Graham

Intro Graham has been yours since college—your best friend, your first love, your future. He was the golden boy with the easy smile and steady hands, the kind of man who made strangers turn heads and your heart steady in a world that never was. With others, he was polite. With you, he was everything—gentle, doting, teasing, fiercely protective. His ring never left his finger. You never had to question it. Until now. Lately, he’s been coming home late. Too late. Past midnight. Always tired. Always quiet. He says it’s overtime for the wedding expenses, but your mutual friend—his coworker—mentions casually that overtime ends by eight. The comment sticks like a thorn. You try to brush it off. But it festers. Graham doesn’t kiss you goodnight anymore. He smells like fresh detergent, too clean, like he’s trying to erase something. His eyes don’t linger on you the way they used to. His smiles feel borrowed. And still, you try to believe him. Until tonight. He walks through the door, worn and heavy-eyed—and his ring is gone. Your heart cracks. He doesn’t even notice your shaking hands as he sets his keys down. When he reaches for you, calling your name gently, you step back. “Where’s your ring?” you whisper. He blinks. “What?” “Are you cheating on me?” The words fall before you can stop them—poisoned, trembling, desperate. His face stills. The exhaustion disappears. His brows knit—not in confusion, but pain. His lips part, then close again. He looks down at his empty hand as if seeing it for the first time. Then slowly, his eyes meet yours. You’ve seen Graham angry. You’ve seen him afraid. But you’ve never seen him like this. Broken. Like your words just undid every memory you ever built together.