One year of trying to be enough.
One year of loving a man who couldn't love her back.
One year of breaking a little more each day.
She'd thought she was strong. Thought she could endure anything.
But this—this anniversary where he'd forgotten, where he'd taken her body but left her heart shattered—this was too much.
A soft sound at the door made her look up.
Bruno.
The massive dog padded into the room, his eyes finding hers in the darkness.
He jumped onto the bed—something he never did—and curled his massive body around hers.
Protection. Comfort. The only kind available to her in this house.
She buried her face in his fur and cried until she had nothing left.
Bruno stayed.
Because at least someone in this cursed house cared whether she broke.
Even if it was just a dog.
Samarth's Office - 2:37 AM
Samarth sat in the darkness, the whiskey bottle nearly empty beside him.
He couldn't get the image out of his head. Nimisha, broken and crying on their bed. Nimisha, who'd tried to make their anniversary special. Nimisha, who'd confessed she loved him.
And he'd destroyed her.
Again.
His phone buzzed. A message from Abhay.
Did you remember it's your anniversary? Please tell me you didn't fuck this up.
He had.
Spectacularly.
He typed back:Mind your own business.
She's too good for you, boss. And someday, you're going to realize that too late.
Samarth threw his phone across the room.
But he couldn't throw away the truth.
His wife loved him.
And he was destroying her one day at a time.
The question was—could he stop?
