It had been six months since my boyfriend, Tony, and I broke up. Tony had lost his business in a fire and he refused to move on. He spent his days on the couch eating whatever food was in sight. This caused lots of arguments and I eventually could not take his laziness anymore. I left our apartment and never looked back, until today.  

It was a normal Tuesday when I received a package in the mail. I never ordered anything, so I was surprised when it arrived. It was a colorful package wrapped with a pink bow and a light blue tag. I opened the box, and it was filled with overflowing yellow tissue paper. There was only a card inside, and it read: Surprise. Did you miss me? Just because you left me does not mean I am over you. Look out or you will regret it. Do not do anything stupid. With love, Tony.  

I dropped the letter to the ground, terrified for my life. What did he mean? I knew we ended badly, but this is serious. When you break up with someone, you move on. You do not send wrapped death threats through the mail! I picked up the letter and put it on the counter. I did not know what to do. Do I tell someone, or do I keep quiet out of fear? 

I decided to call the police and report him. He did not scare me. The Tony I knew would never hurt a fly. Maybe he got drunk and wrote this out of anger. I dialed the number, but it was interrupted by a familiar voice. 

“I told you not to do anything stupid, but of course you didn’t listen. You never listened to anything I said before, so why would you listen now?” Tony said through the phone. I could hear him foaming at the mouth. When did he become aggressive? 

“Tony, what do you want? I am sorry if I upset you. I didn’t know you were still angry with me,” I pleaded. My voice was shaky and uneven. There was no answer and I sat there in silence for what seemed like hours. I started to tap my foot, worrying about what he was going to say next. 

He finally responded, “You left me because I lost my job to something completely unpreventable. Do you know how that feels? Well, if you don’t, you will soon enough.” 

The line disconnected and I thought I was going to faint. My hands were covered in sweat and my whole body was shaking. I decided to call the police after a short nap. I was in no position to talk to emergency services in this condition.  

I laid on the couch. When my head hit the pillow, I was out cold. 

*** 

I woke up burning hot and covered in sweat. I slowly opened my eyes and took a deep breath. My lungs were immediately filled with thick ash and smoke. My eyes began to burn, and I rolled off the couch onto the ground. The entire kitchen was filled with dark orange flames, overtaking the table and the bar stools. I crawled across my living room and gasped for breath. 

A figure stood roughly four feet away and I saw him grab my keys off the coffee table. He turned around and Tony stared right back at me. He swiftly sprinted out the door and I heard the lock click over the roar of the fire behind me. I was locked it. I groped for the doorknob, but I could hardly see a thing through all the dark smoke.  

Something slipped under the door. It was a slip of paper covered in sloppy handwriting. The note said: This was all preventable unlike the fire that ruined me. Maybe have more empathy next time. You deserve this, but I am still sorry. I will miss you. With love, Tony.