Layla didn't look back as she left the apartment.
The hallway felt quieter than usual, but she brushed the feeling aside. She told herself Shane was only being sensitive. Business demanded focus. Success demanded sacrifice.
That was what she believed.
By noon, Layla was seated across from Victor in a private restaurant lounge. Sunlight spilled through tall windows as waiters moved discreetly around them.
"You look distracted," Victor said lightly.
"I had a long morning," Layla replied.
He smiled. "Then you deserve a break."
They talked about expansion plans, investors, and possibilities that sounded too big to be real. Victor listened attentively, nodding, offering solutions before she even asked.
Layla felt understood.
Her phone buzzed.
Shane: Did you make it to work okay?
She stared at the message longer than necessary.
Then, slowly, she typed:
Layla: Yes. Busy day at the restaurant.
She pressed send.
The lie was small. Harmless, she told herself. Easier than explaining.
Victor leaned closer. "You should consider opening another branch," he said. "I could help."
Layla's heart raced. Opportunity stood right in front of her—polished, confident, promising more.
She nodded. "I'd like that."
That evening, Shane called.
Layla watched the phone ring… and let it stop.
Later that night, as she lay in bed alone, her thoughts drifted back to Shane's question from the morning.
Are we okay?
She closed her eyes and whispered the answer she hadn't said aloud:
"I don't know anymore."
And somewhere between ambition and silence, Layla crossed a line she would one day wish she hadn't.