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Maggie and Ryan had been married for eight years. On the surface, they were the perfect couple. Ryan, a successful CEO of a rapidly growing tech company, and Maggie, a freelance writer carving her niche in the literary world. Their home in the city was pristine, a modern, open-concept place filled with glass windows that offered sweeping views of the skyline. People admired their life, envied the success they seemed to have it all. But beneath the shiny surface, their relationship was unraveling in ways no one could see.

In the beginning, their marriage had been full of promise. They’d spent late nights talking about their future, about their dreams. Maggie remembered the early days when Ryan would cook dinner while she worked, and they’d sit together in the kitchen, talking about anything and everything. But as Ryan’s company grew, something started to shift. Slowly, over time, he began prioritizing his work over everything else—over their time together, over their relationship.

At first, Maggie tried to be understanding. She told herself that Ryan was just in the thick of it—that his career needed his attention and that she could handle the silence, the absence. After all, this was for their future, wasn’t it? But the longer it went on, the more she felt like she was losing him. He was always working, always gone, and when he was home, he was checked out, mentally distant. And that empty feeling in her chest— that growing ache of loneliness—only deepened.

One evening🏵️🏵️🏵️

after days of silence, Maggie tried to reach out. She had cooked Ryan’s favorite dinner, hoping that tonight would be different. She wanted to believe that they could sit down and talk, to somehow bring back the connection they once shared. But when she called him, he didn’t pick up. Not the first time. Not the second.

By the third call, she started pacing the living room.

When the door finally opened, Ryan stepped inside, looking as if he’d just come from a warzone. His briefcase hung heavily from his hand, his tie askew, his face drawn with exhaustion. Maggie stood in the hallway, the tightness in her chest growing.

“Ryan… you’re late again,” Maggie said, trying to keep the frustration from seeping into her voice.

Ryan looked up, clearly irritated, as he walked past her without acknowledging her. “Yeah, I know. Just another crazy day at the office.”

“I made dinner,” Maggie said quietly, as she followed him into the kitchen. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Ryan didn’t look up as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “I’m not hungry. I’ve already eaten.”

Maggie’s stomach twisted, the disappointment sinking in. “You’ve been eating on the go again, haven’t you?”

“Can we not do this right now?” Ryan snapped, walking past her and heading toward the living room. “I’m too tired for this.”

She stood in the kitchen for a moment, staring at the dinner she’d made, the dishes now cold. Slowly, she placed her hands on the counter, her head sinking. When she turned around to face him, her voice cracked. “You never have time for me anymore, Ryan. Do you even know I’m here? Do you even care?”

Ryan paused in the doorway to the living room. His back was to her, but he could hear the pain in her voice. It stopped him for a moment, but when he turned, he didn’t seem to register her hurt.

“Of course I care,” he said, his words sharp. “But I’m working, Maggie. We have bills to pay, a life to build. You think this is easy for me?”

“I didn’t ask you to choose work over me,” Maggie replied, her tone faltering. She took a few steps closer, her heart pounding in her chest. “I didn’t ask for any of this, Ryan. I just want you to be here. I miss you. You’re never here anymore.”

Ryan’s eyes flicked over to her, but there was no softness there, just a distant edge. “I am here. Physically. But I’ve got responsibilities. You don’t get how much pressure I’m under. You don’t understand what it takes to run this company.”

“I get it, Ryan,” Maggie said, her voice breaking, “but what about us? What about me? Do you even see me anymore? Do you even care that I’m losing myself while you’re chasing after... whatever this is?”

Ryan’s expression hardened. He let out a long, frustrated sigh as he threw his briefcase on the couch. “You think I’m chasing something? I’m trying to make something of myself, for us. For our future, Maggie. For the life you wanted.”

“Did I ask for this future? For this life?” Maggie’s eyes welled up. She took a step back, her hands trembling. “I wanted you, Ryan. I wanted us. But I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

Ryan stepped closer, trying to catch her gaze, his voice becoming more defensive. “You don’t get it. You never get it. I’ve been working my ass off, and you think I’m just abandoning you. You think I’m some kind of monster, but I’m not. I’m doing what I need to do.”

“No, Ryan,” Maggie said, her voice growing steadier, though the pain was still evident. “You’re choosing everything else over me. You’re choosing your career, your success, your need for validation, and you’re leaving me behind.”

Ryan flinched, as if her words had physically struck him. But rather than softening, his expression twisted with annoyance. “Why is it always about you? I’m out there, busting my ass to make sure we’re set for life, and you’re sitting here whining about me not being ‘present.’ What do you want from me, Maggie?”

“What do I want?” Maggie repeated, her voice low and filled with disbelief. “I want my husband back. I want the man I married. I don’t want to feel like I’m living with a stranger. Do you even see me? Do you even care?”

Ryan’s face turned red with frustration. He ran a hand through his hair and paced away. “I don’t have time for this right now. I don’t have anything left to give, Maggie. I’m burnt out. I’m trying to survive here. So don’t come to me with your demands when I’m literally breaking my back for this family.”

Maggie’s heart sank. The tears she’d been fighting to hold back spilled over. She wiped her face angrily, but she couldn’t stop the sobs. “I’m not asking for everything, Ryan. I’m just asking for something. But clearly, that’s too much to ask.”

Ryan didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at her. He just stood there, his shoulders tense, staring at the floor. Maggie could feel the distance growing between them like a chasm, one that was impossible to cross. The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating.

Finally, she took a deep breath. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t get it. But what I do get is that I’m standing here alone, again. And I can’t keep doing this.”

Ryan didn’t move. He didn’t even respond. The words hung in the air, unspoken, unanswered. Maggie’s chest tightened. She had reached her breaking point.

“Maybe I’m not the one who’s changed, Ryan,” Maggie said, her voice soft but steady. “Maybe it’s you. Maybe you’ve forgotten who I am.”

Ryan’s jaw clenched. For the first time in a long while, he met her eyes, but there was nothing in them. No love, no warmth—just coldness. And as he turned away, his voice was quieter, tinged with frustration. “I’m sorry, Maggie. I just need some space. I can’t do this right now.”

Maggie nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of his words. She wanted to scream, to cry, to make him understand, but she couldn’t. She was too exhausted. So, instead, she just walked away.

“I’m sorry, too,” she whispered. “But I don’t think you even realize how much you’ve already lost.”

Ryan didn’t say anything. He didn’t try to stop her. He didn’t even turn around. And as Maggie walked down the hallway, the sound of his footsteps behind her .