Complex sentence: Instead of discussing his plans with his devoted girlfriend Stacey, he plans to drop her but, aware of what he has in mind, she quietly retreats from him in order to make it difficult for him to achieve his goal.
Split into simpler sentences: Instead of discussing his plans with his devoted girlfriend Stacey, he plans to drop her. Aware of what he has in mind, she quietly retreats from him to make it difficult for him to achieve his goal.