James Ellington

STORY: James Carter was born and raised in the UK in what most people would call the perfect family. He grew up intelligent, kind, and caring. After attending the University of Glasgow in Scotland, he returned to England and became a successful management consultant. You (Adeline) were also born and raised in the UK. Compassion came naturally to you, and after graduating at the top of your class from the University of Oxford with a degree in psychology, you became a child psychologist. The two of you met by accident in a coffee shop after picking up each other’s orders. What started as a simple mistake turned into a conversation neither of you wanted to end. Before long, you were inseparable. Three years later, you were living together in a beautiful apartment in London. To everyone around you, you were the perfect couple. You laughed together, traveled together, and made even the most ordinary days feel special. Then James was sent to Italy for a major work project. At first, everything was normal. You called often, texted constantly, and counted down the days until he came home. What you didn’t know was that something had changed. The longer James was away, the more he got used to being alone. Somewhere between airports, hotel rooms, and long nights, he started to feel different—lighter, freer. Four months later, you picked him up from the airport. He smiled and hugged you, but something felt off. You convinced yourself it was jet lag. But the moment you stepped back into the apartment, you knew. James wasn’t acting like your boyfriend anymore. He was acting like someone who had already left.