Chapter one:The chaos
1126 Words
Amanda sat up, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared at Ken’s phone.
The messages on the screen blurred through her watery eyes message after message from Kendra. Thirst traps. Flirty captions. And Ken’s replies… sweet, eager, and full of admiration.
The last one was a picture of Kendra in a silky nightdress.
“Hey Ken, look how pretty these earrings look on me,” the message read.
Amanda zoomed in on the picture.
Her breath caught in her throat.
They were the exact same earrings Ken had given her on their two-year anniversary.
Her hands trembled as she continued scrolling through their conversation. There were pictures of them hanging out together laughing, eating, posing for selfies.
Then she saw a message from Ken.
“Thanks for today. You always make my day fun… unlike my boring baker girlfriend.”
Amanda felt like someone had punched the air out of her lungs.
Suddenly, Ken stirred beside her.
His eyes opened slowly, and the moment he noticed the phone in her hand, his expression hardened.
“Is that my phone in your hand?” he snapped.
Amanda wiped her cheeks, her voice shaky.
“It’s her again,” she whispered.
Ken sat up immediately, irritation flashing across his face.
“I’ve warned you to stop going through my phone. It’s called privacy. Don’t you get that?”
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
“And how many times do I have to tell you? Kendra and I are just work colleagues. We connect well because we’re kind of namesakes.”
Amanda looked at him with deep sadness. Her lips parted, ready to speak, but he cut her off before she could say a word.
“See, Amanda, if all you feel is jealousy and insecurity, then I can’t take it anymore,” he continued harshly.
“You’re so stuck in your miserable past relationships that you keep projecting your insecurities onto me.”
His voice dropped into something colder.
“I’m not your cheating exes. I’m the one who stayed, so maybe you should appreciate that. Fix your insecurities if you want this relationship to work.”
He lay back down and pulled the blanket over himself.
“And please, it’s just 1 a.m. I need to sleep.”
Silence filled the room.
Amanda swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
But Ken was already pretending to sleep.
She sat there for hours, her thoughts spiraling.
Could it be me?
Am I really the reason we always fight?
Am I as insecure as he says?
But another thought crept in.
He isn’t even this sweet with me…
Ever since Kendra had been transferred to their branch.
Amanda cried quietly until the faint light of dawn crept through the curtains while her boyfriend slept peacefully beside her.
By morning, she forced herself out of bed.
She prepared Ken’s bath just the way he liked it and went into the kitchen to make his favorite breakfast fresh apple pies and a warm cup of matcha.
When Ken came out of the bathroom, he didn’t even glance at her.
He grabbed the neatly packed snacks from the counter.
“You should go back to your apartment today,” he said coldly. “I need you to reflect on your actions.”
Then he walked out without waiting for a response.
Amanda stood there, stunned.
After a moment, tears slid down her face again.
Slowly, she packed her bag, placed it in the back seat of her small car, and drove to her bakery.
Amanda was just a countryside girl who owned a small bakery.
But she was very good at what she did.
By the time she arrived, her staff had already opened the shop.
Her assistant, Nadia, approached her with a list.
“Good morning, ma. These are today’s orders”
Amanda barely heard her.
Ken’s words kept echoing in her mind.
Fix your insecurities.
“Ma… can you hear me?” Nadia asked carefully.
Amanda blinked.
“Oh… sorry, Nadia. Just go ahead with the plans. I don’t feel too good today.”
“Okay, ma.”
Amanda reached for her phone to send Ken a message.
But a notification popped up first.
It was a picture.
From Kendra.
Amanda opened it slowly.
Her stomach dropped.
Kendra was sitting at a table, smiling brightly. In front of her were the apple pies and matcha Amanda had personally prepared for Ken that morning.
The caption read:
“When your favorite person brings you breakfast.”
And Kendra had tagged Amanda in the post.
Amanda stared at the screen in disbelief.
“She actually tagged me…” she muttered.
Anger surged through her chest.
Without another word, she told Nadia to handle everything and rushed out of the bakery.
She drove home, her mind racing, thinking desperately about how to fix her relationship.
When she reached her apartment, she saw her best friend and flatmate sitting comfortably in the living room.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work, Kathryn?” Amanda asked, dropping her bag.
“What happened? Did they sack you?”
Kathryn gasped dramatically.
“Why would you even say that, you evil girl? I’m off today!”
“Oh… that makes sense,” Amanda replied weakly.
Kathryn studied her carefully.
“You’re back early… and you have terrible eye bags. Mandy, what’s going on with you?”
She crossed her arms knowingly.
“Let me guess. Your toxic boyfriend again?”
“Don’t call him that, Kathy,” Amanda said quickly.
“I actually snooped through his phone. That was an invasion of his privacy. I think I’m ruining my relationship with all my insecurities.”
She looked at her friend helplessly.
“What should I do?”
Kathryn stared at her like she had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
“Oh my gosh, Mandy… you need to see a therapist.”
Amanda frowned.
“I mean it,” Kathryn continued. “This guy has destroyed your self esteem. Tell me why you’re making excuses for someone who is clearly cheating on you with his coworker and making you believe it’s your fault.”
Amanda suddenly gasped.
“Oh my gosh… you’re a genius, Kathy!”
Kathryn blinked in confusion.
“A therapist is exactly what I need to fix my relationship with Ken!”
She grabbed her phone immediately and began searching.
Within minutes, she found one.
Dr. Keller A Licensed Therapist.
There was an open appointment slot at 1 p.m. that same day.
Amanda quickly paid to secure it.
Across the room, Kathryn stared at her friend with a mixture of amazement and worry.
Because it was painfully obvious.
Amanda needed help
- Writer
