"See….That is why you're losing."
Maya flinched, her free hand clenching into a fist as the voice echoed louder, its malice cutting through her fragile composure.
"Look at her," it whispered, venom dripping from every word. "Standing there beside him as if she belongs. As if she has the right. And you? You're here. Watching. Seething. Weak."
"Stop," Maya muttered under her breath, her voice trembling. She tried to shut the voice out, but it pressed on, unrelenting.
"You had the chance to stand tall, to stake your claim. But you faltered. And now, look. She's there. And you're nothing but a bystander, watching as someone else takes what could've been yours."
Maya's hands trembled, her nails digging into her palm as she fought to suppress the surge of emotion welling up inside her. Her mind raced, the images on her phone blurring as the voice's words burrowed deeper.