"Just using her"

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Lena turned the corner, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor, but as soon as she did, she froze.

There, just ahead, was Antonny. But he wasn't alone.

He was on the phone, his back slightly turned to her, unaware of her presence. His voice was low but clear enough for Lena to hear every word.

"Yeah, it's just… I mean, I don't know what else to tell you, man," Antonny's voice was smooth, as if the conversation didn't matter. "She's harmless, right? She's just... there. It's easy. I'm using her for what I need—nothing more. She's just someone to fill the gaps, you know? Keeps things simple. No strings attached."

The words hit Lena like a punch to the stomach. She felt as though the air had been knocked from her lungs. The weight of his betrayal sank in slowly, painfully, each sentence sharper than the last.

She wasn't special to him. She wasn't the one he cared about, the one he'd fight for. She was just... a tool, an easy way to meet his needs, and that was it.

Her hands shook, her heart beating wildly, and for a moment, she stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to move. She had trusted him. She had let herself believe—against all the signs—that there was something real between them.

But now, standing there in the hallway, hearing his callous words, she realized how foolish she had been.

Without thinking, Lena turned on her heel and ran. She didn't care if she looked like a mess—her makeup already starting to smear, her hair falling out of place. She just had to get away.

Her heels clicked louder as she hurried down the hallway, the sound of her pulse drowning out everything else. She could hear Antonny's voice behind her, but it wasn't the apology she wanted.

"Lena, wait! I didn't mean it like that!" he called, but his words were desperate now, tinged with panic.

Lena didn't care. She couldn't stay. She wouldn't stay to hear him spin another lie, to make her feel like she was worth something when she had been nothing more than a convenient option for him all along.

She burst through the exit doors, the night air hitting her face like a slap, but she didn't slow down. She didn't even glance back. Her thoughts raced, her chest tight, as tears burned her eyes. She could feel him behind her, but she didn't want to see him. Didn't want to hear him anymore.

And as she disappeared into the night, all she could hear was Antonny's voice, muffled but still chasing her. "Shit, she heard! Fuck."

But Lena was gone.....

-''-