Stella kept her relationship with Dominic hidden, a secret affair that kept her away from home for four long years. She had convinced herself she could live with the secrecy, distance, and constant waiting. But after a year, things began to change.
Dominic started staying out all night. His phone's password, once her birthday, was now a code she couldn't crack.
It wasn't until two weeks ago, when Stella accidentally stumbled upon a message thread on Dominic's phone, that the truth came crashing down.
Celine Montgomery, Dominic's first love, was back in town.
At first, Stella refused to believe it. She'd convinced herself she was overthinking it and that it was nothing. But her curiosity got the best of her, and she added Celine on social media.
And there it was, laid out in front of her:
Celine's Moments—photos of her and Dominic, laughing, hugging, kissing.
It wasn't a fling. It was real. It had been going on for over a year.
The moment Stella saw those photos, the truth hit her. She wasn't his girlfriend. She was just a placeholder. Dominic found her when bored and his real love wasn't around. He'd used her as a distraction until Celine came back.
It took her two weeks to process everything. Two weeks to mourn the future she thought they'd have. Two weeks to admit to herself that she had been a fool. But even then, the hardest part was realizing how easily she had been replaced.
Stella forced herself to eat, though her appetite had vanished. She glanced at the cake in front of her—"Happy Third Anniversary" scrawled across the top—and a pang hit her chest.
Without thinking, she grabbed the cake and threw it in the trash. Inside it was the engagement ring she had been holding onto so desperately.
She'd kept a sliver of hope, a tiny spark that maybe, if she waited long enough, Dominic would choose her. But that slap earlier had destroyed that hope completely.
...
At midnight, Dominic finally staggered through the door.
He was barely standing, half-dragged in by Celine, reeking of alcohol. His shirt was untucked, his eyes bloodshot.
Celine smirked at Stella, a gleam in her eye. "You must be Stella, right?" she said sweetly, her voice laced with something else—victory, maybe. "Nicky talks about you all the time. You're such a good, obedient girl."
She would always call Dominic, 'Nicky', as if they were still together. With that, barely glancing at Celine, Stella took Dominic's arm, trying to close the door behind them.
But Celine quickly blocked it with her foot.
"Don't mind me," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Nicky's always felt sorry for me. I've been dealing with depression, and he's been keeping me company. If I'd known he had a girlfriend, I would never let him do this."
Her tone was syrupy, but her smile was smug, almost gloating.
Stella's stomach churned. "Are you done?" she asked, her voice flat and cold.
Celine seemed momentarily taken aback as if expecting more of a reaction—maybe anger, maybe tears. But Stella gave her nothing. She didn't even flinch.
Without waiting for a reply, Stella slammed the door shut.
She moved into the kitchen and started preparing some sobering soup for Dominic, setting it on the counter in front of him.
As she watched him slowly begin to come around, a heavy weight settled in her chest. She'd done what she needed to do for him, as always.
But this time, it felt different.
She turned to leave, planning to head to her room, but Dominic grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his lap.
"Are you angry?" he slurred, his voice rough, his fingers grazing the swollen side of her face. His touch was almost tender like he was petting a wounded animal.
"Sorry, Stella. I shouldn't have hit you."
She pulled back slightly, her heart heavy but her expression unreadable.
"It's fine," she said, her voice distant. "I understand."
There was no bitterness in her words, no anger—just resignation.
To stand up for someone you love, to be indifferent or even violent toward those who don't matter—it was human nature, after all.
Dominic, oblivious to her detached response, smiled in relief. "You're amazing, Stella," he said, his voice softening. "Let me show you the gift I got you."
He pulled out a shiny necklace and fastened it around her neck.
Stella froze. The necklace was beautiful, but something in her chest twisted. She hesitated before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Happy third anniversary, babe," Dominic said, grinning like he'd just won a prize.
In the past, that would've been enough to make her feel like the luckiest girl alive. She would've cried, laughed, kissed him.
But now, all she could think about was seeing the exact same necklace around Celine's neck just ten minutes ago.
She smiled bitterly to herself.
Was this really what she was worth?
Was this how the "stand-in" was treated?
In the past, when Dominic had mentioned how much he liked dark green hair, Stella had dyed her hair in dark green waves, even though she'd loved her black hair. When he'd said he wanted her to wear spaghetti straps, her entire wardrobe had been filled with them.
Whenever they went on a date, Dominic insisted on Italian food, even though Stella had never been fond of it.
But none of it mattered now. None of it was enough.
