David's Pov

The sound of the door slamming in my face was final. I stood on that porch for a long time, staring at the door, waiting for my heart to stop its frantic hammering against my ribs. But the silence that followed was worse than the shouting. It was cold. She was serious—I had finally pushed her to a point where I was a stranger to her.

I walked back to my car, my legs feeling like lead. The drive home was a blur of streetlights and shadows, but my mind was stuck in a loop. I kept seeing Mara’s eyes—the way they had turned from soft and trusting...