The Night Everything Changed

I’ve always believed that when something is wrong in a relationship, your body knows before your mind

does. It starts as a subtle tug, a feeling you can’t quite name.

That’s what happened the night everything fell apart between Ava and me. It was a Thursday—ordinary,

uneventful, the kind of day you expect to forget. I’d come home from work tired but excited

because Ava and I had planned to watch a new show together. I’d even picked

up her favorite takeout. But at 6:13 PM, she texted: “Working late.

Deadline’s crazy. Don’t wait up.” Nothing unusual. But something inside me tightened,

like a rubber band stretched too far. For the next few hours, I tried to distract