I still remember how excited I was.
My heart was racing too fast for something as simple as a weekend visit, but I couldn't help it. I had been looking forward to this all week. No work stress. No rushing. Just me and Daniel.
Finally.
I shifted the weight of the two grocery bags in my hands as I stepped into the hallway of his apartment building. The plastic handles dug into my fingers, but I didn't care. I had gone all out: fresh pasta, wine, snacks, his favorites.
I smiled to myself. "Future husband treatment," I muttered under my breath.
The thought made my chest warm. I reached his door and knocked lightly, balancing the bags against my hip.
"Daniel?" I called out, but I got no answer. I frowned slightly, then shrugged. Maybe he was in the shower.
I adjusted my grip and pushed the door open; it wasn't locked.
"Daniel, I'm here!" I called out, stepping inside.
The apartment smelled… off. Not bad, just not what I expected.
I had cleaned this place just days ago. It should have smelled like lemon polish and fresh laundry. Instead, there was something heavier in the air: perfume and sweat.
I ignored it.
"Daniel?" I tried again, walking toward the kitchen.
I dropped the grocery bags on the counter, already mentally planning how I'd cook everything. Maybe we'd eat, watch a movie, fall asleep halfway through...
A sound cut through my thoughts. A soft movement. From the bedroom.
I stilled. Then I walked toward it. Slowly.
The door was slightly open. I pushed it.
And everything stopped.
"Who is she?" The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Everything in the room went still. Then the woman on the bed gasped and grabbed the duvet, dragging it up to cover herself. Daniel froze, his shirt halfway on, like his body had forgotten what it was doing.
He turned to me, eyes wide. "Lena…"
My hand tightened around the door handle. "Who," I said again, slower this time, "is she?"
The room felt smaller. Tighter. I took one step inside. My eyes moved over everything without permission: the crumpled sheets, his clothes on the floor, her dress thrown over the chair.
The girl looked at him, then at me. "I didn't know he had a girlfriend," she said quickly. "He told me he was single."
I blinked once. "Single?" She didn't answer. I looked back at him. "You told her you were single?"
He exhaled like this was exhausting for him. "Can we not do this right now?"
"Do what?" A short laugh slipped out. "You're in bed with another woman, and this is what you don't want to deal with?"
The girl shifted, clearly uncomfortable. "I should go."
"Yes," I said immediately, stepping aside. "You should."
She rushed past me, grabbing her dress. A second later, the front door slammed.
Silence filled the apartment.
"I looked at him. "How long have you been cheating on me?"
He hesitated, like the truth was too heavy to say. "A few weeks," he finally admitted.
"A few weeks?" I repeated, my voice tightening. "All this time… you were lying to me?"
I shook my head slowly. "I thought we had something real, Daniel. I thought this meant something."
"What you saw didn't mean anything," he said quickly.
"That's the problem," I replied. "It meant everything to me."
"I didn't plan it," he added.
"But you still did it," I said. "You still chose to betray me."
He ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't know you were coming today."
"That's not the point," I snapped. "You only act like my boyfriend when I'm around."
"You're overreacting," he muttered.
I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "No… I'm finally seeing things clearly."
I picked up my bag and stepped away from him.
"Lena, wait…"
"Don't," I said quietly. "Just… don't."
I walked out of the room without looking back, my chest tight but my steps steady.
The apartment felt different now, like I didn't belong in it anymore.
I reached the door, opened it, and stepped into the hallway.
A second later, I was inside the elevator, the doors sliding shut as everything finally hit me.
In the elevator, I whispered to myself, "Don't cry… not here," but my vision was already blurring by the time the doors opened.
I stepped outside and let out a shaky breath. "Of course the world keeps moving… like nothing happened."
My eyes landed on a bar across the street, and I swallowed hard. "Fine… I just need something to numb this," I muttered, already walking toward it.
The door opened, and noise hit me instantly, music, voices, and clinking glasses filling the space.
I stood there for a second, letting it drown out everything in my head before finally stepping forward.
The bartender looked up at me, waiting.
"Something strong," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
He slid a drink toward me without asking questions. I picked it up and swallowed half in one go.
Bad night?"
I turned.
He was already watching me. A stranger. He didn't look like he belonged in a place like this. Everything about him was controlled: his posture, his expression, even the way he held his glass. His eyes were already on me, like he had been watching for a while.
"Yes," I said, not bothering to hide it. There was no point pretending otherwise.
He didn't react the way most people would. He just nodded once, like he understood more than I said.
For a moment, silence settled between us.
Then I spoke again, more curious than I expected. "Have you ever felt like burning your entire life down?"
The question hung between us, heavier than it sounded.
He didn't laugh. He didn't hesitate. "Yes," he replied.
The certainty in his answer made me look at him again. "Why?" I asked quietly.
His gaze shifted briefly to his glass. "I don't want to talk about it," he said.
There was no hesitation, just a clear line drawn. I nodded, understanding immediately.
"That's fine," I said softly. "I don't want to talk about what I'm going through either."
Something in his expression eased slightly at that.
It felt like an unspoken agreement had already formed.
"Then we don't," he said, leaning back. "We just… have a good night." He looked at me, waiting for the rest.
"But there has to be a rule," I said.
"What kind of rule?" he asked.
"No names," I said. "No questions, no expectations. Nothing that would follow us after tonight."
He held my gaze for a moment, considering it. Then he gave a small nod. Without another word, he lifted his glass toward mine. I mirrored the movement, and the glasses clinked softly between us.
And just like that, the night shifted into something else entirely.