Late afternoon sunlight streamed weakly through the dusty curtains of a cramped apartment in the heart of Las Vegas.
The room smelled faintly of cheap perfume, alcohol, and disappointment.
It was around four in the evening, yet the tension inside the apartment felt heavier than the blazing desert heat outside.
A young couple stood facing each other in the middle of the room, their voices rising dangerously with every passing second.
What had started as a simple disagreement had quickly turned into a violent exchange of hurtful words and suppressed resentment.
"Repeat what you just said, Jericho."Limo slowly turned away from the cracked mirror where she had been adjusting her makeup. Her expression was calm, but her eyes burned with fury. She folded her arms across her chest, daring him to speak again.
Jericho rubbed his forehead in frustration. His gaze traveled over her body, the short glittering dress, the high heels, the heavy makeup. Disgust twisted his features.
"You heard me," he said harshly. "You're nothing but a cheap whore, Limo."
The insult landed like a bomb.For a moment, silence swallowed the room.
Limo's beautiful V-shaped face turned cold. The warmth in her shiny brown eyes vanished, replaced by something darker,something dangerous.
"What… Did you just call me?" she asked quietly.
Before Jericho could respond, her hand moved.
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the apartment.
Jericho staggered backward, his eyes wide with shock."What the hell was that for?" he shouted.
"Shut up, you ungrateful idiot!" she snapped, striking him again. "You dare stand here and insult me after everything I've done for you?"
Jericho's temper flared. He lunged toward her, raising his hand in retaliation. But halfway through the motion, he froze.
Memories rushed into his mind,the nights she had worked double shifts, the meals she had skipped so he could eat, the countless times she had protected him from his own mistakes.
"Go ahead," Limo challenged bitterly. "Hit me. Show me how strong you are."
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as anger and pain battled inside her.
"I feed you, Jericho. I clothe you. I pay our rent. I take every humiliating job just so we can survive. And what do you do? You drink, you party and you waste your life with useless friends!"
Jericho stepped backward instinctively, protecting his face as she raised her hand again.
"I appreciate all that," he muttered, his voice dripping with bitterness. "But I've been with you since childhood. I was there when no one else was. I deserve your loyalty. I deserve more from you."
Limo closed her eyes tightly. Her glossy lips trembled as she tried to control her rage.
"And now," he continued, his voice rising,"you expect me to watch you sell yourself in some nightclub to rich men?"
A cold laugh escaped her lips."So that's the real issue," she said. "You're angry because I refuse to sleep with you."
She walked toward the bed slowly, her heels clicking against the tiled floor."I would rather spend one night with a wealthy stranger than give myself to a useless man who contributes nothing to my life."
Jericho stared at her in disbelief.Throughout their relationship, she had never allowed him to touch her intimately. It had always been a silent war between desire and pride.
"Then let your body rot," he spat angrily before storming toward the door.
"Good!" she shouted after him. "Get out and never come back!"
The door slammed with a force that shook the thin walls.And just like that, years of love and sacrifice shattered into pieces.
Limo stood alone in the quiet apartment, her breathing uneven, her heart heavier than ever before.