Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close in a tight, warm embrace. As he held her, his breath brushed against her ear, and he whispered softly, "Mia, I understand you. I can't tell you how thankful I am to have you as my girlfriend. You've supported me through all my mess, but I don't want to be a burden to you. I need to take care of my troubles on my own. Truly, you've already done so much for me that I can't bear to ask for more... I hope you understand."
His words were heartfelt yet heavy with guilt, as though each sentence was both a confession and an apology. Before Mia could respond, his eyelids fluttered shut, and he almost instantly drifted off to sleep on her shoulder.
"Hah… You're always trying to act tough," she sighed, her voice filled with a mix of affection and exasperation. "When will you understand? It's my own selfishness to help you." She gazed at him tenderly for a moment, brushing a stray lock of hair from his face, before leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips.
"Alright, enough for today. We're going home," she muttered to herself. Gently, she eased him into a more comfortable position, then got up and, with some effort, pulled his sleeping form to her car. To an outsider, it might've looked comical, like she was dragging a heavy bag of groceries instead of her boyfriend. After securing him in the passenger seat, she dialed a call to his sister to inform her of the change in plans.
"I'm taking Issac back to my apartment for the night," she said briefly before hanging up.
The drive took about half an hour. By the time they arrived and she parked the car, Issac had stirred awake. He yawned, his groggy eyes blinking open as he stretched his arms upward.
"Where are we?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep.
Mia raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Are you losing your memory along with your sleep? Out of everyone, you should be the expert on this place. You've stayed here more than I have."
"Your apartment?" he asked, still groggy. "You didn't drop me at my house today?"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't question it. My stomach's growling, and I'm too tired to argue."
Issac chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. Her apartment wasn't in the fanciest part of town. It was in a modest yet safe neighborhood, far from the luxuries Mia could afford. But she chose to live here, sacrificing her comfort to support Issac's family financially. Her car, too, was a simple base-model sedan—not the flashy, high-end vehicle you'd expect from someone like her.
Mia could've spent her salary on herself, improving her own life, but she poured her resources into helping Issac. It wasn't just love; it was devotion—like a guardian angel sent to him in his time of need.
As they climbed the stairs to her third-floor apartment, Issac glanced at her outfit and, for the first time that day, noticed how stunning she looked.
"By the way, Mia, I guess I'm late to notice, but… this outfit really suits you," he said, his voice sincere.
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "A compliment out of nowhere? Hehe, are you trying to woo me now? Got some plans for the night?"
"Maybe," he replied with a cheeky grin.
Though his reply was lighthearted, it caught her off guard. Her cheeks flushed a soft shade of red, the teasing hitting her more deeply than she'd expected. Despite being together for four years, moments like these still had the power to fluster her. Their relationship was far from innocent—they were adults who had shared many intimate moments—but sometimes, the simplest gestures or teasing remarks made her heart flutter.
"Well then," she murmured, her voice barely audible, "you're in for a treat tonight…"
Issac smiled, amused by her reaction. As they continued climbing the stairs, his mood lightened—until he suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest.
At first, he brushed it off as nothing more than a fleeting discomfort. But as they reached the third-floor landing, the pain intensified. His breath hitched, and he groaned softly, clutching his chest.
"Hey, are you okay?" Mia asked, alarmed by the pained expression on his face.
Before he could answer, his legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed onto the stairs.
"Issac! What's wrong?" Mia cried, panic overtaking her as she crouched beside him. She frantically pulled out her phone, dialing for an ambulance.
Issac's vision blurred as his world began to dim. His thoughts raced, yet he couldn't make sense of what was happening. What the heck…?
He could hear Mia's voice, but it sounded distant, like it was coming from the other end of a tunnel. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision, and before he could process anything further, it engulfed him entirely.
Mia's cries echoed in the background, growing fainter with each passing second.
"Issac! Wake up! Please!"
But it was too late. His body had already succumbed to the relentless grip of cardiac arrest. The stress he'd been carrying for so long had finally claimed him, like a demon lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Mia shook his lifeless body desperately, tears streaming down her face.
"Issac! Wake up! Don't do this to me!" she sobbed, her voice breaking.
But no matter how much she cried or how hard she shook him, Issac's eyes remained closed. His body was cold, lifeless. The warmth that had once radiated from him was gone, leaving only an empty shell.
Mia's anguished cries echoed through the stairwell, a haunting sound that seemed to reverberate endlessly into the night.
Hearing her cries neighbours gathered around, trying to console her, but she clung to his cold, lifeless body, crying like a grieving widow as her makeup streaked down her face with her tears. No matter how much she cried, Issac was gone forever. In just a matter of a couple of minutes, her life had changed completely.
*****
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