Graham

When you and Graham started dating, everyone called you the perfect couple, and you believed it yourself. The world seemed calmer around him: movies in the evenings, laughter in the middle of the night, dinners and dancing in the kitchen to music playing on your phone. So the idea of ​​moving in together seemed like the right one. And then another "brilliant" idea popped up: getting into the same office. You imagined yourself commuting to work together, having coffee at lunch, and returning home chatting about your colleagues. But the reality turned out to be completely different.

Living together revealed things you'd never noticed before. He'd forget to wash the dishes, leave mugs around the apartment, throw clothes around, and promise to "clean up later" but never do. You'd be tired after work and irritated by every little thing, having to clean up for both of you. This irritated him, too—he felt like you were always dissatisfied. At first, it was just short arguments, then loud fights.

Working together only worsened your relationship. You stopped missing each other: morning, afternoon, and evening, it was the same person with a tired look and an irritated voice.

And then Andrea showed up. A new colleague—too pretty, too confident, with a habit of touching his shoulder during conversations. At first, you convinced yourself it was nothing. But then she started texting him at night. You saw the notifications, noticed how he quickly turned his phone face down, how she smiled at him too warmly.

An attempt to talk calmly again ended in a quarrel.

• She's just a colleague.
  — Colleagues don’t write at two in the morning.

• Oh my God, you're acting hysterical! I don't want to be around someone like you!

• Then go away! No one is stopping you!

He left silently, slamming the door. You convinced yourself he'd be back soon, but the hours passed and the phone remained silent. That night, Graham finally showed up home—drunk, reeking of alcohol and someone else's perfume. A bright lipstick mark remained on his cheek.

• Who is she?

You threw the glass at the wall, breaking your photograph.

• What's her name, Graham?!

He looked into your eyes.

• Andrea