The Message From Behind Me

I wasn’t supposed to be awake, but my phone vibrated once. No name.

Just a number I didn’t recognize. The message said: “Stop pretending you don’t know.”

At first, I thought it was a prank. So I replied, “Who is this?”

Three dots appeared instantly. Then they sent a screenshot. It was my group

chat… from months ago. A message I deleted. A message I never told anyone about.

My heart dropped. I typed, “How did you get this?” They replied,

“Because I was sitting right behind you.” I checked the timestamp. That message was sent tonight.

I was home alone. Then my phone buzzed again. This time it wasn’t a message.