At 11:47 p.m., Maya's phone lit up. She hadn't seen his name in almost three months. For a few seconds, she simply stared at the screen. “Hey. I know it's been a while. Just wanted to see how you're doing.” Nothing dramatic. No apology. No explanation. Just eight ordinary words from someone who had once made her feel like she was the centre of his universe—and then disappeared as if she had never existed. Maya didn't reply. But she didn't sleep much that night either. Because the message brought back something she thought she had finally escaped. And then she noticed something strange. He had done this before. The first time, he returned after roughly a month. The second time, after about two months. Now, almost three months later, there he was again. That was when Maya started wondering: “Is there some kind of calendar for this?” There isn't—not in the literal sense. There is no scientifically established rule saying that a narcissisti...