The distance did not happen overnight. It arrived quietly, almost politely. Conversations became shorter. Invitations felt forced. The warmth that once filled their shared moments slowly thinned into something strained and brittle. She could not point to a specific reason, yet she felt it — a shift in tone, in presence, in something unspoken.
There were moments when her friend would grow silent the moment his name was mentioned. A careless remark disguised as humor. A glance that lingered just long enough to feel intentional. Nothing was loud enough to confront, nothing clear enough to accuse. And so, she chose peace over suspicion.
But peace built on silence is fragile.
She began to sense that her happiness was being observed rather than shared. That her love was being weighed in ways she could not understand. The laughter between them no longer felt natural — it felt measured.
Still, she told herself she was imagining it.
She did not realize that sometimes distance is not accidental.
Sometimes, it is the first sign of betrayal.