Dressed in a carefully chosen onesie, Rune slept peacefully as Zeryn waited, confused and anxious. When Halric finally texted, it wasn’t to apologize or explain an emergency—he was at the mall, shopping during a shoe sale. The heartbreak was immediate and deep.

A kind nurse, seeing her distress, offered to drive Zeryn and Rune home. When they arrived, Halric was casually admiring his new sneakers, oblivious to what he had just destroyed. Zeryn, heartbroken and exhausted, confronted him. He dismissed her pain, saying he thought she’d just take a taxi.

That night, Zeryn packed a bag and left with Rune, finding refuge with her sister. Halric called and messaged endlessly, desperate to apologize. A week later, after urging from her sister, Zeryn agreed to meet him. Seeing his regret, she laid down firm terms: he’d get