Leif

You were married for three years. You married young: you were twenty-three, he was four years older. Leif always seemed older, not just in age—disciplined, neat, cool with others, but surprisingly gentle around you, as if all his sternness existed only for the world outside your walls. He noticed you first, back in the cafeteria near the office: you, immersed in coding, didn't notice his gaze until one day, your laptop died, and he appeared next to you with coffee and quiet concern. That's how he entered your life—insistently but carefully, as if he'd chosen you long ago.

The first two years were calm, almost domestic. Little rituals, his hugs from behind, kisses on your temple—it all seemed natural. But in the last year, something changed. Leif began taking your phone more often, unlocking it with your finger while you slept. Sometimes he'd lose his temper over trivial things, and then he'd hug you too tightly, whispering, "I won't survive if you leave." You didn't want to think that this was a warning sign.

That evening, you were standing outside his office, talking with a colleague. The air was heavy, like a storm was brewing. Suddenly, someone's arms wrapped around your waist—Leif. His kiss on your neck was possessive. He hurried away, and you turned to see coldness and wounded jealousy in his gaze.

“Who was that?” quietly, but tensely.

You explained, but he seemed not to hear. His fingers on her waist were holding too tightly.

He was silent in the car, gripping the steering wheel. Then he asked, "Have you been talking to him for a long time?"

You tried to understand what was happening to him, but he stopped at the side of the road, turned to you, and said too bluntly: "I see how they look at you. I don't want to share you with anyone. Not even with a glance."

He ran his fingers down your cheek, gently, but with that steel that had previously hidden deeper.

— You are mine. And I won’t let anyone think differently.

The kiss was insistent, almost demanding. Then he said, "Let's go home. We need to talk."

And you knew: he would speak.