Chapter 1

Sarah traced the lines of code on her screen, her brow furrowed in concentration. Northwood University' s CS lab was quiet, the late hour keeping most students away. Ben, her boyfriend of seven years, was supposed to be here, helping her debug. He was a senior, a star, always a TA for some class or leading a big project.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Ben.

"Hey, running late. Helping a junior, Jessica. She' s totally lost on the Henderson project."

Sarah sighed. Another junior needing Ben's heroic assistance. She typed back, "Okay. No worries."

But a knot formed in her stomach. It had been happening more often lately.

An hour later, Ben finally walked in, looking pleased with himself.

"Sorry about that. Jessica really needed a hand."

"It's fine," Sarah said, trying to keep her voice light. "How's she doing?"

"She's smart, just a bit… scattered. Easily overwhelmed, you know?"

Later that night, curled up in her dorm bed, Sarah' s phone lit up again. It was a DM, but not for her. Ben had left his laptop open, logged into his social media, and his screen mirrored to the shared monitor they sometimes used for movies.

A new message popped up on his account. From Jessica.

It was a photo, a selfie of Jessica in what looked like her pajamas, a soft smile on her face. The caption read: "Thanks again for tonight, Ben! You're a lifesaver ;) Sweet dreams!"

The winky face felt like a deliberate jab.

Sarah' s breath caught. This wasn't an "accidental" misclick. It was late, and the photo was suggestive, too familiar.

Ben walked out of the bathroom, toweling his hair. He glanced at the screen.

"Oh, that's just Jessica," he said, his tone casual, too casual. He quickly closed the message window.

"Ben, that looked… a little much for a junior you're just helping," Sarah said, her voice carefully neutral.

He frowned, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "What are you implying? It was just a thank you. She' s not as calculating as you think, Sarah. She' s just friendly."

"Friendly? Ben, it' s almost 2 AM, and she sent you a pajama selfie with a winky face."

"You' re reading too much into it. She' s just naive, probably doesn't realize how it looks. Don't be dramatic."

Sarah felt a chill. Naive? Ben hated naivety. He always said it was an excuse for stupidity or manipulation. This was the first time he' d ever defended someone so quickly, especially against her.

"I'm not being dramatic, Ben. It's inappropriate."

"Look, she probably sent it without thinking. It's not a big deal." He turned away, dismissing her.

Sarah stared at his back. This wasn't just a crack; it felt like a tremor. Her seven-year relationship, built on what she thought was solid ground, suddenly felt unsteady.

The next day, Sarah decided to talk to Ben again, calmly.

"Ben, about Jessica' s message last night…"

Before she could finish, Jessica herself appeared at their usual table in the campus cafe. She had a bright, innocent smile plastered on her face.

"Oh, hi Sarah! Hi Ben!" she chirped. "I hope I' m not interrupting anything."

She looked directly at Sarah. "I just wanted to apologize if my message last night was weird. I was just so grateful for Ben' s help, and sometimes I get a little too enthusiastic, you know? I didn' t mean anything by it."

Her eyes were wide, her voice saccharine.

Ben immediately softened. "See, Sarah? She didn't mean anything. It's fine, Jessica, don't worry about it."

Sarah looked from Jessica' s perfectly feigned innocence to Ben' s placated expression.

"It still felt inappropriate, Jessica," Sarah said, keeping her voice firm.

Jessica' s eyes welled up instantly. "Oh, I' m so sorry, Sarah! I really didn't want to cause any trouble between you two. I feel terrible."

Ben put a comforting hand on Jessica' s arm. "It' s okay, Jessica. Sarah' s just… a bit sensitive about these things." He looked at Sarah, his expression now one of disapproval. "You' re overreacting, Sarah. She apologized."

Invalidated. Dismissed. Sarah felt a surge of frustration. He was taking Jessica's side, making her out to be the problem.

"My feelings are valid, Ben," Sarah said, her voice tight.

"You' re making a scene," Ben hissed, his eyes darting around the cafe.

Jessica sniffled, dabbing at her eyes. "I should go. I don't want to cause any more problems." She hurried away, looking like a kicked puppy.

Ben watched her go, then turned back to Sarah, his face hard. "Are you happy now? You upset her."

Sarah stared at him, speechless. This wasn't the Ben she knew. Or maybe, it was a Ben she was just starting to see.