Stilettos in the City

Chapter One

"Is that the last box, babe?" I asked, hands on my hips.

"Yeah, that's it," Toby replied, avoiding eye contact as he stepped into the house and set the box down.

I walked over to one of the boxes and started unpacking. "I'm excited for our new start," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

Toby grunted a response, pulling out a lamp and placing it on the end table. His lack of enthusiasm was starting to worry me. He'd been distant all week, and I'd barely seen him crack a smile.

As I unpacked, I stumbled upon a photo of us at the beach. I held it up, hoping to break the tension. "Aww, remember this?" I asked, trying to sound lighthearted.

Toby finally looked up, a faint smile on his face. "I remember. That was a fun day." It was the first time I'd seen him smile all week, and it gave me a glimmer of hope.

I smiled back, feeling a sense of relief, and placed the photo on the dresser in the bedroom. As I returned to the living room, I couldn't help but wonder what was bothering Toby. Why had he been so distant lately?

I pushed the thoughts aside and continued unpacking, trying to focus on the excitement of our new start together.

As I finished packing, I gathered my sleepwear and headed to the bathroom. I set my clothes on the toilet seat, turned on the shower, and adjusted the temperature. As I began to undress, I couldn't help but overhear Toby's hushed conversation on the phone. I wondered who he could be talking to at such a late hour, but I pushed the thought aside. Maybe it was just a friend or family member.

The cool water of the shower was refreshing after our exhausting day. I felt my tension melt away as I washed up. After dressing in my sleepwear, I climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. I picked out an outfit for the day and got dressed. As I walked into the kitchen, I passed by Toby, who was already up and about. I started making eggs and toast while Toby brewed his coffee. I poured myself a glass of milk and asked, "Would you like more toast, babe?"

Toby replied, "No, thanks. I'm good with however many you fix." He grabbed the plates and set them on the table, his movements efficient but his expression subdued. I couldn't help but notice the distance in his eyes, but I pushed the thought aside, focusing on our quiet morning routine.

As we finished eating, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Toby's expression was subdued, and his eyes seemed to hold a secret.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, concern etched in my voice.

Toby looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can talk about it later."

But later came all too soon. As we finished our meal, I cleared the plates and washed them, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. What did Toby want to talk about? Why did he seem so distant?

I ambled into the living room, my heart heavy with foreboding. Toby sat beside me, his eyes avoiding mine.

"So..." he began, his voice hesitant. "I wanted to talk to you about us."

I reached out, taking his hands in mine. The warmth of his skin was comforting, but it did little to ease the growing sense of unease.

Toby's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of sadness. But then, his words cut through the air like a knife.

"I want to break up with you."

My grip on his hands faltered, and I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "I'm sorry...what?" I stuttered, hoping against hope that I'd misheard.

Toby's expression was resolute, his voice firm. "I want to end our relationship, Elizabeth. I don't know how else to say it."

"You really want to break up with me?" I asked, my voice cracking as tears welled up in my eyes.

Toby sounded annoyed. "Yes, Elizabeth. I've told you three times already."

A tear escaped, and I quickly wiped it away. "I'm sorry...it's just shocking and hurtful."

Toby's expression remained impassive. "I need to pack my stuff," he said, standing up.

I felt a surge of anger. "You've been cheating on me for two months, and now you're just going to walk away?"

Toby looked down, his voice laced with guilt. "I...I didn't mean to hurt you."

I threw my hands up in disgust. "You didn't mean to hurt me? You've been lying to me for months, and now you're sorry?"

Toby stood up, his eyes avoiding mine. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

I stormed after him as he walked down the hall. "You don't get to just walk away from this, Toby. You don't get to break my heart and then just leave."

Toby sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling out his phone. I was incredulous. "You're texting her, aren't you? You're texting that...that..."

Toby looked up, his expression defensive. "Elizabeth, stop."

I crossed my arms, my anger boiling over. "Get out. Get out of my house, and don't come back."

Toby's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. "Fine. Forget about my stuff. I'll just...I'll go."

As he reached the door, he turned back to me, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Wait, Elizabeth. I'm sorry. I take it all back. I love you."

I slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. I leaned against the door, my body shaking with anger and sadness.

After washing my face and collecting myself, I gathered Toby's clothes and stuffed them into a bag. I grabbed his phone and dialed the number labeled "Babe." A cheerful voice answered, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of anger.

"Hey, Toby. Did you break up with her yet?" the voice asked.

I took a deep breath, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, yeah. He broke up with me. Thanks for asking."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Oh. It's you."

I laughed, a bitter taste in my mouth. "I have a name, you know. Not that it's any of your business. I just called to let you know that Toby's been kicked out of the house with nowhere to go. You might want to go pick up your dog." I hung up the phone, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction.

I took a photo of Toby's clothes, which I had set on fire in the yard, and sent it to "Babe" with a smiley face emoji. Then, I deleted her number.

As I scrolled through Toby's contacts, I stumbled upon a name that made my heart sink: Charlie. I clicked on her name and began reading their text messages.

The conversation was innocent enough at first, but as I read on, my stomach twisted into knots. Toby had been lying to me, telling me he was going out with friends when in reality, he was taking Charlie out on dates.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could do was sit there, staring blankly at the phone as the truth sank in.

How could he do this to me? How could he throw away everything we had for some...some...infatuation?

(A/N: Just a quick little reminder to vote on this chapter if you enjoyed. It really helps motivate me to write more! Thanks! 💖)