Chapter 1

My best friend always said that checking your partner's phone was a basic requirement in any serious relationship. So, one evening, I decided to conduct a surprise inspection of my boyfriend’s phone.

He seemed completely calm, handing it over without a moment’s hesitation.

It wasn't until I tapped on that pinned group chat, "Brothers United," and used his account to send a message:

"Hey guys, guess which girl I'm with right now."

Three seconds later, the screen exploded with replies:

[????]

[Holy hell! Serena's back?]

[Serena's back?! Seriously?! Where is she?!]

Serena.

I'd never heard that name in Leo's life before.

A chilling premonition crept over me.

I snapped my head up.

Leo, who had been lounging on the sofa, had somehow straightened his back.

His gaze was fixed, unblinkingly, on the phone in my hand. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but no sound came out.

The phone vibrated frantically in my grip, new messages popping up one after another, buzzing relentlessly.

I don't know how long passed, but then he suddenly sprang up, practically lunging across the sofa.

"Give it back!" His voice was hoarse, laced with an urgency and panic I'd never heard from him.

Instinctively, I hid the phone behind my back, stood up, and took a step back.

"Who is Serena?" I heard my own voice ask, dry and raspy.

I looked at him, the man I had loved for two years, the man I thought I knew so well, the one I'd given my complete trust to. Yet, in that moment, he felt like a complete stranger.

"Leo," I repeated, my voice trembling uncontrollably, "Serena, who exactly is she?"

"Just… just an old friend," he finally managed to say.

"Honestly, sweetheart, you have to believe me." His voice softened. "It's all in the past. I… I just didn't want to bring it up, afraid you'd overthink things. I promise you, there's absolutely nothing between us anymore."

He tried to approach me again, his tone urgent and earnest: "Don't you know who's truly in my heart? These past two years, haven't you felt how I've treated you? Are you really going to completely dismiss everything we have just because of a thoughtless joke from my buddies?"

It was true. For the past two years, he had been exceptionally good to me. Thoughtful, understanding, he remembered all our anniversaries, would buy me my favorite late-night snacks, and stayed constantly by my side when I was sick.

Those warm, sweet memories flooded in, clashing fiercely with the icy suspicion, threatening to tear me apart.

My hesitation seemed to register with him.

He seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and gently pulled me into his embrace, his arms tightening around me, his chin resting on my head, his voice muffled:

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, it's my fault. I shouldn't have kept things about her from you. But I just thought there was no need to let past issues affect our present. I was wrong, please don't be angry, okay? I'll tell you everything from now on, hmm?"

That night, he coaxed me with extreme tenderness, explaining that he and Serena had a brief, undefined relationship in college. They broke up due to personality clashes, and it ended on a sour note, which was why his friends remembered her so vividly. He said he no longer cared about her, and the only reason he hadn't mentioned it was because he feared my jealous nature would make me upset.

He sounded utterly reasonable, his eyes sincere, even a hint of being wronged for being misunderstood.

I chose to believe him. Or perhaps, I chose the two years of emotional investment I had made, and the care he had shown me every day.

I deleted the message from the group chat, pretending nothing had happened.

He seemed to sigh in relief, treating me even better than before, more cautiously.

Life, it seemed, had returned to its peaceful rhythm.