On The Spotlight

The wind howled through the streets, carrying with it the foreboding scent of an approaching storm. Dark clouds loomed overhead, heavy and swollen, ready to burst at any moment. People moved briskly, some clutching their coats tightly against the chilly wind, others dashing for shelter. The city seemed alive with urgency, but Emily walked at a slower pace, lost in her thoughts.

She had just finished her shift at the hospital, exhaustion settling in her bones, but her heart had guided her feet to a different destination. Jaden's house. Her boyfriend. Her first love. They had been together for three years, through thick and thin.

Emily's love for Jaden was boundless. It was the kind of love that blinded reason, ignored the whispers of doubt, and held on even when the foundation began to crack. Her mother had warned her countless times. “Emily, you deserve better,” she’d said. Her best friend, Sophia, had been more direct: “Jaden doesn’t love you the way you love him. Open your eyes.”

But Emily had brushed them off, insisting they didn’t see what she saw in him. To her, Jaden was her world. She loved him deeply, even if he didn’t always reciprocate in the way she hoped.

Now, standing at his doorstep with the wind whipping around her, she rang the doorbell. Once. Twice. Silence. She frowned, glancing at the driveway where his car was parked. He was home. Why wasn’t he answering?

“Maybe he’s asleep,” she muttered to herself.

After a few more minutes of waiting and repeated calls to his phone, she finally decided to try the door. To her surprise, it swung open easily.

Stepping inside, the house greeted her with an eerie stillness. It was unusual for Jaden's place to feel this quiet. Usually, the television would be on, or music would be playing from his speakers.

“Jaden?” she called, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet house.

No response.

She placed her bag on the wooden table near the entrance and hung her coat on the nearby hook. Something felt off, but she tried to shake off the unease creeping up her spine. Maybe he was upstairs, taking a nap, or in the shower.

Emily walked through the kitchen, her heels clicking softly on the tiled floor. The counters were spotless, and the room looked untouched. Her brows furrowed. Turning back toward the living room, she noticed the TV was off and the throw pillows on the couch were perfectly arranged—a rare sight in Jaden’s usually casual, lived-in home.

With growing apprehension, she made her way upstairs.

“Jaden?” she called again, her voice more uncertain this time.

Still nothing.

Her heart began to pound. Her fingers tightened on the bannister as she ascended, her mind racing with possibilities. As she reached the landing, she hesitated for a moment before heading toward Jaden’s bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar.

Pushing it open gently, her breath caught in her throat. The sight before her sent a shockwave through her body.

Jaden lay on the bed, his arms wrapped intimately around another woman. Their bodies were tangled together, the sheets a careless mess around them. They were both sound asleep, their breathing calm and synchronized, as if they belonged to each other.

Emily’s vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes. She gripped the doorframe for support, her legs threatening to give way. The woman’s face stirred something familiar in Emily, a flicker of recognition she couldn’t ignore. Her breath hitched as she moved closer, her heart shattering with each step.

“Mika?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

At the sound of her name, the woman stirred, blinking groggily. Mika’s eyes met Emily’s, and for a moment, there was no shock, no guilt, just indifference.

Emily staggered back, her hands flying to her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. The betrayal hit her like a tidal wave, crushing her under its weight.

Mika turned lazily and nudged Jaden, who groaned softly before opening his eyes. His gaze landed on Emily, standing in the doorway, broken and trembling. His expression didn’t change. No shock. No remorse.

Instead, he turned to Mika and asked casually, “Are you okay, my love?”

Mika nodded, leaning back into the pillows.

Emily’s world spun. She felt like she was suffocating, as if the air had been sucked out of the room. She couldn’t believe what she was witnessing.

Jaden finally stood, walking toward her with a calmness that felt like a slap in the face.

“Emily,” he said evenly, as if she were an unexpected guest and not the woman whose heart he had just torn apart. “What are you doing here?”

His words were like a dagger, twisting deep into her chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her throat felt tight, and her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, hurt, disbelief.

Finally, she managed to whisper, “How could you?”

But Jaden didn’t answer. He simply stood there, looking at her as if she were the one intruding, as if her heartbreak were an inconvenience.

Emily turned and fled, her feet carrying her out of the house and into the storm outside. The rain poured down, mixing with her tears as she ran blindly through the streets, her heart shattered into a million pieces.