Cracks Beneath the Surface
714 Words
For the next few weeks, Kenneth and Bertha existed inside something that looked almost like a relationship.
Almost.
They spent nights together again.
Went to dinners again.
Shared laughter, kisses, routines.
To outsiders, they looked healed.
But emotionally…
both of them were walking carefully around invisible cracks.
Kenneth became more affectionate again.
He held her hand naturally in public.
Texted her throughout the day.
Even started including her in future business plans.
And every time he did, Bertha felt hope growing stronger inside her chest.
Maybe love really could survive heartbreak.
Maybe people really could rebuild trust.
Maybe this time would be different.
But healing is rarely linear.
And sometimes trauma hides quietly until something small wakes it up again.
One afternoon, Kenneth and Bertha visited a luxury mall together after lunch.
The atmosphere between them felt light and playful.
Bertha laughed while trying on sunglasses. Kenneth teased her endlessly. For the first time in a long while, they genuinely looked happy.
Then Kenneth’s phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen briefly.
And his entire expression changed.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
Bertha immediately felt tension rise inside her chest.
“Who is it?”
Kenneth locked the screen casually.
“Work.”
But Bertha had already seen the name before the screen disappeared.
A woman’s name.
Vanessa.
The rest of the afternoon changed instantly.
Not dramatically.
Quietly.
Bertha became less talkative. Kenneth noticed but pretended not to at first.
Because he already recognized that look in her eyes.
Insecurity.
Finally, while driving her home, Kenneth sighed softly.
“Okay. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Bertha.”
She crossed her arms slightly.
“I said nothing.”
Kenneth almost laughed tiredly.
“That tone always means something.”
Bertha looked out the window.
“Who’s Vanessa?”
There it was.
Kenneth kept his eyes on the road.
“A client.”
“Just a client?”
The question irritated him slightly.
“Yes.”
Bertha nodded slowly, though suspicion still lingered inside her chest.
And unfortunately…
Kenneth noticed that too.
“You don’t trust me now?” he asked quietly.
Bertha looked at him immediately.
“That’s not fair.”
Kenneth gave a faint bitter smile.
“Isn’t it?”
The atmosphere inside the car became heavy instantly.
Bertha swallowed hard.
“I’m trying.”
Kenneth’s jaw tightened slightly.
“So am I.”
That sentence carried more emotional weight than she expected.
Because suddenly the truth became painfully visible:
Both of them were now insecure in different ways.
Bertha feared losing Kenneth.
Kenneth feared being hurt again.
And those fears were beginning to shape every interaction between them.
“I just don’t want another woman getting close to you,” Bertha admitted softly.
Kenneth finally looked at her briefly.
“And I didn’t want another man getting emotionally close to you.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
The wound reopened instantly between them.
Bertha looked down immediately.
“I said I was sorry.”
“I know.”
“But you keep bringing it back.”
Kenneth’s voice became calmer now.
“Because betrayal changes people, Bertha.”
That truth hurt both of them.
The car finally stopped outside her apartment.
But neither moved immediately.
The emotional tension felt exhausting now.
Like both of them were trying desperately to love each other while carrying invisible bruises.
Bertha turned toward him slowly.
“Are we always going to be like this?”
Kenneth stared ahead for several seconds before answering honestly.
“I don’t know.”
The uncertainty in his voice terrified her.
Because for the first time since reconnecting…
Bertha realized something painful:
Love had returned faster than trust.
And without trust…
even beautiful moments could collapse unexpectedly.
Kenneth eventually leaned over and kissed her forehead gently.
Not passionately.
Not romantically.
Almost carefully.
“I’ll call you later.”
Bertha nodded softly before stepping out of the car.
But as she walked toward her apartment building, one thought echoed painfully inside her chest:
What if we’re trying to force something that already broke beyond repair?
Meanwhile, Kenneth drove away feeling emotionally drained.
Because no matter how much he loved Bertha…
the memory of betrayal still lived quietly beneath everything they were rebuilding.
And some wounds…
don’t disappear simply because two people miss each other enough
- Writer
