Her Love Is Traumatic

Two Years Later

Two years had passed since Christine graduated from the University of Michigan, but the memories still clung to her like a shadow she couldn't shake. She had moved to New York City and landed a job as an analyst at the U.S. Census Bureau—a job she found stable, albeit uninspiring. The city buzzed with life around her, its streets alive with people chasing dreams, yet inside, Christine often felt numb, like she was simply going through the motions.

Her apartment was modest but comfortable. It was a place she could call her own, a sanctuary away from the chaos of her mind. But no matter how much she tried to settle into this new life, she could never fully escape the trauma of her past—of Lara.

Christine had done everything she could to distance herself from Lara, who now, ironically, was in a relationship with Bella. You’d think that would give Christine some peace, some sense of closure. But every few months, like clockwork, Christine would receive an accusatory message from Lara. The emails, laced with resentment and hatred, were always the same: "You ruined my life." "I’ll never forgive you for what you did."

Yesterday, yet another email from Lara had landed in her inbox, and despite her best efforts to ignore it, it reopened the wounds Christine had spent years trying to heal.

Christine sat at her desk, her fingers hovering above her laptop keyboard, but her mind far away from the report she was supposed to finish. Lara’s latest message echoed in her thoughts, “You were the only one who ever mattered to me, Christine. You abandoned me. You’re nothing but a narcissist, incapable of love. You ruined my life.”

Christine had learned long ago not to reply. Any response, any engagement, only fed into Lara’s twisted obsession. So she had blocked her on social media, changed her number multiple times, and even filed a complaint with the university back in Michigan when things got particularly bad. But Lara always found a way—whether it was through a new email address, social media profile, or even obscure apps like Venmo or GPay, sending messages as payments just to get Christine's attention. It was exhausting.

She clicked her inbox closed and pushed herself away from the desk, rubbing her temples. The throbbing in her head had intensified since yesterday when Robert had picked her up from the bar after she’d tried to drown her thoughts in alcohol. He’d taken care of her, as always. But she knew she was leaning too heavily on him. She hated feeling like a burden.

Christine walked downstairs from her apartment a few hours later, the tension still lingering in her muscles but now calmed after a shower and some solitude. Robert was sitting in the living room, still engrossed in his phone. The moment he saw Christine, he straightened up, putting the phone aside.

"Kay, how are you feeling now?" he asked, his tone soft with concern.

"I’m fine," Christine managed to smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Robert’s phone buzzed, and he handed it to her. "Here, Nicole wants to talk to you."

Christine raised the phone to her ear, already hearing Nicole’s warm, concerned voice. "Hey, Kay, you okay? Robert told me what happened last night. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I’m fine," Christine reassured her, feeling guilty for worrying Nicole. She hated being the source of concern. "Just one of those days. I’m good now."

They chatted briefly, with Nicole gently prodding for details, but Christine deflected with light-hearted remarks. After a few minutes, Nicole’s concern turned into a warm goodbye, and Christine handed the phone back to Robert.

"You really don’t need to worry about me, Rob," she said, sitting down across from him.

"You know that’s impossible for me, right?" Robert replied, his voice a mix of affection and frustration. "I just want to make sure you’re okay."

Christine shrugged. "It’s just the same stuff. Lara, again. Nothing new. I’m fine." She wasn’t, but she didn’t have the energy to dive into it again.

"Well, Rachel called while you were resting," Robert said, smoothly shifting the topic. "She got a promotion and wants us to celebrate with her tonight. It’s at Majestic Plaza at 10. You in?"

"Yeah, I’m in," Christine replied, grateful for the distraction. "Do I need to get all dressed up?"

"Maybe," Robert teased. "I’ll leave that to you. Want me to pick you up?"

Christine shook her head. "I can handle it. I’ll be there on time."

After Robert left, Christine was alone again, and this time the silence felt heavier. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the wall. She hated that Lara still had this hold over her—that even now, two years after college, Lara’s words could stir up such intense emotions inside her.

Despite her best efforts to move on, Lara’s presence still haunted her. The emails, the accusations, the hatred—it was as if every few months, just when Christine was starting to feel like she could move forward, Lara would pull her back. Even now, as she sat in her New York apartment, hundreds of miles from Michigan, Christine could feel the weight of her past pressing down on her.

She picked up her phone and scrolled through her messages with Kate. Kate was her lifeline, her best friend now. They had grown even closer since graduation, and though Kate was in Chicago practicing law, they video called regularly. Christine had never told Kate the full extent of what happened with Lara, though Kate knew enough to understand why Christine needed to leave Michigan and cut ties with Lara.

Kate’s last message was a simple, "Hope you’re feeling better, babe. Let’s talk soon." Christine smiled at the thought of their next call. Kate had her own busy life, but she always made time for Christine, and that support was something Christine didn’t take for granted.

But still, even with Kate’s friendship and Robert’s unwavering presence in her life, Christine felt like she was still trapped in a web that Lara had spun years ago.

Her phone buzzed, and her heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she feared it was another message from Lara, even though she had blocked her latest email and social media accounts. But it was just a notification from work.

The relief was short-lived. This was how it was now—every time her phone buzzed, Christine braced herself for another wave of accusations, another attempt by Lara to drag her back into the darkness. Even after all this time, Lara’s influence lingered, like a ghost she couldn’t escape.

Christine sighed and leaned back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had worked hard to build a life for herself here in New York. She had a good job, supportive friends, and yet it still felt like something was missing. The trauma from her past was like an invisible chain, keeping her from fully embracing her present.

She wanted to be free—free from the memories, from the endless cycle of blame and accusations that Lara had trapped her in. But as long as those emails kept coming, as long as she couldn’t truly block Lara out of her life, it felt like freedom was just out of reach.

Maybe tonight would be different. Maybe celebrating Rachel’s promotion would offer her the distraction she needed. Maybe this time, she could leave the past behind for good.

But deep down, Christine knew better.

As she got ready for the evening ahead, a part of her was still waiting for the next message to arrive, the next reminder that no matter how far she ran, Lara was always there, lurking in the shadows.