The first time Ethan didn't come home, Jalissa stayed up all night waiting for him. She kept checking her phone, hoping for a call or a textâsomething to let her know he was okay. When the sun rose and his side of the bed was still untouched, the weight of worry pressed against her chest.
By the time she finished her morning shift at the coffee shop, exhaustion had replaced her concern. She sent Ethan another text as she walked to her second job.
Jalissa: Ethan, where are you? You didn't come home last night. Please call me.
She kept her phone close all day, stealing glances at it during her cleaning shift. But there was no response.
The second night was worse. Jalissa paced the small apartment, glancing at the clock every few minutes. She tried calling him again, but his phone went straight to voicemail.
When Gina called to check on her, Jalissa answered with a shaky voice.
"J, what's going on?" Gina asked, her tone filled with concern.
"It's Ethan," Jalissa admitted, sinking onto the couch. "He hasn't come home in two days. I don't know where he is or what's going on."
"Have you tried calling him?"
"Of course I have," Jalissa said, frustration lacing her words. "He's not answering. I'm scared, Gina. What if something happened to him?"
"Or," Gina said cautiously, "what if he's just avoiding you?"
Jalissa froze, her grip tightening on the phone. "Why would he do that?"
"I don't know," Gina said gently. "But you need to prepare yourself, J. He hasn't been acting right for months. Maybe it's time to start asking some hard questions."
By the third night, Jalissa could barely hold herself together. She hadn't eaten, hadn't slept. Her heart raced every time she thought about where Ethan could be, or worseâwho he could be with.
She stared at his contact on her phone, her thumb hovering over the call button. She knew he wouldn't answer, but she dialed anyway.
"Hi, this is Ethan. Leave a message," his voicemail chirped.
Jalissa hung up without leaving one. She pressed her hands against her temples, trying to keep the growing anxiety at bay.
A week passed, and Ethan still hadn't come home. Jalissa dragged herself through her shifts, barely able to function. On her day off, she sat in the living room staring at the door, hoping he'd walk in and give her some kind of explanation.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She jumped up, her heart racing, but it wasn't Ethan. It was their landlord, Mr. Jenkins, holding a clipboard.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Madden," he said, adjusting his glasses.
"Hi, Mr. Jenkins," she said, forcing a polite smile. "Is everything okay?"
"I just wanted to confirm that you'll be vacating the unit by the end of the week," he said, glancing down at his clipboard.
Jalissa's stomach dropped. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I spoke with Ethan last week," Mr. Jenkins explained. "He terminated the lease and said you'd both be moving out."
Jalissa felt the air leave her lungs. "There must be a mistake. I didn't agree to that."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Madden," Mr. Jenkins said, his expression softening. "But the lease is in his name, and he's already processed the paperwork. You have until Friday to move out."
Jalissa slammed the door as soon as he left, her chest heaving with anger and confusion. She grabbed her phone and dialed Ethan's number again, her hands shaking.
"This number is no longer in service," an automated voice informed her.
"No, no, no," she muttered, dialing again. The same message played.
Jalissa dropped her phone onto the couch and sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face. How could he do this to her? After everything she'd sacrificed for him?
By the time Friday rolled around, Jalissa had no choice but to pack up her belongings. Gina showed up with her car, her expression a mix of anger and concern.
"I still can't believe this," Gina said, helping Jalissa shove a box into the trunk. "That man is trash. Absolute trash."
"I just don't understand," Jalissa said, her voice cracking. "What did I do wrong? Why didn't he just talk to me?"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Gina said firmly. "This is all on him. And trust me, he's going to regret it."
Jalissa nodded weakly, too drained to argue.
For the next week, Jalissa crashed on Gina's couch, trying to piece her life back together. She worked her shifts, applied for more jobs, and avoided social media as much as possible.
But curiosity got the better of her one evening. Gina had stepped out to grab groceries, leaving her phone on the coffee table. Jalissa picked it up, her heart pounding as she opened the Instagram app.
She typed Ethan's name into the search bar, but his profile didn't appear. He had blocked her.
Her hands trembled as she searched for Kate instead. Her profile was public, and the first post stopped Jalissa in her tracks.
It was a photo of Kate and Ethan standing in front of a massive house, their arms around each other. Kate's left hand was extended toward the camera, a diamond ring sparkling on her finger.
The caption read: "He asked, and I said yes! Here's to forever with my best friend and business partner. #Engaged #NewBeginnings"
Jalissa stared at the screen, her vision blurring with tears. It felt like a knife had been plunged into her chest.
She set the phone down and curled up on the couch, her body shaking with silent sobs.
Gina returned a few minutes later, her smile fading as soon as she saw Jalissa's face.
"What happened?" Gina asked, rushing to her side.
Jalissa didn't answer. She just pointed at the phone. Gina picked it up and scrolled through the post, her expression darkening.
"That snake," Gina muttered. "That absolute, connivingâ"
"It's not just her," Jalissa said quietly. "It's him too. He chose her, Gina. He left me for her."
Gina sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Listen to me, J. I know it hurts right now, but you're going to get through this. You're stronger than both of them combined. And when you come out on the other side, they'll be the ones regretting this. Not you."
Jalissa wanted to believe her, but in that moment, all she could feel was the weight of betrayal and heartbreak.