I never thought I was a jealous person. I had a good job, a stable life, and no reason to doubt my relationship until I saw the picture. A cozy coffee shop. Two familiar smiles. And a comment that made my blood run cold.
I never considered myself a jealous person. Really, I wasn’t.
I had a great job, a beautifully decorated apartment, and a stable relationship with Callum. He was the kind of man you want in your twenties—calm, reliable, the kind you can plan a future with.
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No unnecessary drama, no emotional roller coaster.
But there was a “but” – his ex, Renee.
At first, I convinced myself that it wasn’t a problem. I was a mature, confident woman. Many people stayed friends with their exes. It was normal.
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Callum had been honest from the start – he and Renee had a history, but it was in the past. No feelings, just friendship.
I believed it.
I even tolerated their occasional meetings over coffee, their little jokes between them that I wasn’t a part of, and the “coincidences” where she showed up at the same places as us.
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But lately, she had been popping up way too often. And at that moment, looking at my phone, I was shocked. Odette, my best friend, had sent me a message.
No words. Just a picture.
I tapped it open. Callum. Renee.
Sitting in a cozy little cafe, very close to each other, smiling like they had the strongest connection in the world.
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I scrolled down. The timestamp said “1 hour ago.”
An hour ago, Callum texted me:
“I’m working late, the deadline is killing me. Talk to you later.”
And just below the image there was a comment that sent shivers down my spine.
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“So happy you are back together!”
I blinked. Once. Twice. My heartbeat echoed in my ears.
A joke? A misunderstanding?
My phone rang. Odette called. I picked up.
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“My daughter.” His voice was sharp. “If he was my man, his car would already be damaged.”
“Odette, we are not committing crimes today.”
“Who said anything about crimes? I’m talking about minor inconveniences. Maybe a flat tire, a mysteriously missing phone charger… a Wi-Fi outage when he really needs it.”
I stared at the photo again. This wasn’t a casual encounter. This wasn’t just friendship.
Callum lied. And I was about to find out why.
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***
I didn’t confront him immediately. That would have been too easy.
Instead, I played along.
When Callum walked through the door, I was already in the kitchen, stirring a pot of pasta as if I’d spent the entire evening superbly ignoring his little coffee date.
“Hey, babe,” he said, dropping his keys on the counter.
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I turned around with a warm smile, moving forward to kiss him.
“Long day?”
“The worst,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around me. “Back-to-back calls, my brain is fried.”
Liar.
I hummed as if I believed him and turned back to the stove.
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“Dinner’s almost ready. I thought we could have a quiet evening, maybe watch something?”
“Perfect. Exactly what I need.”
We ate together, the clink of cutlery filling the comfortable silence. I twirled my pasta around my fork, watching him out of the corner of my eye.
He looked relaxed, completely unaware that I knew.
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“So, any interesting projects at work?” I asked casually, taking a sip of my favorite tea.
“Just the routine. Meetings, deadlines, an inbox that never ends. You know how it is.”
I nodded, pretending to be engrossed in my food.
“That sounds exhausting. At least you had a little break today.”
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“Not really,” he sighed. “I barely had time to eat.”
I bit my lip to keep from smiling.
Liar.
Instead, I chuckled and shook my head.
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“You need to stop killing yourself. You’re going to become one of those guys who answers emails during the night out.”
He laughed.
“It will never be me.”
Oh, Callum. You have no idea.
And then, curled up on the couch, I watched him slowly let his guard down. His phone rang.
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I felt him move slightly. In a flash, he turned it over, screen down.
“Oh,” I said lightly, pretending not to care. “More work?”
He barely glanced at me.
“Yes. Just some last minute changes to a project.”
I tilted my head, pretending to think about something.
“Speaking of work… have you seen Renee this week?”
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He stiffened. Just for a second. I would have missed him if I hadn’t been on the lookout.
“No,” he said too quickly.
I picked up my cup and took a slow sip of tea.
“Really ?”
He exhaled through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck.
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“Well… I ran into her the other day.”
And there you have it.
“And ?”
He grabbed his glass of water.
“We were just making up for lost time. Nothing important.”
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I smiled kindly, nodding as if I completely believed it.
“Oh. Okay.”
Oh, Callum. You’re good. But I’m better.
We continued to watch the movie, his arm draped over my shoulders. His breathing steadied as exhaustion took over. I leaned against him, waiting.
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And then, finally, he fell asleep. I moved carefully, letting his arm slide over me.
Finally, this was my chance. I grabbed his phone. Face ID. It’s pretty easy.
I leaned down, resting his head on my lap, gently stroking his hair. He mumbled something in his sleep but didn’t move.
“Sweet dreams, baby,” I whispered.
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Then, gently, I lifted his phone to his face. The screen unlocked. I held my breath as I glanced at his notifications.
Renee: Can we meet tomorrow? At the same cafe?
A cold wave came over me. So she was comfortable enough to text him directly about their meeting. Not even a hint of caution.
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I stared at the message for a moment, my mind already racing through the possibilities. Then, just as quietly, I locked his phone, setting it back on the couch next to him.
With that, I already knew what I had to do.
I slipped under Callum’s arm and grabbed my own phone as I tiptoed out of the room. As soon as I closed the bedroom door behind me, I dialed the bank number.
The next day, Callum got a surprise.
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***
Tears? Screams? That’s not my style.
If Callum wanted to play his little games, I let him think he was winning – until I turned the board over.
I scrolled through my phone, found the coffee shop where he and Renee had their “little friendly get-together,” and placed an order. A special delivery.
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Then I waited. Two hours later, my phone rang.
Callum. Perfect.
I let it buzz a few times before answering, keeping my voice light.
“Hey, babe. How’s your evening going?”
There was silence. Then, in a confused and frustrated tone, “Ayla… what did you do?”
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I smiled, swirling my milkshake with my straw.
“You look stressed. Did something happen?”
“The waiter just brought something to my table.”
I feign curiosity.
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“Oh? Was that the bill? I guess Renee covers it, since, well…” I left the sentence hanging.
“Ayla,” he said firmly.
“You sent flowers.”
I leaned back against the couch, adjusting the blanket around me.
“Really ?”
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“The map…” He trailed off, then caught his breath. “ENJOY YOUR NOVEL! What does that mean?”
I hummed.
“It’s just a thoughtful gesture. Friends deserve flowers, don’t they?”
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“You’re amazing,” he mumbled, as if he’d just realized I wasn’t the type of woman to sit around feeling sorry for herself. “Ayla, why are you doing this?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because my boyfriend told me he was working late while having cozy coffee dates with his ex?”
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“It wasn’t what you think.”
“Mmm. Sure, baby.”
Another heavy pause. Then, the final blow.
“The waiter just gave me the bill… my card was declined.”
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I held back a laugh. “Well, given your recent overtime spending, I figured a little budget was in order.”
“Ayla…”
“Relax, Callum,” I whispered softly. “I’m just playing fair.”
There was another long pause, the kind that made me imagine him sitting there, jaw clenched, shoulders tense, trying to control a situation that had already slipped through his fingers.
Then, finally, he spoke. “I’m going home.”
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“Good. I’ll wait for you.”
But before I could hang up, he added, “I’m not coming alone.”
I stared at the screen. Excitement. The game wasn’t over.
After twenty minutes, the front door opened and I stood up.
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Callum came in, looking exhausted, but not guilty. And then I saw her.
Renee. She was standing right behind him.
Why did he bring her here? Is this it? Is he about to confirm my worst fear?
Callum ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. You want the truth?”
“I think I deserve it.”
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Renee sighed. “Ayla, I know how it looks, but…”
“Oh, is that right?” My voice was sharp. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks exactly like I thought it would.”
Callum raised his hand. “Listen.”
I forced myself to stay silent.
“I was buying you a gift. A personalized ring. Renee is a jeweler. I asked her for help.”
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I blinked. It was… unexpected.
“I thought telling you would spoil the surprise.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Well, mission accomplished.”
Silence. And then, suddenly, the weight of it all hit me.
I spent two years with Callum. And yet here I am, setting traps, searching for proof of a betrayal that never happened.
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Not at him. I blame myself. I had let my own fears take over.
I exhaled. “I ruined everything.”
Callum raised an eyebrow.
“I let my insecurities win. I didn’t trust you. I jumped to conclusions, I played games, and…” I groaned. “The note at the restaurant. My God.”
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Renee smiled. “I mean, it was iconic.”
Callum chuckled. “That was dramatic.”
I covered my face. “I’ll never live that down, will I?”
“No chance,” Callum teased.
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“We’ll get through this,” I said. “As long as we start being honest.”
He squeezed my fingers. “Okay.”
Renee sighed. “Great. Can I go now, or is there something else I need to take care of?”
I laughed – really laughed – for the first time that day. The storm had passed.
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