Evelyn had been about to go to bed after freshening up. Just as she finished drying her hair, someone knocked on her door.
She froze for a moment, then instinctively opened it.
Standing at the door, Sophie pressed her lips tightly together, her usually relaxed expression uncharacteristically serious.

"Evelyn, you're trending on the domestic hot search."
As she spoke, she handed her phone to Evelyn. On the screen, several trending topics had Matteo's name in them. One of them stood out.
"Matteo's Heartfelt Confession: Where Are You Evelyn?"
The feed was flooded with Evelyn's pictures, though, for now, no one seemed to know exactly where she was.
Evelyn's expression stiffened.
She took the phone from Sophie, frowning as she carefully examined the headlines dominating the trending list.

Sophie didn't press for details. Instead, she simply looked at Evelyn, worry evident in her eyes.
Evelyn, however, didn't show much reaction. She only let out a small sigh and admitted it outright.
"That's me. Matteo is my ex. After we broke up, I left the country immediately."
The sudden revelation stunned the entire room into silence. It took Sophie a moment to react.

"Huh? But why is he making such a big scene after the breakup? Isn't this going to cause trouble for you?"
Evelyn massaged her temples, looking somewhat helpless.
"A little, yeah. But I'm overseas now, and his family… Well, for certain reasons, they can't leave the country. So, it won't affect me too much."
Sophie, however, didn't look reassured. Her expression remained serious.
"You should still be careful. He seems extreme. People at work will probably recognize you soon. Maybe you should wear a hat or something when you go out, Evelyn."
Seeing Sophia's genuine concern, Evelyn forced a smile. "It's fine. He can't leave the country, anyway."
But Sophie clearly wasn't convinced. With a slightly sulky expression, she rummaged through her things and pulled out a cap.
"Here, take this. It'll help you stay low-key. Plus, it's good for sun protection."
Evelyn took the hat from her. To lighten the mood, she decided to joke around. "It's just an ex-boyfriend. No need to be so nervous."
Sophie, however, wasn't laughing. "Matteo lost it at such a public event. That kind of guy has something wrong in his head. I've read too many news stories about crazy exes who take things way too far. Evelyn, I'm really worried he's going to cause trouble for you. Or worse."
Hearing such concern from a woman she had only known for a few months, Evelyn felt a warmth spread in her heart. She reached out and gently patted Sophie's hand.
"We were together for years. He's done a lot of things that disappointed me, but I don't think he'd go that far. He wouldn't hurt me. Don't worry."
She smiled as she spoke, but Sophie remembered the silence Evelyn had fallen into when talking about her ex the other day. She had a feeling the relationship had left deeper scars than Evelyn let on.
Sophie racked her brain for something comforting to say.
"You'll get past this, Evelyn. You've already climbed out of the mud. Just keep moving forward."
Then, as if trying to make her point stronger, she added with determination, "And you've got us with you! I have a lot of friends. If he dares show up, we'll all protect you together!"
Upon seeing the determination in Sophie's eyes, the unease in Evelyn's heart slowly melted away.
She let out a small laugh. "Alright, thanks, Sophie."
She had already survived the hardest days of her life.
Now, she was in a foreign country, surrounded by friends who were willing to stand by her side.
So what was there to be afraid of?