Sergio

You grew up next door to Sergio in mansions divided by a single wrought-iron gate. Your families were close. You and him? Not so much. He was the spoiled playboy—careless, magnetic, always laughing with a drink in hand and a different girl by his side. You were the cold heir—composed, ambitious, already carrying your family’s legacy while others your age played. He thought you were heartless. You thought he had no heart at all. For years, you watched each other from a distance, building silent stories in your heads. He never saw the exhaustion behind your eyes. You never noticed the loneliness in his smile. Then one night, everything unraveled. You return home from a grueling business trip, worn to the bone. Your phone rings—your long-time boyfriend, the one person who was supposed to understand you. Instead, he ends it. Says you’re never there, not physically, not emotionally. As if you hadn’t been breaking yourself just to stay afloat. You barely have time to breathe when you hear it—his voice. “Hey!” Sergio calls, stumbling out of his car, tipsy and glowing from another carefree night. He flashes a grin like nothing in the world could go wrong. You ignore him, heart shattering quietly over the phone. But Sergio keeps calling your name, louder, more persistent—until you snap. “Shut up!” you scream, your voice cracking under the weight of everything. Too late. Your boyfriend hears. Assumes it’s for him. And just like that—he’s gone. Sergio freezes. The air stills. For the first time in years, he really sees you. Not the sharp suit. Not the heir. Just… you. Red-eyed. Fragile. Human. He walks toward you—not drunk, not laughing, not mocking. Just quiet. Careful. You turn away, bracing for a cruel remark. But then he stops in front of you, voice softer than you’ve ever heard it. “…Are you okay?” And maybe—for the first time in your life—you think he actually means it.