When Love Break Ties

Chapter 17: The First Major Fight

The evening started like any other, with Nathan and Abby preparing a quiet dinner at their small Tokyo apartment. Outside, the city's neon lights flickered through the window, casting a soft glow across the room. The familiar clatter of pots and pans, combined with the scent of garlic and soy sauce, usually brought a sense of comfort to Nathan. But tonight, an unspoken tension simmered beneath the surface. It was a tension that had been building for weeks, fueled by Abby's growing bitterness toward her family and Nathan's silent struggle with his own feelings.

As they sat down to eat, Nathan couldn't shake the heaviness that hung in the air. He watched Abby push her food around her plate, her expression distant and cold. She had been like this ever since her latest conversation with her lawyer about her family's legal disputes. It wasn't unusual for Abby to be in a bad mood after dealing with her family, but tonight, something felt different. Nathan had been patient for as long as he could remember, but the strain on their relationship was becoming harder to ignore.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked gently, breaking the silence.

Abby sighed, setting down her chopsticks. "I'm fine, just tired of all this family drama. It never ends."

Nathan nodded, though the unease in his chest grew heavier. He knew the family drama weighed on her, but it had started to bleed into everything else. The legal disputes, the constant bitterness—it was pulling them apart. And what bothered Nathan the most was how Abby's negativity about her own family was starting to affect how he viewed his.

"Yeah, I get that," Nathan replied, choosing his words carefully. "But... I don't know. Maybe it doesn't have to be this way forever."

Abby's eyes flicked toward him, narrowing slightly. "What do you mean?"

Nathan took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He had been thinking about this for a while—how Abby's pessimism about her family had begun to change his own views about his parents. He hadn't called home in weeks, and every time he thought about reaching out, Abby's voice echoed in his mind, reminding him of the toxicity of family bonds. It scared him, how much he had let her influence his feelings. But tonight, he couldn't stay silent anymore.

"I just think... maybe you should try to let go of some of the anger," Nathan said cautiously. "I mean, it's clearly hurting you, Abby. And it's hurting us."

The room fell silent. Abby stared at him, her eyes dark and unreadable. Nathan could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but he pushed forward, hoping to salvage the conversation before it spiraled.

"I know your family has done a lot of damage, and I'm not saying you have to forgive them," Nathan continued, his voice soft but steady. "But maybe holding onto all this bitterness is only making things worse. For you. For us."

Abby's expression hardened. "So, what? You think I should just forget everything they've done? Pretend they didn't ruin my life?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Nathan said quickly, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I just think—"

"You don't think," Abby cut him off, her voice rising. "You don't understand, Nathan. You have this perfect little family in Manila who loves and supports you. You don't know what it's like to have parents who manipulate you, who lie and cheat to get what they want. So don't tell me how I should feel about my family."

Nathan flinched at her words. He had always known that Abby's relationship with her family was different from his own, but hearing her say it so bluntly made him feel small, like his own struggles didn't matter. He had tried so hard to understand, to be supportive, but it seemed like no matter what he said, it was never enough.

"I'm not trying to tell you how to feel," Nathan said, his voice strained. "I just want to talk about this, Abby. I want to understand what you're going through, but I also need to be honest about how it's affecting me."

Abby scoffed, pushing her plate away and crossing her arms. "Oh, so now it's about you? Of course, it is. You always have to make everything about you and your perfect family."

Nathan felt a spark of anger flare up inside him. This wasn't fair. He had been nothing but patient and supportive, even when it meant putting his own feelings aside. But now, Abby was turning everything around on him, making him feel guilty for something that wasn't his fault.

"That's not what I'm saying," Nathan shot back, his voice rising. "But yeah, maybe it is affecting me. You've been so bitter about your family for so long that it's starting to rub off on me. I haven't called my parents in weeks because every time I think about it, I hear you in my head, telling me that family is just another way to get hurt."

Abby's eyes flashed with anger. "So now it's my fault you're not talking to your precious parents? Give me a break, Nathan. You're an adult—you make your own decisions. Don't put this on me."

Nathan stood up from the table, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He could feel the argument spiraling out of control, but he didn't know how to stop it. The frustration that had been building for weeks finally boiled over.

"I'm not putting it on you," Nathan snapped. "But let's be real, Abby—ever since we got together, you've been poisoning me against my own family. Every time I try to talk about them, you shut me down and tell me they're just like yours. Well, they're not. My family isn't perfect, but they love me. They're not trying to control me or manipulate me."

Abby stood up as well, her face flushed with anger. "You have no idea what you're talking about. You think just because your family is 'nice' and supportive, that everyone's family should be the same? Well, guess what, Nathan? Some families are toxic. Some families don't deserve loyalty."

The words hit Nathan like a punch to the gut. He had always known that Abby's views on family were different from his own, but hearing her say it so directly made him realize just how far apart they were. For Abby, family was something to escape from, something to sever ties with. But for Nathan, family had always been his anchor, the thing that grounded him, even when things got tough.

"You're wrong," Nathan said quietly, his voice trembling with emotion. "Family is supposed to be there for you, even when things are hard. I don't know what happened between you and your parents, but I'm not going to let you make me hate mine."

Abby's face twisted in anger. "Oh, so now I'm the bad guy? I'm the one ruining your perfect little life? Is that it?"

Nathan shook his head, his heart aching. "That's not what I'm saying. I just... I don't want to lose my family, Abby. And I don't want to lose you either. But if you keep pushing me to choose between you and them, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Nathan's words hanging in the air. For a moment, neither of them spoke, both caught in the tension that had been building for so long.

Finally, Abby spoke, her voice cold and distant. "Maybe you should figure out what's more important to you then."

Nathan stared at her, his chest tight with a mix of anger and sadness. He didn't want to have to choose. He loved Abby, but he couldn't deny the growing divide between them, a divide that seemed to get wider every day.

"I don't want to have to make that choice," Nathan whispered, his voice barely audible. "But I can't keep living like this."

Abby looked away, her jaw clenched, and Nathan knew the conversation was over. They had both said things they couldn't take back, and now, the silence between them was deafening.

Without another word, Nathan turned and walked out of the apartment, the sound of the door closing behind him echoing in his ears. As he stepped out into the cool Tokyo night, he felt a sense of loss wash over him—loss for the love they had once shared, and loss for the man he used to be.

For the first time in a long time, Nathan wasn't sure where he belonged. And as he wandered the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, he couldn't shake the feeling that, no matter which path he chose, something precious was slipping through his fingers.