Chapter 1: Nothing without me
Ella Marquez trudged up the stairs of their cramped apartment, exhaustion weighing down every step. Her feet ached from standing all day, and her fingers were stiff from hours of typing, lifting, and serving. The scent of stale beer and cheap cologne hit her the moment she pushed open the door. The living room was a mess—empty beer bottles, crumpled fast-food wrappers, and a pair of dirty socks strewn across the couch. The television blared a video game’s chaotic explosions, and in the middle of it all, slouched back with a controller in hand, was Ryan.
His eyes flickered to her for barely a second before returning to the screen.
"You’re home late," he muttered, pressing the buttons aggressively.
"I’m always home late," Ella said, dropping her bag onto the small dining table. "You know, because I’m working."
Ryan let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, yeah. Someone’s gotta do it, right?"
Ella clenched her jaw, swallowing the words she wanted to say. Instead, she walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge. Half-empty cartons and takeout boxes greeted her. The groceries she had bought just days ago were already gone.
"Did you even leave me anything to eat?" she asked, her voice tight.
Ryan didn’t answer.
"Ryan?"
A sigh. Then, lazily, "I was hungry. You know how it is."
Ella slammed the fridge shut, pressing her hands against the counter. Her body trembled, not from fear, but from sheer frustration. "Yeah, I know how it is. I know how it is to bust my ass at three different jobs while you sit here all day doing nothing. I know how it is to come home, exhausted, to this—this disaster of a place. And I sure as hell know how it is to starve while you spend the little money I make on alcohol and games!"