Chapter Two: The Unseen Distance

2021, October 28 It was Isabella's birthday. She felt lonely because not many people had wished her. Seeing her sadness, Aiden took it upon himself to make her feel special. He told everyone about her birthday and even put up a story on Instagram so that more people could see it. That day, Isabella received many birthday wishes. Overjoyed, she bought a cake and celebrated, a smile finally gracing her face.

As the months passed, Aiden found himself falling deeper in love with Isabella. Their relationship, once filled with laughter and endless conversations, had begun to shift. They had chosen to keep their love private, sharing their moments through memes, late-night chats, and heart-to-heart discussions. Aiden was always there for her, whether it was helping with family troubles or simply being a listening ear. He was her safe space, her constant. And for a while, that was enough.

By February 2022, the pressure of school board exams took over their lives. Aiden, understanding the importance of studies, encouraged Isabella to focus. Their conversations became shorter, their moments together less frequent. He assured himself that once the exams were over, things would return to normal. But he was wrong.

Even after the exams ended, the distance between them grew. Aiden noticed Isabella becoming more distant, her replies turning into brief, dismissive messages. He brushed it off at first, convincing himself that she was simply occupied with something else. But a gnawing feeling in his gut told him otherwise.

One day, unable to suppress his doubts, he finally asked her, "Isabella, what’s going on? If something is wrong, just tell me."

She hesitated before giving the usual excuses stress, family issues, exhaustion. But Aiden knew there was more to it. And then, one evening, she broke down in tears.

"My best friend and I had a fight," she confessed between sobs.

Aiden froze. "Best friend? Who? You told me you had no one except me."

Her silence was deafening. Then she muttered, "His name is Suwar. He’s from my school. He became my friend a while ago."

Aiden felt his world tilt. The very condition he had set for their relationship honesty about close male friends had been broken. He had trusted her, and she had lied. Betrayal clawed at his chest, but he swallowed the pain.

"If you like him, just go with him. I won’t stand in your way," he said, his voice steady despite the storm inside.

"No!" she cried. "I love you. He’s just my best friend. Can’t a guy and a girl be best friends even if they’re in a relationship? There’s nothing wrong with that."

Aiden wanted to believe her. He wanted to trust the girl he loved. But something inside him whispered otherwise.

Over the next few days, the cracks in their relationship widened. Isabella’s messages became even shorter, her replies delayed by hours. Every time Aiden asked where she had been, she had the same answer: "Talking to Suwar."

Then came the final blow.

Through a fake account, Aiden discovered an Instagram story Isabella had posted a picture with Suwar, hidden from Aiden’s view. A romantic song played in the background. His hands trembled as he took a screenshot and sent it to her.

"Why did you hide this from me?" he asked.

She burst into tears. "I knew you wouldn’t like it. That’s why."

"If you knew it would hurt me, why did you still do it?"

She had no answer, only more tears, more apologies, more excuses. But deep inside, Aiden realized the truth.

She was never going to understand his pain.

And yet, despite everything, he still loved her.

Because he used to think love could happen only once in life.

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