The night cracked with the sound of raised voices.
Rain tapped softly on the window, but inside Matthew's apartment, the storm was louder.
"You never listen, Matthew!" Angela's voice shook as she stepped back, tears burning in her eyes.
"I listen to everything!" he snapped, his jaw tight, his hands clenched at his sides. "I know when you ignore my calls, when you go out without telling me, when "
"You know I love you but you kept making me go crazy !" she cut him off, chest rising and falling fast. "That's control. That's not who I fell in love with."
He took a step closer, eyes dark. "I just want to protect you."I want to know what you are doing.
Angela shook her head. "No. You want to own me in a way I don't want ."
For a moment, silence filled the room. A heavy silence that felt like the end of something that once felt endless. Angela's lips trembled as she turned away. "I can't keep living like this, Matthew."
He reached for her, but she moved before his hand could touch her. The door closed behind her with a soft, final thud.
The next morning, the sun shone brightly as if nothing had happened. The sea breeze carried the scent of salt and fresh beginnings. Matthew stood on the beach, holding a velvet box in his sweaty hands.
He'd planned this for weeks: roses in the sand, soft music playing in the distance, waves rolling gently to the shore. This was supposed to be their perfect moment. Their new start.
Angela arrived slowly, her face calm but distant.
Matthew dropped to one knee, his heart pounding like thunder. "Angela," he whispered, his eyes glistening. "Marry me. Let's start over. I'll change. I'll do anything. I love you."
Her lips parted, but no words came at first. The crowd around them waited, some already smiling as if they knew the ending.
Tears gathered in her eyes not of joy, but of pain.
"Matthew…" she breathed. "I can't."
He froze. "What?"
"You say you'll change but you've been saying that forever loving you is costing me my mental health , ," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I can't build forever with someone who breaks me a little more every day."
Matthew's world tilted as he watched her take a step back. The ring in his hand suddenly felt heavier than the ocean.
She turned away. The waves crashed softly.
And the man who once believed love was enough… watched everything slip away.
He wished he could turn the hands of time and do better cause Angela was the love of his life he can't do without her .
The echo of Angela's words still rang in his ears like a cruel melody. "I can't."
When he got home that night, rage and pain consumed him like fire. He slammed the door shut, knocked over the lamp, and swept the framed photos of them onto the floor. The sound of breaking glass filled the room, but it was nothing compared to the sound of his breaking heart.
Tears burned down his cheeks as he grabbed a bottle of alcohol, unscrewed the cap, and drank until the world blurred. "Why, Angela… why?"
He picked up his phone and called her again. And again.
But the line stayed silent.
Blocked.
That silence tore him apart more than any scream could.
The clock struck midnight when Matthew stumbled through the wet streets toward Angela's house. His eyes were red, his heart wild. He pounded on her door.
When Angela opened it, her face was tired and wary. "Matthew…" she whispered.
He reached for her, but she stepped back. "Please, listen to me. I love you," he begged, his voice shaking. "Don't do this to us."
"Matthew," she said softly but firmly, "your love is not love anymore. It's an obsession and not even in a healthy way . It's destroying both of us. Let me go."I can't even tell you to change any more because that won't work .You had to give me sleeping medicine one time without my knowledge cause I wanted to go for best friend birthday party .i can't any more please leave me Matthew.
Her hands trembled as memories rushed between them, memories she could never forget.
Flashback
Angela stood in front of her mirror, smiling as she fixed her hair. She had been looking forward to her best friend's birthday for weeks. Her dress shimmered in the warm light, and her laughter filled the room.
Matthew sat on the couch, his jaw clenched. "Do you have to go?" he asked, his voice tight.
"It's just a birthday party," Angela said, turning to him with a gentle smile. "I'll be with my friends. You know I love you, right? Nothing will change that."So don't be jealous. I know you are jealous right now .
But Matthew's jealousy was louder than her words. His mind painted thoughts that where none existed.
"Here," he said, handing her a glass of red wine. "Just a little to relax before you go."
Angela didn't notice the faint shimmer of crushed pills dissolving into the drink. She sipped it slowly, still talking about the party, still unaware.
Minutes passed. Her laughter faded into slurred words, then silence.
By the time she woke up the next morning, the party was over, and so was a piece of her trust.
Back to the present.
Angela's eyes glistened. "You drugged me, Matthew. You didn't trust me. You caged me."
Matthew dropped to his knees on the porch, his tears soaking into the ground. "I'm sorry," he whispered over and over, as if those two words could fix everything.
But she slowly closed the door in his face, locking him out for good. A moment later, blue lights flashed down the street she had called the police.
Matthew staggered away into the cold night. The world spun around him. His heart pounded louder than the sirens behind him. He stumbled into the road without looking.
The last thing he heard was the screech of tires —then darkness.