted reflectors. Everything looked normal; Noone was watching her, or at least, it didn't look like that. So who had sent the message? She read it again. Happy breakup. Just those two words from an unknown account. No name, profile picture, explanation whatsoever. Her thumb hovered over the unknown number before she finally typed. Who is this? The message was delivered, yet no reply. Another minute passed, still nothing. Her stomach twisted into knots. "You okay?" Hazel quickly locked her phone with shaking hands. Maya stood beside her with two glasses of water. She glanced at her once. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Hazel forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's nothing." Maya narrowed her eyes. “I've known you since university. That's your lying face." Hazel sighed. I just got a weird message." "Weird how?" She handed Maya the phone. Maya frowned. “Happy breakup?” She looked up. “Who sent it? “I don't know.” “And you posted that picture barely ten seconds ago” “I know.” “Could it be Daniel?” “I don't think so.” Daniel never used unknown numbers, and he wasn't the type to play games as well. At least that's what she really wanted to believe. "Forget it," Hazel shoved her phone back in her pocket. "I've got work." Maya didn't buy it, but she nodded anyway. Her model waved from across the studio. Hazel!" "Coming!" Hazel lifted her camera and instantly slipped into work mode. Photography had always been her escape from stress. She adjusted the focus “Turn your shoulder a little.” The female model obeyed. She snapped another picture. “Perfect.” Click. Another shot. Click. The model hurried over before she could even review the shots. Can I see them?" "Sure." The model smiled “ I love this one.” “Me too.” In the last few years, she’d made a name for herself. Millions admired the beauty she captured in her photographs, Magazines sought her, and brands reached out to her for collaborations. Most people called her lucky. But they never saw the years she had spent putting in the effort, the sleepless nights she had to spend, the days she spent almost twelve hours just to edit pictures alone in her room. She'd worked for this. It wasn't luck. Her phone buzzed again, and her heart jumped. She grabbed it, it was a client. She exhaled. Maya appeared in front of her. “So…” She already knew where Maya was going, but pretended anyway, “What?” “How are you really feeling?” The question lingered between them in the quiet studio. Hazel lowered her camera. She thought she'd cry after leaving Daniel; she didn't. All she felt was relief. “I'm good.” Maya raised her eyebrows. “Stop lying, you loved him.” “I thought I did.” She walked to the window. England looked beautiful even on gloomy days. “I kept making excuses for him. He was always busy; he cancelled plans, spent late nights, disappeared for hours.” “I kept telling myself he would change; there was no perfect relationship after all.” Maya remained silent. She continued, “I ignored every sign because I wanted us to work.” “And then?” Maya asked. Hazel laughed bitterly. “And then I found armed men sitting in our living room.” Maya shook her head. “What!” “Unbelievable, right?” Hazel remembered coming back late. She noticed something strange as she reached the door. She could hear strange voices. Low, deep voices from within. As she got in, she found weapons and scarred men in her house; one had a tattoo crawling up his neck, another had one all over his shoulders. Daniel stood by the kitchen door as if nothing was wrong. He'd simply smiled as he saw her, as though that scene was completely normal. That was it. She threw her things into a bag and walked out for good this time. Three years relationship ended in the blink of an eye. “You did the right thing,” Maya said quietly. “I know.” Leaving hurts, but staying would’ve killed her. The day slipped by. She barely noticed. Her session ended near evening. She packed her camera equipment and turned to Maya. “I'll be leaving now.” “See you at home,” Maya replied. The cold hit her the moment she stepped outside. She pulled her coat tighter and headed for her car. Halfway there, everything went quiet. Like someone was behind her. She slowed and glanced back. No one, only strangers passing by. Across the street, a man stood in dark clothes. Hoods up, head down. For a second, she was sure he was watching her. A bus drove between them. When it passed, he was gone. She frowned. Maybe she'd imagined it. Her phone vibrated again. She froze. Another unknown message. Her fingers suddenly felt cold and numb. She opened it. Drive home safely. Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't told a soul she was leaving. Hazel looked again. Cars, people, rain. No one was watching her, so why did it feel like someone was? Her hands shook as she got the keys in her door. The drive home felt unusually longer. Every black SUV behind her had her checking the mirror, every red light made her stomach drop. By the time she got to Maya's, she could breathe again. Up the stairs. Keys. Door shut. Lock. Checked it one more time. She slid down against the door and exhaled. Her phone buzzed. She almost ignored it, but she couldn't. This time ,, it wasn’t a text but a photo. A photograph of her standing beside her car minutes ago. Someone had taken it from across the street. Indeed, someone was watching her from the shadows all evening.