It was Sunday morning, and I was curled on the couch in my pajamas when Daniel’s phone buzzed against the coffee table. He was in the shower, water rushing through the pipes, so the sound echoed through the quiet apartment. I wasn’t the kind of girlfriend who snooped—but when the screen lit up, I saw the preview. Just five words. Safe flight, can’t wait ❤️.
My heart stuttered. He was home. I was home. No one was flying anywhere.
I picked up the phone, hands trembling. The text was from Emily. My sister. My vision blurred, my chest tightening. She thought he was on a plane. She thought he was on his way to her.
The shower cut off. Panic surged through me. I dropped the phone back on the table and ran to the kitchen, trying to steady my breathing. Moments later, Daniel walked in, towel slung around his waist, water dripping from his hair. “Morning,” he said casually, leaning down to kiss my cheek.
I forced a smile, bile rising in my throat. “Morning. Where are you off to today?”
He shrugged, pouring himself coffee. “Nowhere. Just catching up on work stuff.”
I gripped the counter so hard my knuckles ached. “Not the airport?”
The mug clinked against the counter as he froze, just for a second, before recovering with a nervous laugh. “Why would I be at the airport?”
My chest burned. “Maybe ask Emily. She seems to think you’re flying somewhere.”
His head snapped up, eyes wide. “You saw my phone?”
“I didn’t have to,” I snapped. “She texted you ‘safe flight.’ What am I supposed to think, Daniel?”
He stammered, his face pale. “She… she gets confused sometimes. You know how she is.”
I laughed bitterly. “Confused enough to believe you’re traveling? Confused enough to send you hearts? Don’t insult me.”
That night, I went to Emily’s apartment. She opened the door with a bright smile, but it faltered when she saw my face. “What’s wrong?”
I held up my phone with the screenshot I’d taken. “This. Why did you text Daniel about a flight?”
Her cheeks flushed, her hands twisting nervously. “I—he told me he was coming to see me. That he had business near me. I thought…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “I thought he wanted me there when he landed.”
My stomach dropped. “So he’s lying to both of us.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t know he hadn’t told you. I swear, I thought you knew.”
I shook my head, stepping back. “You thought I knew? Emily, he’s my boyfriend. Why would I know he’s making travel plans with you?”
She opened her mouth, but no words came. Just tears sliding silently down her cheeks.
I left before I drowned in them.
That night, Daniel tried to talk, tried to spin more lies, but I didn’t listen. Because the truth was written in five words. Safe flight, can’t wait ❤️. A text that was never meant for me, but told me everything I needed to know.
Final Thought
Betrayal doesn’t always arrive with shouting matches or lipstick stains. Sometimes it arrives quietly, as a text notification glowing in the dark. That one message showed me more than a thousand excuses ever could. Trust, once cracked, can never be boarded up again.
