[WARNING! Unedited! Don't Buy!]
The hotel room was quiet, save for the hum of the air conditioner and the distant city traffic beyond the windows. Lina sat at the edge of the bed, her phone now cold and silent in her hand, its screen dark. The SIM card that once tethered her to Christian and the torment of their toxic connection now lay discarded in the wastebasket beside her. It felt symbolic—like throwing away a piece of her former self. A small act, but one that carried weight.
She had barely eaten that day. Room service trays piled up near the door, untouched. Her appetite had vanished the moment she realized Christian had stayed with Stacey all night—again. Not because he cared, but because he felt obligated. Or so he told himself. But Lina didn't need another excuse, didn't need more of his lies or his carefully crafted explanations.
