Trust Was the Test

People thought Aaron and Lila were fine. They laughed in public. They argued in whispers. Aaron always checked

the door twice before leaving. Lila always checked her phone before sleeping.

Neither asked why. On random days, Aaron came home early and stood still,

listening. On other days, Lila deleted messages she never replied to.

Trust wasn’t broken… just postponed. One night, the power went out. In the dark,

Lila asked, “Is there something you’re not telling me?” Aaron said no too

quickly. The next morning, Lila left smiling, keys in hand. Aaron waited thirty

seconds before opening the drawer where he used to keep the spare phone. It wasn’t there.