Strings Unseen

Lucas had always been close to Eva. Their friendship was effortless, a safe harbor in the chaotic tides of adulthood. Eva was his confidant, the one person he could count on to help him untangle his thoughts. He believed it was the same for her.

That was until the rumors started.

It began innocuously—smirks from her friends when they saw him, casual comments from mutual acquaintances: “You two make such a perfect couple.” He brushed it off, assuming Eva would correct them. But she didn’t.

It began innocuously—smirks from her friends when they saw him, casual comments from mutual acquaintances: “You two make such a perfect couple.” He brushed it off, assuming Eva would correct them. But she didn’t.

Then came the call from her mother, an older woman brimming with excitement.

“So, when are you making it official?”

“Official?” Lucas stammered.

“Eva didn’t tell you? She says you two are serious now!”

He laughed nervously, assuming it was a misunderstanding. But when he confronted Eva, her response hit him like a fist to the chest.

“Lucas, you mean the world to me,” she said, her voice trembling. “Everyone knows it. My parents know it. I thought you felt the same.”

He wanted to say no, to tell her she’d misread their friendship. But her eyes, brimming with tears and desperation, silenced him. He had seen this vulnerability before—in others, not her. It unsettled him. What could he say without breaking her heart?

Before he could gather the courage to explain, she took his silence as consent. That silence, he realized too late, was the beginning of his undoing.

The Wedding

It was a modest ceremony. Eva glowed with happiness, her hand gripping his like it was a lifeline. Lucas smiled for the cameras, for her family, and for the friends who cheered them on.

But inside, he felt hollow, like a man playing a part in a tragedy only he could see.

As the vows were exchanged, his mind screamed at him to stop, to say something—anything.

Yet he didn’t. He couldn’t.

The Marriage

The reality hit him hard in the weeks that followed. Eva was ecstatic, doting on him with a love so intense it suffocated him. She made plans for their future: a house, kids, vacations. Lucas played along, but each conversation tightened the invisible chains around his soul.

He tried to love her, to find in her the spark he thought he’d feel once they were married. But every touch, every kiss, every smile from her only deepened his guilt. He was an actor, and the script demanded he pretend.

At night, as Eva slept peacefully beside him, Lucas lay awake, staring at the ceiling. A sense of dread gnawed at him, growing with each passing day. He was trapped in a life that wasn’t his, bound by promises he never meant to make.

The Dilemma

Leaving her wasn’t an option. How could he destroy her, knowing she’d built her entire happiness around him? But staying felt like a slow death—a life of quiet desperation.

Rumors of their perfect marriage spread, cementing his role as the loving husband. Eva’s friends looked at him with envy. Her parents showered him with praise.

And yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was drowning.

A Glimpse of Escape

One evening, Lucas met an old friend, Sofia, who had moved abroad years ago. Over coffee, she noticed his forced smile and weary eyes.

“You look...different,” she said softly. “Are you okay?”

For a moment, Lucas considered spilling everything. But the weight of his secret silenced him. “I’m fine,” he lied.

But Sofia’s concerned gaze lingered, a reminder of the life he could’ve had.

The Suspense

Back home, Eva greeted him with her usual warmth, oblivious to the storm brewing within him.

As she talked about redecorating their bedroom, Lucas felt an overwhelming urge to scream, to run, to leave everything behind

But he didn’t. He smiled and nodded, the chains tightening around him

Later that night, as Eva drifted to sleep, Lucas stood by the window, staring into the darkness. A single thought consumed him:

What would happen if he left?

Would she crumble? Or would she find a way to move on, just as he longed to?

The answer eluded him, and as the first rays of dawn broke through the sky, Lucas realized he might never know.