Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of the late One Direction star Liam Payne, has shared heart-wrenching details about her final days with him in Argentina, revealing that she felt trapped in what she described as a “hostage situation.” Cassidy, a 25-year-old influencer, opened up through a close friend about the emotional turmoil she experienced while deciding whether to leave Buenos Aires or stay by Payne’s side. Torn between her responsibilities and her concerns for Payne’s fragile state, Cassidy found herself struggling to make an impossible decision.

According to a source close to Cassidy, the influencer worried that leaving Payne could lead him to relapse into substance abuse, yet staying any longer was becoming unbearable for her. “She feared what might happen if she left, but at the same time, she had her own life and commitments to consider. It was a very difficult decision,” the friend revealed to The New York Post.

The couple initially traveled to Argentina with the simple intention of attending Niall Horan’s concert. However, what was meant to be a short trip quickly extended into more than two weeks, leaving Cassidy feeling increasingly overwhelmed. As the days passed, her desire to return home grew stronger, but Payne begged her to stay, making it emotionally challenging for her to leave.

“They planned to stay only a few days, but after a week, Kate expressed her need to leave,” the friend explained. “Liam kept pleading with her to stay just a little longer, day by day, and she kept postponing her departure. It felt like a hostage situation.”

Despite facing public criticism from some for leaving Payne during what would turn out to be a pivotal moment, Cassidy’s decision was anything but easy. “It’s easy for people to say she should’ve stayed with her rich and famous boyfriend,” the friend added. “But at the end of the day, Kate needed to be home, in her own bed, with her dog. It wasn’t a selfish decision—it was a necessary one.”

Tragically, Payne died just days after Cassidy returned to Miami, falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony. The autopsy report confirmed the presence of drugs in his system, including crack cocaine and “pink cocaine,” a dangerous mixture containing ketamine. He had also been drinking heavily in the hours leading up to his death. Authorities believe Payne may have been in a state of semi-consciousness or unconsciousness at the time of his fatal fall. Payne was just 31 years old, leaving behind millions of grieving fans and a devastated inner circle.

Cassidy has remained largely out of the public eye since Payne’s passing, but she recently broke her silence on Instagram with a heartfelt tribute to the singer. “My heart is shattered in ways I can’t even put into words,” she began. Describing Payne as both her “best friend” and “the love of my life,” Cassidy revealed that the couple had been discussing marriage before his untimely death.

“A few weeks ago, we sat outside on a beautiful evening, dreaming about our future,” she wrote in her emotional post. “Liam gave me a note that said, ‘Me and Kate to marry within a year/ engaged & together forever 444.’” The influencer accompanied her message with a series of intimate photos of the couple, including a picture of the handwritten note Payne gave her.

“Liam, I know we’ll be together forever, just not in the way we had planned,” Cassidy wrote. “You’ll always be with me. I’ve gained a guardian angel.” She ended her tribute with a promise: “I will love you for the rest of my life and beyond, carrying our dreams and memories with me everywhere I go.”

While some critics have placed blame on Cassidy for her departure from Argentina, the situation underscores the complexity of relationships, especially when one partner is struggling with mental health issues. “No one can save another person from their own demons,” the friend remarked, defending Cassidy’s decision to prioritize her well-being. “She did the best she could with the situation she was in.”

The loss of Liam Payne has sent shockwaves throughout the music world, with fans, friends, and former bandmates expressing their grief and sharing memories of the singer. Cassidy’s tribute offers a glimpse into the depth of their relationship and the love they shared, even as it ended in tragedy. As Payne’s music continues to inspire, his memory lives on, not only through his work but also in the hearts of those who loved him.