Work was the only place I could breathe.
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No expectations.
No silence that felt too heavy.
No one watching me like they were trying to understand something I didn't even understand myself.
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Just numbers. Tasks. Deadlines.
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Simple.
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"Ariana, can you check this file?"
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"Yeah, send it over."
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I leaned back in my chair, eyes scanning through the screen.
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Everything here made sense.
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Unlike my life.
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"Lunch later?"
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I didn't look up.
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"Maybe."
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"You always say that."
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A small smile tugged at my lips.
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"At least I don't say no."
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My phone buzzed softly on the table.
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I glanced at it—
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and froze.
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Unknown number.
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For some reason…
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my chest tightened.
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I stared at the screen for a few seconds before picking it up.
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"Hello?"
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Silence.
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Then—
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a voice.
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"…Ariana?"
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My fingers tightened around the phone.
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That voice—
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No.
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It couldn't be.
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"I think you got the wrong number," I said quickly.
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I ended the call before he could say anything else.
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My heart was beating too fast.
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Too loud.
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No.
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It wasn't him.
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It couldn't be him.
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I placed the phone face down on the table.
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And tried to ignore the way my hands were slightly shaking.
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"Hey, you okay?"
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I blinked.
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"Yeah."
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"You look pale."
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"I'm fine. Just… didn't sleep well."
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A lie.
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But I didn't want to explain something I wasn't ready to face.
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The rest of the day felt… off.
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Like something was about to happen.
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Like the past was quietly knocking on my door—
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waiting for me to open it.
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That night, I got home earlier than usual.
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The house was quiet.
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Too quiet.
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Ethan wasn't back yet.
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I didn't know why…
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but something about that made my chest feel a little empty.
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I dropped my bag on the couch and sat down slowly.
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The silence wrapped around me.
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My phone buzzed again.
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Same number.
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I stared at it.
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Longer this time.
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Then—
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I answered.
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"…Hello?"
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A soft chuckle came from the other side.
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"You still hang up on me like that?"
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My breath caught.
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That voice.
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There was no mistake this time.
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"…Daniel?"
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"Missed me?"
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I didn't answer.
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I couldn't.
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Because the moment I heard his voice—
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everything I thought I had buried…
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came rushing back.
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"I've been looking for you," he continued, voice softer now.
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"You changed your number."
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"I didn't want to be found."
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A pause.
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Then—
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"Still lying to yourself, huh?"
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My grip on the phone tightened.
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"I'm married."
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The words came out colder than I expected.
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"I know."
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That… made me freeze.
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"…What?"
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"I know everything, Ariana."
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His voice was calm.
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Too calm.
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"That husband of yours…"
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A small pause.
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"…is he treating you well?"
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I should've said yes.
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I should've ended the call.
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But instead—
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I stayed silent.
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And that was enough for him.
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"I'll be back soon," Daniel said quietly.
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"Let's meet."
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"No."
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I answered immediately this time.
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"We shouldn't."
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A soft laugh.
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"We both know that's not true."
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The line went dead.
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I lowered the phone slowly.
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My heart wouldn't calm down.
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Because deep down—
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I knew.
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The moment Daniel stepped back into my life…
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nothing was going to stay the same.
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The door opened.
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I flinched slightly.
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Ethan walked in, looking more tired than usual.
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"You're home early," he said.
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"Yeah."
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He loosened his tie, glancing at me.
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"Did something happen?"
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I shook my head.
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"No."
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Another lie.
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Ethan studied me for a moment…
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then looked away.
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"…Alright."
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He didn't ask again.
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He never did.
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And somehow—
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that made everything feel worse.
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