Chapter 5

Today, Sarah went out again to meet up with Daniel.

I sat at the dining table, scrolling through my phone as I ate.

Daniel had just posted on Instagram:

“Every time I feel lonely, you’re always there for me. I’m so lucky. Grateful!”

The photo showed Sarah and Daniel, their heads leaning together, both smiling and making peace signs at the camera.

Sarah’s friends flooded the comments with likes and gushing messages, praising the “bond” they shared.

They’d always said she and Daniel were meant to be together. Childhood friends, practically soulmates—they made it sound like I was the outsider who’d come in and ruined their perfect story.

Looking at that post, I realized they weren’t wrong. They did look more like a couple than we ever did.

In the past, I used to keep my feelings bottled up for as long as I could before gently reminding Sarah to set some boundaries with Daniel, to avoid giving people the wrong impression.

Her friends always mocked me for it, calling me controlling and possessive, accusing me of stifling Sarah and cutting her off from her friends.

Sarah never defended me. Instead, she joined in, scolding me for being overbearing and telling me to give her more space.

On Daniel’s post, Sarah had left a comment: “You’re always there for me, too!”

I closed the app without a second thought, stood up, and started clearing the table.

Outside, thunder rumbled. Rain was coming.

I went to the balcony to bring in the laundry, and just as I finished, heavy raindrops began pounding against the windows.

In the past, a rainy night like this would’ve had me scrambling to call Sarah, asking where she was so I could take an umbrella and pick her up. I couldn’t bear the thought of her getting even a little wet.

She and her friends used to laugh at me for it, calling me a “hovering mom,” saying I worried too much and ruined the fun of their nights out.

This time, I just took a shower, climbed into bed, and scrolled through some videos until I drifted off.

The sound of Sarah slamming my bedroom door woke me up.

She stormed in, furious.

“Matt, it’s pouring outside, and your girlfriend still isn’t home. Don’t you care at all? If it were my friends’ boyfriends, they’d be calling nonstop, asking where they were, and showing up with umbrellas. But you? Nothing!”