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I...
Jalissa tapped her fingers against the armrest of the couch, glancing at the clock for the third time in five minutes. It was nearly midnight, and Ethan still wasn't home. She had tried calling him twice, but both calls went straight to voicemail.
The excuses were becoming predictable: "Late night with the team," "Kate needed my input on the presentation," or the ever-frustrating "It's just business." But tonight, Jalissa wasn't in the mood to brush it off.
The sound of keys jingling at the door made her sit up. Ethan walked in, looking disheveled and tired, his shirt untucked and his tie loosened.
"Hey," he said casually, dropping his bag onto the floor.
"Hey?" Jalissa repeated, her voice sharper than she intended. "It's almost midnight, Ethan."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, the meeting ran late."
"With Kate, right?" she asked, folding her arms.
"Yes, with Kate," he said, a hint of irritation creeping into his tone. "She's my business partner, Jalissa. You know this."
"And what am I, Ethan?" she shot back. "Your girlfriend or just someone who cleans up after you while you build your empire with Kate?"
Ethan froze, his expression shifting from annoyance to guilt. "Jalissa, come on. That's not fair."
"Fair?" she repeated, her voice trembling. "You promised me that things would change after you graduated. You said you'd have more time for us, but you're still putting her—and this business—before me."
Ethan sat down on the couch, his shoulders slumping. "I'm trying to secure our future, J. Everything I'm doing is for us."
Jalissa felt a bitter laugh escape her lips. "You keep saying that, but when does it start feeling like 'us'? When do I stop being the afterthought?"
Ethan reached for her hand, his expression softening. "I know I've been distant, and I know it looks bad, but you have to trust me. Once this business takes off, everything will be different. I'll take care of you, I promise."
Jalissa looked into his eyes, searching for the man she had fallen in love with. She wanted to believe him, but the growing cracks in their relationship made it hard to ignore the doubt creeping into her heart.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice quiet. "But I need to see the effort, Ethan. I need to feel like I matter."
"You do matter," he said, pulling her into a hug. "I'll do better. I swear."
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Gina
The following weekend, Gina convinced Jalissa to join her for a night out at a trendy bar downtown. "You need a break from all this Ethan drama," Gina said, tugging Jalissa by the arm as they walked in.
