Her Kiss, My Ruin

y retreat, a celebration of another year of crushing our goals, and I felt a deep sense of pride swell in my chest. I glanced at my wife, Sarah, seated beside me, her hand restin

his glass of beer. "Alright, everyone! Enough shop talk. We work hard

silly, juvenile game, but the mood was light, and everyone

think?" I mur

, claiming he was "like a brother" and needed a break from his depressing city apartment. I never liked him. He had an air of entitlement, a way of looking at Sarah that always set my teeth on edge. Right now, he wa

fight song, another had to reveal their most embarrassing moment at wo

d. "Chloe! T

shed. "

ve a crush on some

imson I hadn't thought possible. S

't put her on the spot. Let' s make it a dare instead. A fun one." He then looked dire

a deliberately provocative suggestion, designed to create chaos. Chloe looked li

ood run cold. "Oh, for goodness sake, you're all putting the poor girl on the spot. It's just a silly game." She turned to Alex,

altered as all eyes turned to me, then to her. This wasn't about helping Chl

her arm, my voice low, meant only

ded into a dull roar in my ears. All I could see was her