Helen didn't believe in resentment. She had grown up watching her mother read too much into every glance, every silence from her father's paranoid, resentful, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Helen had promised herself she would be different.
Her parents family experience was not a role model for her .
And for the most part, she was; She trusted Daniel. They' had been married for six years.But together for ten.they dated for four years . It was a long wait.
She knew every lines on Daniel's face, the way his voice tightened when he was holding something back, the subtle twitch in his jaw when he was stressed. She knew him.
Or at least, she thought she did. What could have happened to Daniel!!!
✨✨✨
It was a Tuesday night, the kind that tasted like lukewarm green tea and ach exhaustion.
Helen was curled on the couch, halfly dressed, watching a clip of *Modern Family*, A message popped up on her laptop she opened it and ignored it.
Daniel was in the bedroom, taking a work call,something about Business and work aview.
Helen could hear his voice through the cracked door, low and professional.
They've become roommates instead of Spouse.What must have been the shade between Daniel and Helen.
She wasn't looking for anything when she picked up her phone. Just boredom. "Hmmmm" This is horrible in a relationship. And this has become the Habit.
A flick through Instagram. A scroll through the internet. And then a pop-up "ad" for a new dating app, "Meet Your Match" She laughed quietly at the irony. She and Daniel had met on a dating site back when apps were still a novelty. Hahahaha!!!!
Something about the bright colors and designs of the ad caught her eye. What was it all about!!!!
She clicked it. Not to sign up,just to see. Just Curiosity,Nothing more. The app downloaded slowly , it finally opened,"And Helen was asked if she wanted to "Browse as Guest?" OR Join?
Helen hesitated for a while. Then, with a roll of her eyes at herself, she tapped "Yes."!!
What could this fetch her?
The profiles began to roll in. Men in their mid 30s and 40s, trying too hard with bathroom ,and halfly shirted selfies or trying too little with the social trends ...
Though Some looked harmless. Some looked desperate. Some looked Real .
So she swiped lazily, swiping left on most, She was barely reading.
And then she froze!!!! What caught her attention?
A familiar face stared back at her. Ha! Who could this be?
The Dark hair? The strong jaw? and that tiny scar above the eyebrow from a childhood bike accident. The same eyes that looked across the dinner table at her every night.
The same man who she had dated for 4years,and married for 6years?
The same man currently speaking in hushed tones from their bedroom?
Username: Martins
Age: 37. Married but "emotionally disconnected." Looking for someone to talk to.
All of these was written in his profile.
This broke me.....
Helen's hand trembled in fear and in pain.
She flipped the phone onto the couch like it had burned her.buried her face and wiped.
No! No!! No!!!, it had to be someone who just looked like him. Helen just trying so hard not to believe what she had seen.
It could probably be a coincidence. A fake profile using his picture.But how possible could this be?
She picked up her phone back , heart beating like it was trying to burn her.
Seeing what's written on the "Bio" mentioned details only Daniel would use.
A joke about Dog and Hen.
A quote from "The Ana's" Favorite vacation spot: "maxico beech".
Her lungs forgot how to breathe.
She stopped her breath and Cried....
She stared at the screen, trying to make sense of it. It wasn't just a profile. It was a confession. An anonymous monologue of dissatisfaction and loneliness that he had never spoken out loud to her.
And the worst part? She hadn't even noticed he was that unhappy. She had never seen this mood of him.
Her thoughts raced. Was this new? How long had he been on there? Was he talking to someone? Meeting them? The idea sliced through her like glass. And it got through her spins .
But the questions piled faster than the pain.
What had she missed?
She could recall the changes in him of lately;
The way he Comes back home late.
OR the way his phone was always on silent?
Was it the longer showers?
The memory of their last date night. Ha! awkward silences and forced smiles. flickered in her mind like a warning she hadn't heeded nor noticed.
The bedroom door creaked. Helen toss the phone aside and pretended to adjust the blanket.
Daniel stepped into the hallway. "Hey, everything okay?" Daniel Asked? Noticing the Look from his wife.
Helen nodded quickly, her voice too light. "Yeah, just Exhaustion,aches!!!."
Daniel smiled, the same soft, tired smile she had once fallen in love with.
Daniel said to her, I wanna grab some tea. Do you Want some?
She shook her head, her heart pounding as he disappeared into the kitchen. She couldn't believe what just happened!!!
Her eyes drifted back to the phone. Almost tearing up.
Looking into her phone,To the betrayal that had just shattered their life.
But even through the shock, a strange thought took hold."And what could this be"
What if she messaged him?
That voice was mild, but she had a thought about it.
What if she creats a fake profile to find out why he did it?
What if, through this mask, she could see the truth of what their marriage had become? It could give her the room to know how it would be resolved.
She didn't know why, but the thought didn't scare her.
It even thrilled her more.
✨✨✨✨
For the rest of the evening, Helen moved through her routines like an actress in a role she no longer recognized.
She washed the dishes, folded the laundry, listened to Daniel talk about his client meeting.
She laughed in the right places. Which was very weird.
Had little or no contribution to the topic.
Helen Kissed him goodnight.
But inside, she was already building someone else.
By midnight, Daniel was asleep beside her, the soft rhythm of his breathing steady.
✨✨✨
Helen laptop glowed dimly in the hallway. She wrapped a throw blanket around her shoulders and padded barefoot to the desk.
The app was still open. Waiting.
She created a new account.
Username: Evelyn
Age: 35.
Bio: "Married but lost". Looking to connect,with someone.No judgment please, just conversation.
She uploaded a profile photo, an emoji image, nothing too glamorous.
Helen made her interests mirror his: favorite movies, quiet books, a shared love for old video games.
She stared at the blinking cursor in the message box of "Martins"
She typed: "Sometimes the silence between two people says more than words. Ever feel like that?
Her finger hovered above *Send*.
And then, she pressed it."It sent"
Outside, the street was quiet. Inside, her heart thundered like she was jumping off a cliff. Hahahaha!!!!
The message was sent.
What Ever this will become has just began.......