In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world seemed to pause, there was Aiden Carter an introverted, yet funny young man who found his place online. Known on the Mangatoon app for his humorous posts and his unwavering willingness to help others, Aiden didn’t have many friends in real life, but the friends he did have were everything to him. He valued loyalty above all else, and his small circle knew they could always count on him. But despite his kindness and his jokes that made people smile, Aiden often felt a quiet loneliness at the edges of his world. He had a way of brightening others' days, but when the screen went dark, he was just a boy with too many thoughts and not enough connections.

Then one day, in 2021, everything changed.

Aiden was scrolling through the app, when he saw her Isabella Reed. Her online presence was different; there was something raw and intriguing about her. Curious, Aiden sent her a funny message, something that might make her laugh, hoping to break through the icy demeanor that she seemed to have.

Her reply was blunt, but it caught his attention: “I am good, but stone-hearted.”

Her words stayed with him. There was a mystery behind them, a sadness he couldn’t quite place, and it piqued his interest. Isabella was 16, and Aiden, a year older at 17, had no idea that this seemingly simple conversation would change his life.

At first, Isabella seemed like someone who wore a protective wall around herself. She didn’t respond to him in the same way others did, but Aiden wasn’t discouraged. He had a natural way with words, and he was determined to crack the tough exterior she showed the world. So, he did what he did best he made her laugh.

His humor was genuine, always aimed at lifting others up, and soon, Isabella began to open up. She shared snippets of her day with him, and in return, he shared his. They talked for hours, and despite the distance between them, there was a closeness that developed. Aiden was cautious, however. He was careful never to overstep, always aware of the lines that shouldn’t be crossed. He didn’t want to risk ruining their newfound friendship.

But months passed, and something shifted.

As their conversations grew deeper, Aiden started noticing something he hadn’t before feelings. Isabella, with her quick wit and occasional moments of vulnerability, began to take up more space in his thoughts. He never imagined he would see her as more than just a friend, but slowly, he couldn’t help himself. Isabella was unlike anyone he had ever met funny, sweet, and always a little bit mischievous. She wasn’t just a girl who talked to him; she was someone who brightened his days in ways he hadn’t expected.

One day, seven months after they first started talking, Isabella made a bold move. She proposed to him, but it wasn’t an outright confession. It was subtle.an indirect proposal that made Aiden freeze. He didn’t know what to say at first. His gut told him to reject it, but he had to be honest with her.

“I see you as a sister,” he told her softly.

Isabella didn’t take kindly to being compared to a sibling. She rejected the idea of being seen that way, her voice firm as she replied, “I am not your sister.”

Despite the rejection, she didn’t stop pursuing him. Her feelings for Aiden grew stronger, and the bond between them began to change. Aiden found himself thinking about her more often than he thought possible. Maybe, just maybe, she was right. There was something about her that made him want to give this more than just a passing thought.

One night, after talking about their mutual friends and their past, Aiden decided to take a leap of faith. He realized that Isabella wasn’t like anyone he had ever met. She acted cute, behaved well, and even their shared friends thought she was a good person. He hadn’t seen her that way until now, but in that moment, he saw her for who she truly was.

But there was one thing that still nagged at him the fear of betrayal. He had been hurt before, and the idea of trusting someone again was terrifying. So, before accepting her proposal, Aiden set one condition:

“If you have any close guy friends, or a ‘guy BFF,’ I need to know. I don’t want to be betrayed.”

Isabella’s response was quick and unwavering. She denied having anyone else, saying that he was the only one she truly trusted. She promised him that if she had any such friend, she wouldn’t be interested in a relationship. Aiden believed her, his fears slowly fading as he looked at the girl who had been a constant presence in his life.

That was the moment he decided to take the plunge.

With a soft smile, Aiden accepted her proposal. “Okay. I’ll give you a chance,” he said, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a warmth spread through him. Isabella, in turn, was ecstatic, her heart racing at the thought of them being together.

They were happy, for now. They had taken the first step into something new, something neither of them had expected. But as they both knew, happiness could be fleeting.

For how long would it last?

2021, October 28 It was Isabella's birthday. She felt lonely because not many people had wished her. Seeing her sadness, Aiden took it upon himself to make her feel special. He told everyone about her birthday and even put up a story on Instagram so that more people could see it. That day, Isabella received many birthday wishes. Overjoyed, she bought a cake and celebrated, a smile finally gracing her face.

As the months passed, Aiden found himself falling deeper in love with Isabella. Their relationship, once filled with laughter and endless conversations, had begun to shift. They had chosen to keep their love private, sharing their moments through memes, late-night chats, and heart-to-heart discussions. Aiden was always there for her, whether it was helping with family troubles or simply being a listening ear. He was her safe space, her constant. And for a while, that was enough.

By February 2022, the pressure of school board exams took over their lives. Aiden, understanding the importance of studies, encouraged Isabella to focus. Their conversations became shorter, their moments together less frequent. He assured himself that once the exams were over, things would return to normal. But he was wrong.

Even after the exams ended, the distance between them grew. Aiden noticed Isabella becoming more distant, her replies turning into brief, dismissive messages. He brushed it off at first, convincing himself that she was simply occupied with something else. But a gnawing feeling in his gut told him otherwise.

One day, unable to suppress his doubts, he finally asked her, "Isabella, what’s going on? If something is wrong, just tell me."

She hesitated before giving the usual excuses stress, family issues, exhaustion. But Aiden knew there was more to it. And then, one evening, she broke down in tears.

"My best friend and I had a fight," she confessed between sobs.

Aiden froze. "Best friend? Who? You told me you had no one except me."

Her silence was deafening. Then she muttered, "His name is Suwar. He’s from my school. He became my friend a while ago."

Aiden felt his world tilt. The very condition he had set for their relationship honesty about close male friends had been broken. He had trusted her, and she had lied. Betrayal clawed at his chest, but he swallowed the pain.

"If you like him, just go with him. I won’t stand in your way," he said, his voice steady despite the storm inside.

"No!" she cried. "I love you. He’s just my best friend. Can’t a guy and a girl be best friends even if they’re in a relationship? There’s nothing wrong with that."

Aiden wanted to believe her. He wanted to trust the girl he loved. But something inside him whispered otherwise.

Over the next few days, the cracks in their relationship widened. Isabella’s messages became even shorter, her replies delayed by hours. Every time Aiden asked where she had been, she had the same answer: "Talking to Suwar."

Then came the final blow.

Through a fake account, Aiden discovered an Instagram story Isabella had posted a picture with Suwar, hidden from Aiden’s view. A romantic song played in the background. His hands trembled as he took a screenshot and sent it to her.

"Why did you hide this from me?" he asked.

She burst into tears. "I knew you wouldn’t like it. That’s why."

"If you knew it would hurt me, why did you still do it?"

She had no answer, only more tears, more apologies, more excuses. But deep inside, Aiden realized the truth.

She was never going to understand his pain.

And yet, despite everything, he still loved her.

Because he used to think love could happen only once in life.

Months passed, and soon the results of their board exams were announced. Both Aiden and Isabella had performed well. With his dream of becoming a doctor in mind, Aiden decided to move to Gray City, a well-known coaching hub in India, to pursue his further studies. His parents, who had always been his pillars of support, accompanied him to the city to help him settle in. Since he had arrived early, finding a place to stay was challenging, but eventually, they secured a single room for him expensive, yet comfortable about two kilometers from his coaching center. His parents wanted to ensure he had everything he needed to focus on his studies.

One day, out of nowhere, Isabella texted Aiden, saying she was moving to Gray City as well. Shocked, he asked, "Didn’t you decide on a different place?"

She hesitated before replying, "Suwar is going there, so I decided to go too."

Aiden’s heart sank. He had always been uneasy about her friendship with Suwar, and now, knowing that she had chosen a city based on her best friend’s presence rather than her own aspirations, made it even worse. Still, he said nothing. A few days later, Isabella moved to the city, and, as expected, Suwar arrived around the same time.

Soon, Isabella started asking Aiden to meet her, but he refused. He was uncomfortable with how close she and Suwar had become, especially since their Instagram stories were often filled with pictures of them together. Despite his feelings, he kept silent. However, the distance between them only grew. Isabella texted him less, and when Aiden asked what she was doing, she almost always replied, "On a call with Suwar."

She was spending late nights talking to Suwar the same way she once used to talk to Aiden.

Then, one day, during an argument, Isabella said something that shattered him completely. "My best friend is my priority. You come after him."

Aiden felt his heart break, but he didn’t fight. He simply watched everything crumble before his eyes. He tried to leave her, but every time he distanced himself, Isabella would cry and beg him to stay. And each time, he stayed, hoping she would realize his worth.

Then, one evening, Isabella confessed something that left him furious. "Suwar is addicted to porn."

Disgusted, Aiden snapped, "How can you even be friends with a guy like that, Isabella?"

"Don’t worry," she replied casually. "It won’t affect me. He’s a good guy."

Aiden couldn't believe what he was hearing. But he said nothing more. A few days later, Isabella and Suwar had a heated argument. Suwar had told her to cut ties with Aiden completely. That was the final straw for her. She finally broke off her friendship with Suwar.

Crying, she came running back to Aiden. He consoled her, thinking she had finally realized that Suwar was never a good person. She apologized for not listening to him all this time. Aiden thought everything was finally falling into place.

But two days later, Suwar texted Isabella, asking for a second chance. Despite everything, she considered reconciling with him. Aiden tried to stop her, but by now, his love for her was fading. He made one final effort to convince her, but her response drained whatever emotions he had left.

"We’re not best friends anymore," she said. "We’re just friends."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Really? He’s not the right guy, Isabella."

She sighed. "I will handle him, don’t worry."

Aiden thought to himself, Really? After everything, you still think you can handle this?

Aiden stared at his phone, his mind blank. "What kind of reasoning is that?" he thought. "Are you just looking for an excuse to keep talking to him?"

He didn’t stop her this time.

Days later, Eve, an old school friend of Isabella’s, reached out to Aiden. "Suwar is not a good guy," she warned. "He was never interested in Isabella for who she is. He only stayed close to her because she was good at studies. He flirts with every girl. He’s a playboy. All he wanted was to sleep with her."

Eve couldn’t tell Isabella this directly, so she asked Aiden to do it. Aiden tried to warn her, but as always, she refused to listen.

Then, the inevitable happened.

One night, Suwar tried to force Isabella into a relationship. When she refused, he showed his true colors. Scared and disgusted, she finally blocked him.

She ran to Aiden again, this time with tears of regret in her eyes. But Aiden had nothing left to give. Coldly, he asked, "What happened?"

Through her sobs, she admitted everything. "Suwar used to tell me to stay away from you. He made comments about my body. He even asked me, ‘If I touch you, will you resist?’"

Aiden was horrified. "How could you ever consider someone like that your priority, Isabella? How could you push away the person who stood by you for more than a year and a half?"

He no longer felt love for her—only pity.

"Forget everything that happened and focus on your studies," he said. "Start a new life."

Then, after a long pause, he added, "And I’m leaving too."

Tears streamed down Isabella’s face. But Aiden had made up his mind. "I can’t understand why you put him above me. I was always there for you, but it was never enough. Goodbye, Isabella."

That night, he blocked her from everywhere.

He thought it was over. He thought he was finally free.

But that evening, his phone rang.

Over forty missed calls different numbers, different people.

They were all Isabella’s friends.

"Forgive her," they pleaded. "She won’t do it again. She’s crying her heart out."

She called too, sobbing, begging him to come back.

Aiden listened, but he refused to answer.

What happened next? Read in the next chapter.