When the Tables Turn

Ethan

Jalissa pressed the snooze button on her alarm for the third time, groaning as she rolled over. It was 5:15 a.m., and the faint hum of early morning traffic seeped through the thin walls of her off-campus apartment. She hadn't slept more than four hours, but her shift at the coffee shop started in less than an hour, and she needed to be there.

Her body ached from the grueling schedule she'd taken on—double shifts at the shop during the day and cleaning offices at night. But the bills didn't stop, and Ethan still needed her support. She reminded herself that this was temporary, that one day the sacrifices would pay off. He was so close to graduating, and everything would get better then.

"Come on, Jalissa. Get up," she mumbled to herself, throwing the blanket off and shuffling into the tiny kitchen. The linoleum tiles were cold under her feet, and the smell of leftover takeout from the night before lingered in the air.

She poured herself a cup of stale coffee, ignoring the pile of unpaid bills on the counter. Just as she reached for her bag, her phone buzzed. She grabbed it, smiling faintly when she saw Ethan's name.

Ethan: Late night. Didn't want to wake you. Good luck today. I love you.

Her heart softened as she read the message. Ethan had been so stressed lately, staying out late with study groups and working on his business plans with Kate Parker, his new project partner. Jalissa didn't know much about Kate, other than what Ethan had mentioned in passing.

"She's brilliant," he had said one evening over dinner. "Her ideas are what's keeping this project alive."

At the time, Jalissa had felt a slight pang of insecurity. Kate sounded like the kind of person Ethan admired—driven, ambitious, and sharp. But Jalissa dismissed the thought, trusting Ethan's love for her.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, she responded quickly:
Jalissa: Thank you. Love you too. See you tonight?

There was no immediate reply, but she figured he was still asleep.

By the time Jalissa arrived at the coffee shop, the morning rush was already in full swing. She tied her apron around her waist, plastered on a smile, and dove into the chaos.

"Hey, Jalissa," her coworker Rosa said, handing her a stack of cups. "Double shift again?"

"You know it," Jalissa replied, forcing a laugh as she prepared an order.

"You're going to work yourself into the ground, girl," Rosa said, shaking her head. "You need to take care of yourself."

Jalissa shrugged, brushing off the comment. "It's temporary. Just helping out someone important to me."

Rosa raised an eyebrow but didn't press further.

Later that evening, Jalissa returned to the apartment, utterly drained. She dropped her bag onto the couch and kicked off her shoes. The smell of takeout filled the air, and she saw Ethan at the kitchen table, his laptop open and papers scattered everywhere.

"Hey," she said softly, walking over to kiss the top of his head. "You're home early."

"Yeah, Kate and I wrapped up early tonight," he replied, not looking up from his screen.

Jalissa hesitated for a moment, feeling the strange distance in his tone. "How's the project coming along?"

"It's fine," Ethan said shortly, typing furiously.

"Okay," she said, trying to hide her disappointment. "I'll let you work."

She moved to the couch, pulling out her own planner to organize her schedule for the week. As she did, her phone buzzed with a message from Gina.

Gina: How's Superwoman doing? Or should I say Ethan's guardian angel?

Jalissa rolled her eyes and typed back:
Jalissa: Guardian angel. Definitely.

Gina: Girl, I know you love him, but he better be appreciating all you're doing. Don't let him take you for granted.

Jalissa hesitated before responding. Gina wasn't wrong—Ethan had been distant lately, more preoccupied with his work and less attentive to her. But Jalissa had faith in him. She had to.

Jalissa: He's under a lot of pressure. It'll get better once he graduates.

Ethan's graduation day came quicker than expected. Jalissa sat in the audience, beaming with pride as Ethan's name was called. He crossed the stage, his smile wide as he accepted his diploma. Jalissa clapped until her hands hurt, her heart swelling with pride.

"You did it," she said later that evening, wrapping her arms around him.

"I couldn't have done this without you," Ethan said, his eyes shining.

His words made all the sacrifices feel worth it.

But as time went on, Ethan's gratitude seemed to fade. His late nights with Kate grew more frequent, and Jalissa often found herself eating dinner alone.

One evening, as she cleaned up after dinner, Ethan walked in, his face lit up with excitement.

"Kate and I got our first investor!" he said, dropping his bag on the floor.

Jalissa smiled. "That's amazing, Ethan. I'm so proud of you."

"We're going to celebrate with some of the team tonight," he said, grabbing his keys.

"Oh," Jalissa said, her smile faltering. "I thought we could celebrate together."

Ethan paused, looking at her with an almost guilty expression. "It's just work, J. You understand, right?"

She nodded, swallowing her disappointment. "Of course. Go have fun."

The nights alone became routine, and Gina's warnings grew louder in Jalissa's mind.

"He's not prioritizing you," Gina said one day over lunch. "He's prioritizing Kate and that business."

Jalissa defended Ethan every time, but deep down, she couldn't ignore the growing cracks in their relationship.

One night, as she waited for Ethan to come home, she scrolled through social media to pass the time. Her stomach dropped when she saw a photo on Kate's profile—Ethan and Kate standing close together at a bar, laughing. The caption read: Celebrating new beginnings with the best partner in the game.

Jalissa stared at the photo, her mind racing. She told herself it was just work, but heart was telling her it was something more.