1 We were mountain camping when Luke texted to meet him at the summit’s old stone chapel. Locals claimed its rusted bell bound couples for life. I hiked straight up without rest. Inside, the chapel stood empty. Night fell with torrential rain. Shivering in the dark, I huddled there until dawn. Battered and scraped, I limped back to camp the next evening. Through the trees, Luke sat by the fire, having lost Truth or Dare. A friend asked if he’d ever liked someone besides his girlfriend. His ears reddened; he chugged a beer instead. Across from him, Kate turned away, cheeks flaming, murmuring softly. The crowd roared, chanting for them to kiss. No one remembered I, his ten-year girlfriend, had vanished for a day and night. Standing in the shadows, I decided: this was over. Back in my tent, I pulled out the first aid kit and uncapped a bottle of antiseptic. The mountain trail had been turned into a slick, muddy slide by the storm. I had fallen more times than I could count, the jagged rocks tearing the palms of my hands into a bloody mess. At one point, I had completely missed a stone step in the dark and tumbled down a steep embankment. If my back hadn't slammed into a thick pine tree, I would have gone straight over the cliff. Blood was still oozing from the deep scratches on my back. I hissed in pain, pressing a saturated cotton swab against the wound. That was when Luke walked in. His sharp brow bone was shadowed, his lips pressed into a tight, unforgiving line. After a decade together, I knew that look. He was angry. But my body ached too much to play his guessing games. It was undoubtedly about Kate. Ever since she entered our lives a year ago as his patient, the scales in Luke's heart had tipped entirely in her favor. Just as I predicted, he frowned and crossed his arms. "Kate had some drinks tonight and her stomach is killing her. I told you to bring her the antacids. Why are you pretending you didn't see my messages?" My wounds burned like fire, but a hollow laugh bubbled up from my throat. Pretending? If Luke possessed even a fraction of a second to actually look at me, he would have noticed the medical supplies scattered across the floor and the agonizing angle I had to twist into just to clean my own back. I didn't say a word. I simply reached out and picked up his phone from where he had tossed it on my sleeping bag. Under his confused gaze, I opened our chat. The most recent message was from a week ago. It finally clicked. That text had been sent by Kate using his phone, and she had deleted it immediately after. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I pulled out my own phone, opened the chat, and shoved the screen toward him. [Stella, they say the old chapel at the summit is magical. Couples who pray there stay together forever. I'll be waiting for you up there.] Luke stared at the screen cracked like a spiderweb, then looked up to finally notice the dried blood smeared across my cheek. Realization washed over his features. His frown deepened. "You actually believed that? You know I don't buy into that superstitious garbage." He swallowed whatever he was about to say next. I smiled, the expression tasting bitter. He was right. Luke was always the epitome of cold rationality, a man who never let his emotions dictate his actions. Even six months ago, when a stalker broke into my apartment and I was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, Luke had simply chased the man off and then coldly lectured me for not being more aware of my surroundings. Yet, this notorious workaholic had suddenly suggested we go on a vacation. The scenic spot on the travel brochure was the exact place I had been begging to visit for years. I foolishly thought he was finally going to fulfill a promise he made six years ago, treating this trip as my ultimate birthday gift. Back then, Luke had just secured a full ride to the best medical school in Boston. On the day of our college graduation, he grabbed my hand. A rare, clumsy blush spread across his usually stoic face. "Stella, come to Boston with me. Wait for me. Give me seven years, and on your birthday, I'll give you the grandest proposal you've ever seen." I had frozen, laughing and crying all at once, scolding him for ruining the surprise by scheduling it out loud. But I still abandoned the stable job waiting for me in my hometown. I followed him without a second thought, supporting him through his brutal residency until he became one of the most sought-after clinical psychologists in the city. Looking back now, the signs were always there. That travel brochure had first appeared in Kate's hands. Simply because she said the pictures looked pretty, Luke canceled a week of fully booked appointments and contacted a travel agency. I was only invited because their group package needed one more person to get the discount rate. Before Kate, whenever I begged him to take a weekend off to visit this exact mountain, he always brushed me off, claiming his schedule was too packed. The fog in my mind completely evaporated, leaving behind a razor-sharp pain. The heavy silence was broken when Kate unzipped the tent flap and poked her head in. She was holding a half-eaten kebab. "Luke, this steak is so tender, you have to try..." Her eyes landed on my bruised, bloodied state. Like a startled deer, she immediately shrank behind Luke's broad shoulders. "I am so sorry, Stella. I just wanted to play a little prank on you. The trail was taped off with warning signs at the bottom, I never thought you would actually hike all the way up." I placed my uninjured hand on the ground and forced myself to stand. Even though my swollen ankle sent shooting pain up my leg, I forced my spine straight, holding onto the last shred of my dignity. "A prank? Do you have any idea how many wild animals roam this mountain at night? I didn't dare close my eyes for a single second. Coming down, I slipped on the wet stones and nearly rolled straight off a cliff." Luke impatiently cut me off. "But you are perfectly fine now. Dragging it out just makes it look like you're desperate for pity." He let out a heavy sigh. "Besides, Kate is right. The trail was taped off. Why on earth did you force your way up there?" The burning fire in my chest turned to absolute ice. I curled my lips into a self-deprecating smile. Why did I force my way up? Maybe because I thought I was his exception. Because I thought he genuinely wanted a future with me. So I made a complete fool of myself. Suddenly drained of any desire to argue, I sat back down and reached for a fresh bandage. "It won't happen again." I meant every word. Luke looked like he had just thrown a punch into empty air. I was the one backing down, yet he looked inexplicably frustrated. But when he turned his head and saw the unshed tears pooling in Kate's wide eyes, his tone softened instinctively. "Don't do it again. No more jokes like this, okay?" She nodded aggressively, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Luke looked entirely defeated by her crying. He took the half-eaten kebab from her hand and took a bite. "Alright, enough. Do whatever makes you happy. I spent months putting my little spoiled patient back together, I don't want you regressing." Kate broke into a watery smile, weakly punching his arm. "You're the spoiled one." "Oh really? Remind me who cried through an entire box of tissues during their first intake session?" His eyes sparkled with teasing warmth as they fell into their familiar, childish bickering. I sat there like a ghost haunting my own life, watching their effortless intimacy. My mind wandered. When exactly did this start? A year ago, Luke came home complaining about a difficult new client. She was overly sensitive, always crying. Three months later, he told me that after peeling back her layers, he realized they shared the same tragic background. Six months ago, he finally mentioned her by name. His expression had been impossibly tender. He had looked at me and said, "Stella, because I know the hell of a toxic family, I know how childhood trauma can paralyze someone." "I want to heal the broken parts of her mind, exactly like you healed me back then." That was the day I found out his mysterious patient was the new junior intern at my corporate firm. Because I knew how dark and miserable Luke's childhood had been, I supported him taking on Kate's case. His alcoholic, gambling-addicted father used to beat him mercilessly whenever he lost at the tables. When Luke was locked in a shed, starved and bruised black and blue, it was me who crawled through a gap in his backyard fence, smuggling him stolen bread and antiseptic cream. When we started school, the quiet, brooding boy had no friends. So I followed him around like a noisy shadow from elementary school all the way to high school. And now, the man I had spent over a decade warming with my own hands was pouring all of his patience and light into someone else. My eyes stung fiercely. I turned my head, refusing to look at them flirting right in front of me, and forced out a request. "Luke, my back is getting worse. I think it needs stitches. Can you please drive me to the hospital?" The playful laughter stopped dead. Kate pouted, murmuring under her breath, "We finally get to go on a trip and now this..." Luke's face hardened. "The trip ends tomorrow. Do you seriously need to go right this second?" "Stella, know when to stop. This obsessive need for attention is just pushing me away." I froze, entirely numb. Luke looked at me like I was a stranger he couldn't wait to be rid of. "Kate is terrified of the dark, so I'm bunking in her tent tonight." He paused at the flap, throwing one last justification over his shoulder. "Don't overthink this. She is strictly my patient. There is nothing inappropriate going on between us." That night, every cut and scrape on my body throbbed with a burning fever. I tossed and turned until dawn broke. The gauze on my back was soaked through with fresh blood, and my ankle had swollen to the size of a baseball, mottled purple and black. When I finally limped my way to the morning rendezvous point, Luke and Kate were nowhere to be found. Seeing me scanning the empty clearing, an older woman from a neighboring campsite walked over with a sympathetic look. "Looking for your friends, honey?" "That young couple packed up and left in the middle of the night. The girl twisted her ankle, and the boy looked like the world was ending. He insisted on driving her to the emergency room immediately. Navigating these mountain roads in the pitch dark... he must love her so much to take a risk like that." I stopped listening after that. It made perfect sense that strangers assumed Luke and Kate were the couple. From the very first day of this trip, I was the third wheel. Whether it was the kayaks or the cable cars, anything built for two was reserved for them. Luke always looked at me and said, "Stella, wait for the next round. Kate gets severe anxiety, I need to stay close to her." During the bonfire cookout, the first plate of food and the first poured drink were always handed to Kate. When another camper joked about how much he spoiled his girlfriend and warned him she'd get used to it, Luke just offered a polite smile. He never corrected them. By the time I reached the hospital in the city, I had to hop on one foot to the registration desk and navigate the ER completely alone. Just as the doctor finished stitching my back, my phone buzzed. It was my parents. "Stella, sweetie, Luke is such a thoughtful boy! He mailed us a whole box of expensive local gifts from your trip. Make sure you give him a big kiss to say thank you." My parents' voices were overflowing with pride and joy. From day one, they had treated Luke like the son they never had, entirely convinced he was the perfect man for me. The words 'I'm leaving him' and 'I want to come home' piled up in my throat, choking me. I didn't know how to shatter their illusion. In the end, I swallowed my tears, choked out a 'yes', and hung up. Then, I drafted an email to my department head and submitted my formal resignation. The corporate handover process would take three days. Exactly enough time to pack up my entire life. It was late afternoon by the time I limped into the apartment. To my shock, the dining table was set with a few elegant home-cooked dishes, alongside a chilled glass of my absolute favorite sweetened almond milk. Luke rarely cooked. Even though the meal was simple, the beautiful plating screamed dedication. After practically starving at the hospital all day, my stomach cramped with hunger. I picked up the glass and took a sip, unable to stop a tiny, pathetic shred of warmth from blooming in my chest. I reached for a fork, but a shrill, whining voice pierced the quiet apartment. "That's my almond milk!" I jumped, nearly dropping the glass. Turning around, I saw Kate standing next to Luke in the hallway. She was wearing my plush indoor slippers. She stomped over, her cheeks puffed out in anger. "Stella, Luke went to three different cafes to buy that for me! Taking things without asking is just stealing!" I looked at Luke, completely utterly baffled. "Why is she in our apartment? And since when is drinking milk from my own kitchen considered stealing?" Facing my outrage, he answered in a deadpan, clinical tone. "Kate fractured her ankle. She lives in a fourth-floor walk-up, it's not safe for her to be alone. I'm the one who invited her to the mountains, it is my ethical responsibility to care for her." "Just watch yourself from now on. Don't touch her things." Looking at the massive bags of her groceries and clothes in his hands, I knew there was no room for debate. It didn't matter. I had three days left. He could move ten Kates into this apartment for all I cared. I didn't argue. I turned back to the table, ready to finish eating. Luke grabbed my wrist. "Order some takeout. I calculated the macros in this meal specifically for Kate's bone recovery." A wave of intense nausea hit me. My appetite vanished instantly. I pulled my arm free and headed straight for the master bedroom. Once again, his hand clamped down on my arm. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek velvet box. "Stella. Happy birthday." The logo on the ribbon screamed luxury. Luke had never been stingy when it came to spending money on me. But right now, looking at the velvet box felt like looking at a rock. I took it and mechanically untied the ribbon. Inside was a limited-edition designer bag that would make most women scream with joy. But it was the exact same model he had bought me last year. And the year before that. He hadn't even bothered to pick a different color. A profound sense of exhaustion washed over me. Standing nearby, Kate let out a dramatically exaggerated gasp. "Wow, I am so jealous of you, Stella! You get a thousand-dollar bag for your birthday." "When it was my birthday two days ago, Luke only gave me a silver ring he designed and forged himself in a workshop." Luke reached out and affectionately pinched the back of her neck. "You little brat. Did you conveniently forget the burn blisters I got all over my hands making that for you?" Here we go again. Even though my heart was already dead, a fresh wave of humiliation crashed over me. I remembered watching a vlog of a couple making silver rings together. I thought it was so romantic, so I begged Luke to take a workshop with me. What had he said back then? That it was juvenile. A complete waste of his valuable time. Now I knew the truth. It wasn't a waste of time. I just wasn't the woman worth wasting his time for. I had no desire to watch this twisted soap opera. I sped up my limp toward the master bedroom. He yanked me back a third time. "What do you want?!" My stitches were pulling, my ankle felt like it was on fire. I glared at Luke with raw irritation. Perhaps he finally noticed the genuine agony in my eyes. For a fleeting second, Luke looked uncertain. "Stella, Kate's bones need calcium to heal. The master bedroom gets the best morning light. You let her have the bed, and I'll sleep in the guest room with you..." I cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "No problem. But you can sleep on the couch. I don't need your company." The next afternoon, I hobbled into my office building on crutches. I barely made it through the glass doors before a panicked coworker sprinted up and grabbed my arm. "Stella, the final project handover is a complete disaster!" "The new tech prototype specifications from two days ago? Someone moved a decimal point. The entire manufacturing batch is ruined. The company is liable for three million dollars in damages! Upper management is out for blood, and Kate swore to the board that you built that data sheet!" I froze, the blood draining from my face. Ever since Kate joined my division, she had been notoriously careless. As her manager, I knew how brutal the corporate world was for fresh graduates, so I covered for her, giving her second and third chances. I never imagined she would use the exact day I was in the hospital getting stitches to bypass me completely and send unverified blueprints to the factory. I had personally crunched those numbers flawlessly, and explicitly told her to leave the file on my desk for final approval before clicking send. My heart hammered against my ribs as I rushed into the glass-walled conference room. Luke was there. Kate was standing right beside him, crying beautifully, looking like a fragile victim. "Stella gave me that spreadsheet. She ordered me to submit it to the factory. I'm just a junior intern, how would I ever have the authority to bypass a senior manager?" A blinding rage ignited in my chest. I opened my mouth to defend myself. Luke placed my work laptop on the mahogany table. "I am Stella's partner. I can testify that she was the one who compiled this report." He tapped the keyboard, projecting IT activity logs and our internal chat history onto the screen. They had come fully prepared. Against fabricated digital evidence, every defense I had was suffocated in my throat. I couldn't prove a thing. The board decided to suspend me pending a formal investigation, but Kate had already won the narrative. Walking out of the skyscraper, Luke reached out, his voice gentle as he tried to wipe away the tears streaming down my face. "I'm sorry, Stella. Kate told me this job is the only thing keeping her mental health stable. I had to intervene." "I'll pay the three million dollars in damages for you. With your stellar resume, you can easily land a director role at a better firm." I slapped his hand away. "You know exactly how much blood and sweat it took for me to climb to this position! If the board officially pins this negligence on me, I will be blacklisted from the entire industry!" Luke just stared down at me, his eyes dead and resolute. "I'm sorry, Stella. You're the only one strong enough to take this fall." It didn't take long for me to understand what he really meant. That evening, a video titled 'Corporate Manager Drives Junior Intern to Depression' rocketed to the top of every social media trending list. In the video, Kate looked pale and haunted, crying hysterically as she detailed how her 'jealous superior' bullied her daily and forced her to take the blame for a million-dollar blunder. Luke, leveraging his status as a respected psychologist, commented on the post, verifying his 'girlfriend's' toxic behavior. The internet exploded. Furious strangers hunted down my digital footprint, exposing my full name, phone number, and address. My phone didn't stop ringing. Death threats, insults, heavy breathing. And then, they found my parents' landline. At one in the morning, my mother called me, her voice shrill with absolute terror. "Stella, what is happening! Your father picked up the phone and people were screaming at him for hours, calling you a criminal, saying you were going to federal prison! His heart gave out. He's in the ICU right now, they're trying to resuscitate him! You have to come home!" A deafening ringing filled my ears. I couldn't pull oxygen into my lungs. In my absolute darkest moment, I saw Luke walking into the hallway, keys in hand, pulling on his coat. Despite the venomous hatred I felt for him, I couldn't afford to waste a single second. I lunged forward and grabbed his sleeve, begging. "Luke! My dad had a heart attack because of the harassment! He's in the ER! The flights are grounded because of the weather, please, you have to drive me to Chicago! Please, remember how he used to treat you when we were kids, I'm begging you!" I saw the conflict in his eyes. A flash of hesitation. But then his phone lit up. He glanced at the screen, and the hesitation vanished, replaced by cold panic. "Stella, Kate just texted me. She's having a severe panic attack. She's standing on the edge of her apartment roof!" "Be rational. I'll go talk her off the ledge, and then I swear I'll drive you straight to Chicago to see your dad." Without another word, he violently ripped his sleeve from my grip and sprinted out the door.
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