It was their third anniversary. Dominic Grant had just made their relationship Instagram official, posting a picture with a heartfelt caption.
Stella Johnson, his girlfriend, hesitated briefly before quietly liking it. Right then, before she could even set her phone down, Dominic's buzzed loudly.
She picked it up without a second thought and was greeted with his sharp voice. "What the hell is going on? Why did you go looking for her?!"
A few months ago, Stella might've crumbled at the sound of his angry clamor. She would've cried, maybe even begged for an explanation, but not this time.
This time, she felt nothing at all. It was just a hollow, empty space where hurt used to be.
She wasn't broken. She was done with him.
In fact, she was already making plans. Plans to marry someone else. Someone who wouldn't make her second-guess every move she made.
...
"Pete, I told you I'd go back and honor the family arrangement,” Stella said to her brother as she tapped the 'like' button on his post.
On the other end of the line, Peter couldn't resist teasing her. "Oh, so now you're coming around? Weren't you just swearing up and down that you'd stay in New York with your little boyfriend? You've been together for years and still haven't brought him home to meet us. Doesn't sound like the most trustworthy guy to me."
A bitter smile twisted Stella's lips, but she remained silent. Her mind was somewhere else entirely. She refreshed her feed and saw that Dominic had already deleted the post.
Before she could process it, the doorbell rang. She sighed, hanging up the phone and walking toward the door.
The moment she opened it, a slap landed across her cheek. It stung her in surprise, causing her to freeze on the spot. With her head spinning, she looked up at Dominic in disbelief.
"Stella!" he shouted. "Who told you it was okay to mess with Celine like that? Do you have any idea what she's going through? She has depression, for God's sake!" His rage was palpable, his fists clenched at his sides. "You better get yourself together. Just because you're my girlfriend doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. If anything happens to Celine, I'll make you pay for it!"
Then, his phone buzzed in his hand.
A muffled sob came through the receiver.
It was Celine's voice.
Dominic's expression softened instantly, a flicker of concern crossing his face. Without glancing at the untouched food or the delicate anniversary cake on the table, he turned to leave. Quickly, his entire focus was now on the call.
Stella stood there, still stunned. The sting on her cheek faded into something worse, driving it down her chest; she blinked, fighting back the tears building up for so long. But no matter how hard she tried, the tears began to fall.
Her phone buzzed again, this time relentlessly. It was Celine, posting one photo after another on the fan group page—Dominic cooking for her, Dominic laughing as he peeled apples, and then them kissing.
Then came a story on Celine's own account.
It was a picture of her playing with Dominic's hair, captioned:
[Why is it always the same? When I start crying, you rush to give me everything you think will make me feel better?]
In the photo, Dominic's face was soft. His lips curved into a helpless smile as he looked down at her. He looked nothing like the angry man who had just slapped Stella.
Her chest constricted, a knot of betrayal tightening around her heart. Without a second thought, she left the fan group and blocked Celine.
The memories began to flood back five years ago, back when everything had seemed so simple.
It was her second year of high school when Peter first brought Dominic home. One look and Stella was hooked. She called him "Dom," like her brother, Peter, "Pete." It had always been playful and familiar.
Dominic would always smile, ruffle her hair affectionately, and tease her with little jokes. It was their thing—a bond built on comfort, shared moments, and unspoken understanding.
When Stella reached her senior year, and Dominic had already graduated, she decided to stay in New York instead of going back home to Florida despite her family's objections. She used Peter's connections to move into Dominic's place. It wasn't long before they became a couple.
At first, Dominic had treated her like she was the only woman in the world. She'd felt like the happiest girl alive.
But then, there was that day.
The day Dominic had jokingly said, "If your brother finds out I'm dating his sister, I might be in for a beating.”
