When Love Break Ties

Chapter 5: Abby's Online Persona vs. Reality

It was a bright Saturday morning when Nathan sat in a small café in Shinjuku, waiting for Abby to arrive. The smell of fresh coffee filled the air, mingling with the faint hum of conversations around him. He absentmindedly scrolled through his phone, his mind wandering as he waited. As if on cue, his thumb hovered over Abby's Instagram profile, which he had recently started following.

The glossy photos painted a picture of a carefree, vibrant life. Every shot was artfully curated—perfect angles, vibrant colors, and captions brimming with confidence and positivity. Abby had built a following with her bold and unapologetic style. Her posts were filled with shots of her exploring Tokyo's hidden gems, snacking on the trendiest desserts, and modeling outfits that blended Filipino flair with Japanese street fashion.

Nathan couldn't help but feel a twinge of disbelief. The Abby he knew wasn't always the smiling, carefree influencer portrayed on her social media. There was something deeper, a weight she carried that never quite made it into the captions. He had seen it—small moments of hesitation, a distant look in her eyes when she thought he wasn't watching. Her smile sometimes faltered, replaced by an expression of quiet pain that she quickly brushed away.

As he continued scrolling, Abby's latest post caught his attention. It was a selfie in front of Tokyo Tower, her caption reading: "Chasing dreams and leaving worries behind. Life's too short for anything less. #Wanderlust #TokyoAdventures."

Nathan was still pondering the difference between the Abby in the photo and the Abby he was getting to know when the door swung open, and she walked in. Today, she wore an oversized denim jacket, her hair in loose waves. Her usual vibrant energy seemed dimmed, and Nathan noticed the tiredness in her eyes as she slid into the seat across from him.

"Hey," she greeted him, offering a small smile. "Sorry I'm late. It's been one of those days."

"No worries," Nathan replied. "Everything okay?"

Abby shrugged as she flagged down the waiter and ordered a matcha latte. "Just a lot on my mind."

Nathan nodded, giving her the space to open up if she wanted to. He wasn't the type to push people to share before they were ready. After a moment of silence, Abby sighed deeply, as if she had been holding in a breath for too long.

"Do you ever feel like you're living two different lives?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Abby tapped her fingers on the table, her eyes drifting to the window. "Like... who you are on the outside doesn't match who you are on the inside. And people only see the version of you that you show them."

It was clear to Nathan that she was talking about more than just a passing thought. "I think everyone feels like that sometimes," he said gently. "But are you talking about you?"

Abby laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah. You could say that."

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as if to protect herself from the vulnerability that was creeping in. "Nathan, you've seen my Instagram, right? The travel pics, the brand deals, the whole influencer thing?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I have. You're pretty good at it. You seem so... confident."

"That's the problem," Abby said, her tone bitter. "It's all a lie."

Nathan's eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"

Abby took a deep breath, looking down at her hands. "I'm not saying everything is fake, but... a lot of it is. I mean, the places I go, the things I post—they're real, but the person in those pictures? That's not me. Not really."

Nathan frowned, trying to understand. "Then who is it?"

Abby gave him a sad smile. "It's the version of me that gets likes. The version that brands want to partner with. The version that people want to see. But it's not the whole story. It's not who I am when I'm not online."

Nathan didn't know what to say at first. He had suspected that Abby's online persona wasn't the full picture, but hearing her admit it out loud was still jarring. "Why do you do it then? Why not just be... you?"

Abby sighed again. "It's complicated. At first, it was fun. I started posting about my travels because I genuinely loved it. I wanted to share my experiences, connect with people, inspire them to explore the world. But then, as my following grew, so did the expectations. Brands started reaching out, asking me to promote their products, offering sponsorships. And suddenly, it wasn't just about sharing my life—it was about creating content that would sell."

She paused, her fingers nervously fiddling with her phone. "It got to a point where I wasn't sure where the real me ended and the online persona began. And honestly, it's exhausting."

Nathan listened carefully, feeling a pang of sympathy. He couldn't imagine the pressure of living up to an image, of constantly having to perform. "That sounds... hard."

"It is," Abby admitted. "And it's even harder because it feels like the only thing I have left. My career, my following—it's all I've got. Without it, I'm just... lost."

Nathan furrowed his brow, sensing that there was more to this than just the pressures of social media. "Why do you feel that way? Don't you have other things—family, friends, people who care about the real you?"

Abby's expression darkened at the mention of family. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, staring down at her latte as if it held all the answers. "I don't really talk about my family," she said after a long pause.

Nathan could tell this was a sensitive subject, but he felt like he needed to ask. "Why not?"

Abby bit her lip, hesitating. For a moment, Nathan thought she might shut down the conversation completely. But then, she sighed and looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sadness.

"My relationship with my family is... complicated," she said slowly. "Especially with my mom."

Nathan leaned in slightly, sensing the importance of what she was about to share. "What happened?"

Abby exhaled sharply, as if trying to release the weight of the story she was about to tell. "We don't really talk anymore. Haven't for years. It started with some legal issues—money, property disputes, stuff like that. My mom... she was always focused on what she could get, not what she could give. We fought over everything, and eventually, we just stopped trying."

Nathan felt a pang of empathy. He couldn't imagine being so disconnected from his own family. "That must've been hard."

"It was," Abby admitted. "But it was also a relief in some ways. My mom was always trying to control everything—my life, my career, even my friends. Cutting ties with her was like getting a piece of myself back. But it also left me feeling... alone."

Nathan's heart ached for Abby. He had never realized how much pain she had been carrying beneath the surface. "I'm sorry, Abby," he said softly. "I didn't know."

"It's not something I talk about often," she said, her voice quieter now. "It's easier to pretend everything's fine. To post the perfect picture and pretend I'm living this amazing life. But sometimes, it feels so fake. Like I'm just hiding behind a screen."

Nathan reached across the table and gently took her hand. "You don't have to hide with me."

Abby looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Thanks, Nathan. It's just... hard to be real when you're so used to pretending."

"I get it," Nathan said. "But you don't have to be perfect. Not with me, and not with anyone."

Abby squeezed his hand, a small smile playing on her lips. "You make it sound so easy."

"It's not," Nathan admitted. "But maybe we can figure it out together."

For the first time that day, Abby's smile reached her eyes. She nodded, a sense of relief washing over her. In Nathan, she had found someone who didn't just see her online persona—he saw her, the real Abby, with all her flaws and fears. And for the first time in a long time, she felt like that might just be enough.