Tensions mounted as Lila wrestled with the sponsor's demands. Ethan tried to help, but his solutions—practical, business-minded—clashed with her artistic instincts. One night, after a heated argument in her tiny apartment, Lila snapped.
"You don't get it, Ethan! This isn't just a project—it's my soul on that stage."
He flinched, his voice low. "I'm trying to help, Lila. But you're shutting me out."
The silence that followed was deafening. Ethan left, and Lila sank onto her couch, tears blurring her vision. Had she pushed him away for good?