Alina's eyes fluttered open, each blink fighting against the throbbing pain in her skull. The sterile white ceiling above her came into blurry focus, the fluorescent lights flickering slightly as the humming buzz filled the room. She groaned softly, her body aching from the weight of bruises scattered across her skin. She tried to shift her position, but a sharp pain shot through her side, forcing her back down onto the stiff hospital bed.
Her mind raced, trying to piece together the events that had led her here. The memories were a fragmented mess of shouting, anger, and the violent blur of Leon's hands—rough, cold, unfamiliar. Her heart clenched, the guilt mixing with the pain, drowning her in a whirlwind of emotions.
How had it come to this?
She turned her head, her eyes falling on the window next to her bed. It was dark outside, the faint glow of city lights barely visible through the drawn curtains. She wondered how long she'd been in this bed, in this hospital room, how long it had been since everything came crashing down. Her breath hitched, and her fingers tightened around the thin blanket covering her. She couldn't shake the image of Leon from her mind—the way his face twisted with rage, the way he had looked at her with a combination of hatred and hurt.
She had broken him.
A sudden knock at the door startled her, and she winced as the movement sent another sharp pain through her side. The door creaked open, and a nurse stepped inside, her expression neutral but her eyes filled with that familiar pity that made Alina's stomach turn.
"Good to see you're awake," the nurse said gently, walking over to check the machines beside her bed. "How are you feeling?"
Alina swallowed, her throat dry and scratchy. She wanted to say she felt like hell, but the words caught in her throat, and she settled for a small nod. The nurse glanced at her, her eyes flicking to the bruises on Alina's face, but she didn't say anything. She simply adjusted the IV drip and made a few notes on her clipboard.
"You've been out for a while," the nurse continued, her voice soft. "It's normal to feel disoriented. The doctor will be by to check on you soon."
Alina nodded again, grateful for the nurse's quiet efficiency. She didn't want to talk about what had happened. Not yet. She couldn't. Not while the memories were still so fresh, so raw.
As the nurse left the room, the silence crept back in, heavier than before. Alina closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down, but the thoughts in her head wouldn't stop spinning. She had made so many mistakes, each one worse than the last, and now, here she was—lying in a hospital bed, broken and alone.
But it wasn't just Leon's fault.
The guilt gnawed at her, a constant reminder of her own betrayal. She had cheated. Not just once. Not twice. She had cheated with multiple men, lying to Leon's face for months, weaving a web of deceit around them until it had all collapsed. She hadn't set out to hurt him—not at first—but the thrill, the temptation of something new, something different, had been too strong. She had convinced herself that it was harmless, that she could keep both lives separate. But Leon had found out.
She wasn't sure how he had discovered her secret, but when he had confronted her last night, the rage in his eyes had been terrifying. He had always been possessive, but this was different. This was a fury she had never seen before, and it had scared her in ways she hadn't expected.
Alina swallowed hard, the memory of his hands gripping her arms, his voice trembling with anger, filling her mind.
"You think I don't know? You think I'm that blind?!" Leon's voice had been raw, his hands trembling as they clenched into fists. "Who are they, Alina? How many? How long have you been lying to me?"
She had tried to defend herself, to explain, but the words had come out all wrong, twisted by her own fear and guilt. "It wasn't like that, Leon," she had stammered, backing away from him, her heart pounding in her chest. "I didn't mean for it to happen—"
"Didn't mean for it to happen?" He had cut her off, his voice cold and venomous. "You didn't mean to fuck other men behind my back?"
Alina had flinched at the harshness of his words, the disgust in his tone. She had tried to reach out to him, to calm him down, but he had recoiled, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Don't touch me," he had spat, stepping back from her. "I don't even know who you are anymore."
She had never seen him like that before—so broken, so betrayed. And in that moment, she had realized just how much she had hurt him. But it was too late. The damage was done.
The fight had escalated quickly after that, with Leon throwing accusations and Alina trying—failing—to defend herself. It wasn't just the cheating that had pushed him over the edge; it was the lies, the constant deceit. She had made a fool of him, and now, he was unraveling before her eyes.
"I gave you everything," Leon had said, his voice shaking with anger and hurt. "I loved you. I would've done anything for you. And this… this is how you repay me?"
Alina had tried to apologize, but the words had felt hollow, meaningless. She had betrayed him, and there was no taking it back.
And then, everything had spiraled out of control. Leon's rage had boiled over, and before she knew it, he had grabbed her, his hands rough and unforgiving. She had screamed, begged him to stop, but the anger in his eyes had been too far gone.
Alina shuddered at the memory, her fingers gripping the blanket tightly as she fought to keep the tears at bay. She hated herself for what she had done, but she also hated Leon for what he had become. The man she had fallen in love with had been kind, caring, and protective. But somewhere along the way, that protectiveness had turned into control, into possessiveness that suffocated her.
It wasn't just the cheating that had pushed her away. It was the way Leon had changed. He had become obsessive, paranoid, questioning her every move, accusing her of things she hadn't even done—until she had done them. She had felt trapped, suffocated by his jealousy, and the only escape she had found was in the arms of other men.
But now, here she was, paying the price for her mistakes. And Leon… she didn't even know where he was. She hadn't seen him since everything had gone dark, since the world had faded into nothingness after that final, devastating blow.
Would he come back? Would he try to make amends? Or was this it? Was this the end of everything they had built together, the final nail in the coffin of their toxic, destructive relationship?
A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts, and Alina tensed, her heart racing as the door slowly opened. For a brief, terrifying moment, she thought it might be Leon—here to finish what he had started—but when the figure stepped inside, she let out a shaky breath of relief.
It wasn't Leon. It was her friend, Sarah.
"Alina," Sarah whispered, her eyes wide with concern as she hurried to the bedside. "Oh my god, what happened? Are you okay?"
Alina forced a weak smile, though the pain in her chest made it difficult. "I've been better."
Sarah's face was pale, her eyes filled with worry as she glanced at the bruises on Alina's face and arms. "He did this, didn't he?" she asked quietly, though the question sounded more like a statement.
Alina didn't respond right away. She wasn't sure how to explain everything to Sarah, wasn't sure how to make her understand the complicated, messy reality of what had happened. But Sarah didn't need an explanation. She had known for a long time that things between Alina and Leon were far from perfect.
"Alina…" Sarah's voice trailed off, her eyes softening with sympathy. "You don't have to stay with him. You don't have to go through this anymore."
Alina's throat tightened, and she looked away, her eyes focusing on the window. "It's not that simple, Sarah."
"Isn't it?" Sarah pressed, her voice filled with frustration. "He's dangerous, Alina. He's… he's out of control. You can't keep making excuses for him."
"I'm not—" Alina started, but the words died on her lips. Wasn't she, though? She had spent so long justifying Leon's behavior, convincing herself that it would get better, that he would change. But he hadn't changed. He had only gotten worse.
"I know he's hurt you," Sarah continued, her voice softening again. "But this… this is too far, Alina. You need to leave him."
Alina's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. "I can't. I… I can't just walk away."
Sarah's expression hardened. "Why not? What are you waiting for? Do you really think he's going to change? Do you think things are magically going to get better?"
Alina's chest tightened, and she swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. "It's complicated."
"No
, it's not," Sarah said firmly. "It's not complicated, Alina. He's dangerous, and if you stay with him, it's only going to get worse."
Alina knew Sarah was right. She had known for a long time that things with Leon were spiraling out of control, that their relationship was teetering on the edge of something dark and destructive. But leaving him… the thought of it filled her with a sense of dread. She wasn't sure if it was fear of what Leon would do or fear of what she would become without him.
Despite everything, there was a part of her that still loved him, a part that still held on to the hope that the man she had fallen in love with was still somewhere inside him. But that hope was fading, and Alina wasn't sure how much longer she could keep holding on.
"I'll figure it out," Alina said quietly, though the words sounded hollow even to her own ears.
Sarah sighed, shaking her head. "You don't have to figure it out on your own, Alina. I'm here. I'll help you. But you need to make a choice."
Alina didn't respond. She wasn't sure if she even had a choice anymore. The damage had been done, and no matter what she did, there would be no going back to the way things were before.
As Sarah sat beside her, offering quiet comfort, Alina's mind drifted back to Leon. She wondered where he was, what he was thinking. Was he as broken as she was? Or had his anger consumed him entirely?
One thing was certain: their relationship had been built on lies, secrets, and betrayal, and now, it was crumbling. The question was whether either of them would survive the collapse.