The words fell into the room.
And something inside Demian shattered.
"CRASH!"
The bottle flew from his hand, smashing against the floor. Glass shattered everywhere, small pills scattering in all directions, clinking softly as they bounced across the marble.
Demian stood rigid among the shards.
His breathing was heavy. His chest rose and fell sharply.
Valerie stared at the broken glass and the small pills now laid bare.
Her secret.
Her fear.
Her decision.
And now it was all exposed before Demian.
"You…" Demian's voice was low, trembling, "you're rejecting me."
Valerie lifted her face. Her eyes were wet, but she didn't beg.
"No," she said quietly. "I'm protecting myself."
The words were not shouted. Not thrown like an accusation.
And yet, because of that they struck harder than any blow.
The room was filled with fractured silence, amid shattered glass, contraceptive pills, and two people who were finally seeing each other clearly
