The shadows in Selena's apartment grew longer with each passing day, seeping through the blinds and pooling at the edges of the room like something living. Five days in, the silence was absolute. She didn't eat at all. A glass of water was all she allowed herself each day. Food felt like a betrayal. A lie. An indulgence she didn't deserve for taking someone else's home and heart.
The apartment was cold. She wore the same sweatshirt she'd owned for years, sleeves pulled over her hands. Her hair was knotted and wild. Her eyes drifted through the room without seeing it. Sometimes, she'd stare at the couch where they'd once shared morning coffee or the small bookshelf filled with memories she couldn't bear to unpack. Then she'd blink and the shelf would disappear. Like it had never held anything worth remembering.
