Something Has Changed

I tried not to think about Daniel's canceled dinner.

I really did.

By Monday morning, I had already convinced myself that I had been overthinking everything.

People got busy.

People had bad days.

Phones rang.

Plans changed.

None of those things automatically meant someone was cheating.

So when Daniel arrived at my apartment that evening with flowers in one hand and my favorite dessert in the other, I felt a little embarrassed about my doubts.

He stood outside my door, smiling.

"Peace offering."

I looked at the flowers.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you bribing me?"

He laughed.

"Because I canceled our dinner."

I took the flowers.

"You did."

"And I felt bad."

I stepped aside.

"Come in."

He kissed my cheek as he walked past me.

"I knew you'd forgive me."

"Who said I forgave you?"

He looked at me.

"You took the flowers."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"And you're smiling."

"I can smile while being angry."

"Not at me."

I rolled my eyes.

"You think you know me too well."

"I do know you too well."

He wrapped his arms around me from behind.

I smiled.

For a moment, everything felt normal again.

Maybe I really had been imagining things.

We ate dinner together.

He told me funny stories from work.

I told him about my day.

He listened.

He laughed.

He kissed my forehead when I complained about my boss.

It was exactly the kind of evening that made me feel foolish for ever doubting him.

Then his phone rang.

Again.

He looked at the screen.

This time, I saw his expression change.

He quickly silenced it.

I looked at him.

"You're not answering?"

"No."

"Why?"

"It's nothing."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You've been saying that a lot lately."

He smiled.

"Because it is nothing."

His phone vibrated again.

He picked it up and stood.

"I'll be right back."

I watched him walk toward the balcony.

The door closed behind him.

I couldn't hear everything he said.

But I heard his voice.

Low.

Quiet.

Almost like he didn't want me to hear.

I looked down at my plate.

I didn't want to spy on him.

I didn't want to become that girlfriend.

The suspicious girlfriend.

The jealous girlfriend.

The girlfriend who checked her boyfriend's phone every five minutes.

I trusted him.

I had to.

When he came back, I smiled.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah."

"Work?"

"Yeah."

I nodded.

"Okay."

He sat beside me.

Then he suddenly asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're trying to figure something out."

I laughed.

"Maybe I'm trying to figure out why you're so handsome."

He grinned.

"That's easy."

"Oh?"

"Because you have good taste."

I threw a napkin at him.

He laughed.

The moment passed.

But something stayed with me.

That feeling.

That tiny voice telling me something wasn't right.

The next morning, I woke up before him.

Daniel was still asleep beside me.

His phone was on the bedside table.

The screen lit up.

I didn't touch it.

I didn't even move.

I simply looked.

A notification appeared.

Unknown Number: Are you coming tonight?

My stomach tightened.

I stared at the screen.

Then another notification appeared.

Unknown Number: Don't make me wait again.

I looked at Daniel.

He was still asleep.

My heart started beating faster.

I reached for my own phone instead.

Maybe there was an innocent explanation.

There had to be.

I turned away.

When I looked back, Daniel was awake.

"Good morning."

I smiled.

"Morning."

He stretched.

"What time is it?"

"Almost eight."

He grabbed his phone.

The moment he saw the screen, his expression changed.

He quickly opened the notification.

I pretended not to notice.

"Are you hungry?"

He looked at me.

"Yeah."

"I'll make breakfast."

He smiled.

"You're the best."

I walked into the kitchen.

A few seconds later, I heard the bedroom door close.

I stopped.

He was making a call.

Again.

I continued preparing breakfast.

I didn't ask.

I didn't want to.

But my mind kept returning to that message.

Are you coming tonight?

Who was waiting for him?

And why did she sound like she had done it before?

I didn't even know if the person was a woman.

I was assuming.

Maybe it was a coworker.

Maybe a friend.

Maybe someone from work.

I tried to convince myself of every possible explanation.

Anything except cheating.

Because admitting the possibility felt terrifying.

Three years.

Three years with the man I thought I would marry.

I wasn't ready to imagine that everything could disappear because of one person I didn't even know.

That afternoon, I went to meet my friend Mia.

She took one look at my face and immediately said,

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that."

I sighed.

"Daniel has been acting weird."

Her expression became serious.

"Weird how?"

"His phone."

"Cheating?"

I almost choked on my drink.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because that's usually where this conversation goes."

"You're terrible."

"I'm realistic."

I shook my head.

"I don't know. He gets strange whenever his phone rings. He leaves the room. He hides the screen."

Mia leaned closer.

"Have you checked his phone?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I trust him."

She looked at me.

"Trusting someone doesn't mean ignoring red flags."

I looked away.

"I don't want to become paranoid."

"Then don't."

She paused.

"But don't become blind either."

Her words stayed with me.

That night, Daniel told me he had to work late again.

I stared at his message.

Daniel: I'm sorry. I have to stay at the office tonight.

I typed:

Me: Again?

He replied:

Daniel: I know. I'm sorry.

I stared at the screen.

Then:

Me: What time will you be home?

He took almost five minutes to answer.

Daniel: Around eleven.

I looked at the clock.

It was seven.

Something wasn't right.

But I didn't confront him.

Instead, I replied:

Me: Okay. Be careful.

He sent a heart.

I put my phone down.

Then I made a decision.

I wasn't going to accuse him.

I wasn't going to cry.

I wasn't going to check his phone.

Not yet.

I wanted to know the truth first.

At around nine, I went to the kitchen to get water.

My phone vibrated.

A message from Daniel.

Daniel: Don't wait for me. I'll be late.

I stared at it.

Then another message came.

Daniel: Love you.

I smiled sadly.

"Do you?"

I whispered.

The next morning, something happened that I couldn't explain away.

I was walking toward a café near Daniel's office when I saw his car parked outside.

I checked the time.

It was ten thirty in the morning.

He was supposed to be at work.

I stood across the street and stared at the car.

Maybe he had a meeting.

Maybe he was getting coffee.

Maybe he was picking something up.

Then Daniel walked out.

I froze.

He wasn't alone.

A woman walked beside him.

I didn't recognize her.

She was laughing.

Daniel said something.

She lightly touched his arm.

He smiled.

Not his polite work smile.

Not the smile he gave strangers.

It was the smile I knew.

The one he gave me.

My stomach dropped.

They stopped beside his car.

The woman looked around.

Then Daniel leaned toward her.

He kissed her cheek.

I couldn't breathe.

It wasn't a long kiss.

It didn't need to be.

I stood there completely still.

Daniel looked happy.

The woman smiled.

Then they walked in opposite directions.

I watched Daniel get into his car.

He didn't see me.

I didn't call him.

I didn't confront him.

I simply stood there.

For the first time, the tiny voice in my head wasn't whispering anymore.

It was screaming.

Something had changed.

And I was finally ready to find out what.

I took out my phone.

I opened Daniel's contact.

My thumb hovered over the call button.

Then I stopped.

No.

Not yet.

I wanted answers.

Real ones.

So instead of calling him, I took a picture of his car.

Then another of the woman walking away.

I didn't know her name.

I didn't know who she was.

But I was going to find out.

And Daniel?

He had no idea that the girlfriend he thought trusted him completely had just seen the first crack in his perfect little lie.

I walked away from the café.

My hands were shaking.

But I wasn't crying.

Not yet.

Because before I confronted Daniel, I wanted to know one thing.

Was that woman the first?

Or was she simply the first one I caught?

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