Have you ever had the instinct that something isn’t quite right?
Yes. Last Thursday, I was that way.
Liora, my best friend, informs me that she is ill. Like, feeling “curled up in bed with tissues all over the place.”
I’m like, “Girl, don’t even worry, I’ll drop off some soup,” of course.
“No!!” she texts back right away.
Very dramatic.
said that whatever plague she had, she didn’t want me to get it.
I initially dismissed it. until I opened my BeReal at random later that evening.
Can you guess whose post appeared at the top?
Liora.
All decked out. downtown during a rooftop party. laughing with folks I didn’t even know.
I felt as though I had been slapped across the face when I gazed at my phone.
And who she was with was more important than the fact that she lied.
In the background, I recognized a jacket.
Cassian’s coat.
My former partner.
Liora vowed to despise it. She helped me cry over that one.
I have yet to confront her.
In an attempt to make sense of it, I keep playing it over in my mind.
Perhaps there’s a valid reason.
Or perhaps I’m going to learn something I’m not prepared for.
I was worn out when I got up the following morning. Throughout the night, my mind had been racing, attempting to make sense of what I had witnessed. Could I have misunderstood everything? Perhaps Cassian was there by accident, or perhaps the jacket wasn’t actually his. But the picture of Liora smiling with him stayed in my head no matter how hard I tried to make sense of it.
I couldn’t bring myself to text her directly, even though I knew I needed answers. Instead, I pretended to catch up by calling Samira, a friend of ours. When she picked up, I said, “Hey,” in a casual manner. “Have you recently heard from Liora? She claimed to be ill or something.
On the other end, Samira paused. Oh, yes, I believe she said something about feeling ill. Why?
“Just checking,” I hurriedly said, trying to joke. “Always the mom friend—you know me.”
Samira, however, did not laugh back. She said, “Actually, now that you mention it, I did see her out last night,” after an uneasy quiet. But she looked fine. Strange, isn’t it?
I felt sick to my stomach. I wasn’t dreaming, then. Except for me, everyone seemed to know Liora’s true location.
By midday, I was at my breaking point. While I was marching to Liora’s apartment, I practiced my speech. I nearly lost my nerve when she opened the door, still in her pajamas, and appeared genuinely shocked to see me. Nearly.
She moved aside to let me in and murmured, “Hey,” in a quiet voice. “What’s going on?”
I inhaled deeply. “What made you tell me lies?”
Her face turned white. “What are you discussing?”
“Don’t act foolish, Liora. You claimed to be ill, but last night I saw your BeReal. You were at a party; you weren’t at home. Alongside him. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment as I watched the words come out sharper than I had intended.
She whispered softly as she sank into the couch, “I can explain.” She only stared at her hands for a time, twitching them uneasily. She looked up at me at last. “All right, so I wasn’t ill. But before you hate me forever, please just listen to me.
I chose to sit opposite her, even though I should have known better. “All right. Describe.
She let out a deep sigh. “Do you recall how angry you were following Cassian’s ordeal? You mentioned repeatedly that you didn’t trust anyone, including yourself. I wanted to assist you in moving on, though. I reasoned that perhaps you would find closure if I could speak with him and find out why he abused you in that manner.
My mouth fell open. You’ve been speaking with Cassian? Behind my back?
“It was innocent at first!” she emphasized. Weeks ago, he contacted me to inquire on your well-being. I chose to ignore him at first, but then I saw that this could be an opportunity to learn more about what went wrong between you two. He invited me to this party last night, and I figured it would be the ideal chance to finally question him directly why he abandoned you.
Startled, I blinked at her. I didn’t anticipate this at all. “And? Have you received any responses?
Slowly, she nodded. Indeed. As it happens, he still cares for you. He said that he stopped things because he panicked and felt pressured by his family to concentrate on his work. He reasoned that it would be simpler to push you away than to drag you through the confusion.
The wind seemed to have been knocked out of me. All this time, I had persuaded myself that Cassian had simply moved on. Everything I believed to be true was called into doubt when I heard that he felt bad about harming me.
“But why didn’t you share any of this with me?” My voice trembled as I asked. “You ought to have approached me rather than skulking around!”
“I understand,” she said, her eyes brimming with sorrow. “I made a mistake. Despite my desire to keep you safe, I ultimately betrayed your confidence. I’m so sorry.
For a while, we sat silently, both of us taking it all in. Because it felt safer than confronting the truth, there was a part of me that wanted to continue being angry with her. Even though her strategies were flawed, I understood deep down that mom only did what she did out of love.
I finally broke the silence. “Do you believe he intended it? About wishing to make things better?
Liora paused. To be honest? I believe he does. It is completely up to you, though, whether you choose to give him another chance. Just make me a promise: Don’t jump right in if you do speak with him. Spend some time determining your true desires.
I nodded, appreciating her candor, even if it was too late. “I appreciate you being honest with me. I also forgive you. However, we will have to work on restoring that confidence.
She gave a feeble smile. “Agree.”
I ended up sitting across from Cassian at a coffee shop a few days later. It seemed unreal to see him again; I was unsure of whether to be excited or cautious, and my heart raced the whole time. We talked for hours on end, sorting out the complex web of feelings that had caused us to drift apart. By the end of it, I had come to the crucial realization that, even though I was grateful for his apologies, I wasn’t prepared to resume our love relationship. At least not yet.
He nodded sympathetically when I told him so. Sincerely, he said, “I respect that.” “I only hope you’ll believe me when I tell you that I’ve always cared for you.”
I couldn’t help but think back on all that had transpired as I made my way home that evening. Second chances, forgiveness, and betrayal were all a part of the convoluted path of life. The most important thing was to develop stronger as a result of those events and learn from them.
Liora and I put a lot of effort into mending our friendship in the weeks that followed. Although it wasn’t simple, we worked together to overcome it, one candid discussion at a time. Even though I hadn’t fully forgiven Cassian for abandoning me in the first place, I valued the insight his apology gave me.
In retrospect, I see that the most important lesson was to trust oneself, not other people. believing that I was worthy of love, integrity, and respect. believing I was strong enough to overcome any obstacles in my path.
If someone close to you has ever betrayed you, keep in mind that mistakes are inevitable, but progress occurs when we decide to grow from them. Honor your feelings and put your peace first, whether that means repairing a damaged relationship or permanently leaving.
Remember to tell a friend about this tale if it touched you; they might need to hear it today. It means the world to know that these words are having an impact, so click the “like” button. ❤️
