The message from Kai sat there, staring back at me from the screen like a viper ready to strike. My heart raced in my chest, and every breath felt like it was caught somewhere between my ribs. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I had worked so hard to build a life far away from him, from the damage he caused, and yet, somehow, fate had decided to play the cruelest trick on me. Not only was he back in my world, but he was in my office — working in Alexander’s company. How had I missed it? How could I not have seen this coming?
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to push away the cold feeling settling in my bones. The past was never truly dead, I suppose. It lurked in the shadows, waiting for the moment to reappear and tear down everything I’d carefully built.
For a moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. All I could do was remember. Remember the girl I used to be when I was with Kai. The girl who had trusted too easily, loved too deeply, and in return, had been shattered into pieces so small that it took years to put them back together.
Kai had been my first real relationship, and at the time, I thought he was everything I wanted. Charming, successful, attentive — atleast at first. But like a predator, he knew exactly when to pounce. The moment I let my guard down, the moment I started to rely on him, things changed. His possessiveness, his control, it all crept in like poison disguised as love. He manipulated me in ways I didn’t even realize until it was too late. He isolated me from my family, my friends — anyone who might have noticed the warning signs I refused to see.
My father was the first to suspect something was off. He always had a keen sense of people, being a lawyer. He saw right through Kai’s polished exterior, but I was stubborn. I pushed my father’s concerns aside, convinced that he didn’t understand what love looked like in today’s world. I was wrong. And by the time I understood the truth, I was already broken.
Kai wasn’t just controlling — he was dangerous. His jealousy turned into cruelty, his love into a weapon. I had lost count of the number of times he accused me of things I didn’t do, made me feel small, worthless, like everything was my fault. By the time I finally found the courage to leave, I was a shell of the person I used to be. My confidence was gone, my trust shattered. I didn’t think I’d ever find my way back to being... me.
But then came the opportunity to move. A job in a new city, a chance to start fresh. And so, I packed my bags and left everything behind. I didn’t tell Kai where I was going. I didn’t tell anyone, really. I just... disappeared. It was the only way to feel safe again. And slowly, I rebuilt myself. The job, the success, the strength — it all came back. Piece by piece. Until Alexander came into my life, and for the first time in years, I felt like I could trust someone again.
Alexander. Just thinking about him brought a warmth that momentarily eased the cold grip Kai’s message had left on me. He was everything Kai wasn’t. Protective, but in a way that made me feel safe, not trapped. Caring, but never controlling. He never pushed too hard, never demanded more than I could give. And now, after all the time we had spent together, I knew one thing for sure: I loved him. He was the man I wanted to be with, the one who made me feel whole again.
But Kai was here now. And it wasn’t just about him showing up — it was about why. What did he want? Why come back into my life after all this time? A part of me knew the answer. Kai wasn’t the type to let things go. He never had been. He thrived on control, on power. And seeing me now, in a position of success, in a relationship that made me happy... that was probably driving him insane. He hated losing, and in his mind, I was something he had lost.
I grabbed my phone again, staring at Kai’s message. We’re not done, Scarlett. We need to talk. Face to face.
Talk? There was nothing left to say. I had left him, rebuilt myself, and now I was happy. What more could he possibly want? But deep down, I knew it wasn’t about talking. It was about control. It always had been.
I typed a reply, my fingers shaking slightly. There’s nothing left to talk about. Stay away from me, Kai.
I hit send and tossed the phone onto the couch, pacing the living room again. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. How was I going to tell Alexander? How could I explain to him that the man he had just hired —the one he probably trusted to some extent — was my ex? And not just any ex, but the one who had nearly destroyed me.
Alexander didn’t know the depths of what Kai had done to me. I hadn’t told him about the darkest parts of my past because I didn’t want to drag him into it. I didn’t want him to see me as broken or damaged. But now, it seemed like I didn’t have a choice. Kai wasn’t going to stay in the shadows. He was going to push his way into my life again, and I needed to be ready for that.
I sank down onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. For the first time in a long time, I felt... scared. Not because I couldn’t handle myself — I had proven that I could. But because I wasn’t sure how Alexander would react. I wasn’t sure if this was the kind of thing that could break us, and the thought of losing him was more terrifying than anything Kai could throw at me.
The door to my apartment opened suddenly, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I looked up to see Alexander stepping inside, his eyes scanning the room before landing on me. He must have seen the tension in my face because his expression immediately softened.
“Hey,” he said, his voice low and soothing as he walked over to me. “I didn’t mean to barge in, but you didn’t answer my last text, and I got worried.”
I forced a smile, but I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. “Sorry, I was... distracted.”
He sat down beside me, his hand resting on my knee. “Want to talk about it?”
My heart pounded in my chest. This was it. The moment I had to decide whether to tell him the truth or not. I looked into his eyes, searching for some kind of reassurance, something that would tell me everything would be okay. And then I remembered his words from earlier: You can talk to me about anything.
Maybe I could.
“I need to tell you something,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “About Kai.”
Alexander’s brow furrowed. “Kai? The new guy at the office?”
I nodded, taking a deep breath. “He’s... my ex. And it’s not just that. He’s the ex who... who really hurt me, Alexander. In ways that I haven’t told you before.”
For a moment, there was silence. Alexander didn’t say anything, but I could see the wheels turning in his mind. He was processing, trying to piece together everything I had just told him. Then, slowly, he reached for my hand, his grip firm and reassuring.
“Scarlett, I don’t care about your past with him,” he said, his voice steady. “I care about you. And if this guy is a problem, I’ll deal with it.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, not because I was sad, but because the relief of hearing him say that was overwhelming. I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder, and for the first time in hours, I felt like I could breathe again.
“I’m not going to let him hurt you again,” Alexander whispered, pressing a kiss to my hair. “I promise.”
And in that moment, I knew that no matter what happened with Kai, I wasn’t facing it alone. I had Alexander by my side, and together, we could face whatever ghosts from the past tried to haunt us.
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