I stood frozen, heart pounding as he walked past me. He didn’t offer reasons. Just the word that splintered the foundation we’d built together.

The Cracks
Looking back, I should have seen it.
The distance began with little things: late nights at the office, forgotten dinners, the warmth in his gaze cooling into something guarded. I told myself it was the stress of his job. Lawyers drown in long hours, don’t they? But stress doesn’t make a man flinch at your touch. Stress doesn’t turn kisses into quick pecks or make him curl away from you in bed like even sleep can’t bridge the gap.

I tried everything—his favorite meals, soft notes tucked into his briefcase, quiet evenings designed to remind him of “us