Katriel had begun to settle into her new life in South Africa. Her job at the hospital was demanding but rewarding, giving her a sense of purpose and independence she had missed during the months of heartbreak and distance. The days were long, the nights sometimes lonely but she felt grounded until a notification on her phone changed everything.
It was an Instagram DM. She opened it with casual curiosity expecting maybe a work-related message or a friendly hello. Instead, the words on the screen made her stomach drop.
"Hey, are you Trez's girlfriend? I'm Mellisa. We were together for a few months before he came to Nigeria. He broke up with me just days before leaving. I think you should know the truth."
Katriel stared at the message, her mind reeling. Her hands trembled slightly as she reread it. Questions flooded her (confusion, disbelief, and an uneasy feeling she couldn't shake).Was it true? How could Trez have hidden this? Why had she never known?
Memories of her time with Trez rushed back the laughter, the shared dreams, the deep connection they had fought to preserve despite distance and loss. And now, this stranger's words threatened to cast a shadow over everything she had rebuilt.
She tried to steady herself, taking a few deep breaths. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, didn't want to let panic or jealousy dictate her next move. But the seed of doubt had been planted, and it grew rapidly in the quiet of her apartment.Katriel debated her options. Should she confront Trez immediately, demand the truth, risk reopening wounds she had fought so hard to close? Or should she gather more information carefully before letting this new revelation shake the foundation of their love?
Meanwhile, her heart ached with the complicated mix of emotions she had come to know too well: love, fear, trust, and the faint whisper of betrayal. Despite the distance, despite the time apart, she realized that Trez still held a piece of her heart and now that heart was conflicted caught between hope and suspicion.As the hours passed, she stared at the screen, hesitant to reply but unable to ignore the message. Somewhere far away, Trez was unaware of the storm brewing in her mind of the uncertainty that now threatened to test their relationship once more.
Katriel knew one thing with absolute clarity: the next steps she took would determine whether the love they had fought for could survive yet another trial, or whether the shadows of the past would finally pull them apart. Katriel sat frozen, staring at the DM, her mind racing with questions and unease. The apartment felt suddenly too quiet, the walls closing in around her thoughts. Just then, a gentle voice broke through her spiraling worries.
"Hey, are you okay?"
She looked up to see a coworker standing in the doorway, polished shoes catching the light, a calm, reassuring smile on his face. There was something in his tone (steady, kind, and sincere ) that made her feel a little less alone, a little more grounded, even as the storm of uncertainty from the message still raged inside her.