When Kael found out she had lost her sight, he rushed to her like a madman, his urgency leaving no room for explanation. Without a word to me, he brought her home, making a decision that turned my world upside down.

At first, I had no idea who Kaia was to him. Thinking practically, I suggested she stay at a hotel and hire a caregiver for her needs.

Kael frowned, his objection sharp and immediate. “Skylar, I can’t trust anyone else to look after her. Let Kaia stay here for now.” His voice softened as he added, “Before she left, she was my… best friend. I promised her I’d always be there for her.”

Helping a friend shouldn’t have been an issue, but Kael’s protectiveness, his tone, and the look in his eyes felt all too peculiar.

The truth unraveled one afternoon while Kael had stepped out to buy something. Kaia, with a smile that didn’t quite reach her sightless eyes, approached me.

“Skylar, aren’t you curious about my relationship with Kael?” she asked casually, her voice laced with something unspoken.

Before I could respond, she answered her own question. “I’m his first love,” she said, her smile widening.

Her words hit me like a blow, but she wasn’t finished. “I heard that after we broke up, he dated several girls who looked like me. Tell me, Skylar, even though I can’t see, we must look quite similar, don’t we?”

Her words froze me in place. She wasn’t wrong. Our features bore an uncanny resemblance, like shadows of the same face.

That day, I took her for a walk in the courtyard. A passerby paused to ask if we were sisters.

At that moment, the realization struck me, like a sharp, unwelcome truth. After six years of being by his side, I was nothing more than a stand-in.

The questions I had buried deep within suddenly unraveled, one by one. Why did Kael pour so much of himself into Kaia? Why, when I had been bedridden with a high fever, my voice trembling as I called him, he hesitated.

“Skylar, I’m swamped with work. I really can’t take any time off,” he’d said.

Yet now, for Kaia, he had effortlessly requested two months of leave. When his company denied it, he didn’t blink before resigning outright.

The cracks widened further when Kaia wandered through the house one afternoon, only to trip over a package I had left by the door. She hit her forehead on the sharp corner of the counter, leaving a red welt behind.

Kael’s reaction was immediate and fierce. His eyes filled with panic as he scooped her into his arms, his voice a cold reprimand.

“Skylar! If you can’t keep your things in order, then throw them out! All of it!”

“Take your pile of junk and get out!”

He didn’t even glance my way as he stormed out, holding Kaia close, rushing her to the hospital like she was his world.

He didn’t notice my trembling hand clutching my stomach or how pale I had grown from the sharp pain flaring within me. My stomach problems were back, a relentless reminder of all the times he’d overlooked me.

As his figure disappeared through the doorway, I whispered a quiet promise to myself. “Alright.”

If this was what he wanted, I would grant his wish.

For the days that followed, I let go of everything. I stopped asking, stopped interfering, stopped existing in his orbit. Whatever he requested, I agreed without a second thought.

Ironically, my silence softened him. Kael’s anger melted, replaced by a strange tenderness that came too late.

That night, I finished drafting my resignation letter and sent it to my boss’s email. It felt like quietly closing a chapter I no longer wished to be a part of.

Kael walked in, carrying a cup of steaming water. His voice was soft, almost tender. “Skylar, why have you been staying up so late these days?”

Before I could respond, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. His breath warmed the side of my neck as he pressed gentle kisses into the curve of my shoulder.

“Kaia isn’t here tonight,” he murmured, his voice deepening. “We could…”

His breathing grew heavier, laced with a desire that no longer moved me.

I shifted away, frowning as I spoke softly, “I’m not feeling well today.”

The light in his eyes dimmed, and he forced a smile, reaching out to ruffle my hair in that familiar, patronizing way. But I stepped back, my expression blank, my silence louder than any rejection.

His touch, once comforting, now left me feeling repulsed.

A memory surfaced, sharp and unwelcome. Just a week ago, on a stormy night, the thunder had shaken the walls, and Kaia had crept into our room, her voice trembling as she clung to him.

“Kael, I’m scared…”

Without hesitation, he had helped her out of the room, careful not to disturb me. In the living room, his voice had dropped to a deliberate whisper, a tone reserved only for her.

"Don’t be afraid. I’ll stay in your room tonight.”

Before stepping into the guest room, he glanced back at me. With a deliberate motion, he closed the door behind him as if sealing me out of his world.

That night, the storm outside raged with thunder and lightning, but it couldn’t compete with the storm inside me. Beyond the closed door, Kael held another woman, whispering words meant for her ears alone.

He thought I was asleep. He thought I couldn’t hear.

When Kaia leaned in to kiss him, he didn’t resist. Instead, he returned the kiss, their passion igniting with an intensity I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Separated by two doors, I sat on the edge of my bed, hugging my knees tightly as tears carved silent trails down my cheeks.

A memory crept into my mind, sharp and uninvited. Six years ago, when Kael and I first started dating, he had kissed me while drunk. His lips brushed mine, and he mumbled something, soft, incoherent.

I had convinced myself he was murmuring my name. But no matter how many times I replayed it, the sound didn’t fit.

Looking back now, it was clear. He hadn’t been calling my name. It was hers.

Shaking off the memory, I forced myself to move. I turned off my computer, extinguished the light in the study, and headed for the bedroom.

“Skylar.”

I turned slowly.

Kael stood there, his posture casual but his expression uneasy. Dressed in loose pajamas, he looked at me with something that resembled worry.

“You’ve been different lately,” he said, his words deliberate, his tone unsure. “Is something bothering you? You seem distant. We promised to talk about everything always, remember? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

For a moment, his presence was disarming. The way he looked at me and spoke felt like a shadow of the man I had fallen for all those years ago.

That year, on a rainy afternoon, we had accidentally swapped umbrellas. Kael stood across from me, a gentle smile lighting up his face.

“Skylar, doesn’t this feel like something straight out of a love story? Us taking the wrong umbrellas, it has to be fate, don’t you think?”

Back then, his words sent my heart racing, his voice weaving dreams of romance.

But now, that same voice left me hollow.

Kael took a step closer, his hand reaching for mine. “You’re my girlfriend. No matter what’s wrong, I’ll take care of it. Just tell me.”

My nose tingled, and I fought back the tears threatening to spill. I wanted answers, needed them.

What was he hiding? What was Kaia to him?

Before I could gather the courage to ask, his phone rang, shattering the fragile moment. The ringtone was different, unmistakably special.

My eyes flickered to the screen, catching sight of the contact. No name, just a simple “heart” emoji. It said more than words ever could.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kael answered. A trembling, tearful voice poured through the speaker.

“Kael, I’m so scared… I didn’t want to bother you, but I fell while getting out of bed at the hospital. I… I don’t know what to do…”

His expression changed instantly, concern clouding his features.

Without a word, he rushed to the bedroom. Moments later, he emerged, dressed and ready to leave, his coat slung over his arm.

“Skylar, Kaia fell at the hospital. She’s all alone. I need to check on her!”

The words I wanted to say crumbled in my throat. I mustered a smile, brittle but convincing.

“Go ahead.”

When Kael’s figure finally disappeared from my sight, it felt as if the weight of the world had settled on my shoulders. All the strength drained from my body, leaving me hollow. I sank onto the bed, exhaustion and grief weighing me down.

Packing up the remnants of our life together. Over the course of six years, I had accumulated countless trinkets, each one a token of affection, mostly couple-themed.

Whenever Kael saw one, he’d chuckle but never once stopped me from buying them. Yet, he never used a single one.

The items had piled up over time, gathering dust as if they were silently mocking the hollow shell of myself I had become. Most of them were still in pristine condition. I tossed some straight into the trash, while others I sold or gave away, no longer willing to hold onto the memories they represented.

I glanced at the calendar on the wall. Only three days left.

Holding a cup of water, I turned my gaze toward the window. The clouds above drifted in an endless dance, gathering and scattering, only to regroup and start again, just like my heart.

I decided to spend my last three days saying a proper goodbye. I wasn’t going to let this end without some form of closure.

Kael didn’t come home that night. When he finally returned the next afternoon, he seemed surprised to find me there.

“Skylar, why didn’t you go to work today?” he asked.

I kept the truth to myself. I didn’t want him to know I had already resigned. I didn’t want him to know anything about what I had decided.

“I wasn’t feeling well today, so I took the day off,” I replied

Kael merely nodded, muttering a distracted “oh” before he turned and walked straight into the bedroom, presumably to pack things for Kaia.

I knew he hadn’t heard me. He didn’t care. He never did.

Ever since Kaia moved in, I had gotten used to being the invisible one, the one who didn’t matter. I felt like an unwelcome guest in my own life, while Kaia was the one who truly belonged.

Five minutes later, Kael emerged, a bag in hand, placing it on the counter by the door. He hesitated as though a thought had just struck him and then came over to me, pulling me into an unexpected hug.

“I’m sorry, Skylar. I’ve been so caught up with taking care of Kaia these past few days. She can’t be left alone, and I’ve neglected you.”

“I promise, once things settle down, I’ll make it up to you. You’ve always wanted to hike Sierra Mountain, right? How about we do that in a few days?”

I remained silent, my heart a heavy weight in my chest. I didn’t have the strength to tell him the truth, that there was no future for us, not anymore.

But Kael, oblivious, smiled to himself and pulled a small, delicate gift box from his pocket.

“Skylar, I bought this for you a while ago but kept forgetting to give it to you,” he said, his smile soft as he opened the box, revealing a small ring.

I didn’t move to take it.

Just days ago, Kaia proudly showed me the very same ring, her fingers glinting as she told me it was the one Kael had given her six years ago when he promised to marry her.

I didn’t know how the ring had made its way back into his hands, but by now, it didn’t matter.

“Keep it for Miss Jennings,” I said coldly, gathering my things. I grabbed a box of random junk and held my bag firmly, my heart already halfway out the door.

Kael froze, his expression turning to one of confusion. A flicker of panic crossed his face.

“Skylar… where are you going?”

“Just out for a walk,” I said.

He followed me a few steps, hesitation in his stride as if he wanted to say something.

“Skylar, did you… see that post on my Instagram?”

I paused.

I knew what he was referring to.

It was the post from last night, the one I had tried to ignore.

For six years, he had refused to make our relationship public, always keeping us hidden, tucked away from the world. But then came the post, his first public declaration of Kaia.

A photo of them holding hands by her hospital bed. The soft glow of her peaceful, sleeping face illuminated the moment.

The caption read, [With you by my side, it feels like I have the whole world.]

The comments flooded in quickly.

[Is this your girlfriend?]

[Wow, Kael, you’ve been hiding her well! Together so long, and only now making it public? Wedding bells soon?]

But it was the comment that stood out the most:

[You don’t understand. This is his first love, his goddess!]

At first, I didn’t feel much, almost numb to it all. I even gave it a like.

But before long, that post disappeared. Deleted, likely because Kael forgot to set it to “Only Me” visibility.

I had never been the type to snoop through his phone, but a few days ago, curiosity got the better of me. When his phone lit up, I couldn’t resist a quick glance.

I opened Instagram and scrolled, and each post was marked “Only Me.”

Every single one was about Kaia. Memories of them, even from six years ago, still held a sacred place in his heart.

And in that moment, I knew. I had lost.

A smile tugged at my lips, a bittersweet expression of resignation.