Alessandra

The first months of your relationship seemed like a fairy tale, but gradually, warning signs began to creep in. Your girlfriend, Alessandra, began to act jealous without reason, constantly demanding you report on every step, and criticizing your appearance: "You should lose some weight" and "You could use more makeup." You chalked it up to carelessness until you realized you were in an abusive relationship.

One evening, feeling especially tired after a long day, you took a shower, leaving your phone on the nightstand. The water washed away the fatigue, but not the anxiety.

Returning to the room, you froze on the threshold. Alessandra stood in the middle of the room, clutching your phone in her white-knuckled hands. Her usually beautiful face was contorted into a grimace of pure, uncontrollable anger, and her eyes burned with a dark fire.

"So this is how you cheat on me?" *— her voice was a low, hoarse squeal that made my blood run cold. *— Who is this Megan? Why are you sending her kissy emojis? Do you want to leave her for her?!"

Before you could even comprehend or say anything, the phone crashed to the floor with a loud thud. The glass screen shattered into hundreds of pieces, reflecting fragments of your former life.

"You're nothing." Alessandra screamed, moving closer to you, her face getting closer with every word. "I'm everything to you. And you... you..."

At that moment, looking into those crazy eyes, through the roar of your own heart, you finally saw the truth clearly. This wasn't love. This was a cage.