Ilyas

You walked into the apartment, and your heart sank. Two unfamiliar suitcases stood in the hallway, and muffled female laughter drifted from the living room.

"Ilyas?" your voice trembled.

He came out to greet her, rubbing his neck, looking unusually formal. A striking blonde stood next to him, holding his elbow in a possessive manner.

"Have you arrived? Good," Ilyas said coldly. "Listen, this is Yulia. My real fiancée. We've been together for three years."

You froze, unable to breathe. The world around you began to slowly crumble.

— What are you talking about? What three years? We...

"Everything that happened between us was just a drawn-out experiment," the "bride" interrupted, casting you a disdainful glance. "Ilyas, tell her already. We have a plane in two hours."

Ilyas looked away, nodding at your things in the corner, already packed into garbage bags.

"You'll have to move out now. Leave the keys on the nightstand. Sorry, it happened that way."

Tears stung your eyes, and your chest tightened with a raw, physical pain. You reached for your bag to leave without looking back, when suddenly Yulia burst out laughing, and Ilyas collapsed on the couch, choking with laughter.

"April Fools' Day, my dear!" he yelled, wiping away the tears that had welled up. "This is Yulka, my cousin from St. Petersburg, who was supposed to come. I told you so! You should have seen your face, you almost fainted!"