My boyfriend said he wanted to press pause on our relationship and go visit his family in Washington.
After he left, I reached out to him a few times via text asking him to let me know he arrived safe and to say hi to his mom for me.
I received no response. I tried to call and left a message asking if he had broken up with me.
No response. After four weeks of silence in reponse to my constant calls and texts I came to the conclusion that he’d ghosted me, and my friends agreed.
After six weeks away (he came back yesterday) my boyfriend showed up in my apartment.
He said he was back and ready to unpause our relationship and even MARRY ME. I was SHOCKED.
But before I could even say anything he looked over my shoulder and yelled “I KNEW YOU’D DO THIS, TRAITOR!”
I turned around and realized he saw Liam — my coworker and neighbor — sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in his lap, watching TV.
I blinked, speechless. Liam froze mid-bite, equally stunned.
“…Hey, man,” he said awkwardly, holding up the popcorn like a peace offering.
My boyfriend stormed in, eyes blazing. “So this is what you’ve been doing while I was reconnecting with my family?!”
“Reconnecting? You disappeared without a word for six weeks!” I snapped, finally finding my voice. “No calls, no texts — just vanished!”
“I told you I was pressing pause!”
“You don’t get to pause a relationship like it’s a Netflix show,” I said, standing my ground.
Liam stood up slowly, hands raised. “Look, I just came over to fix her Wi-Fi and stayed to watch Great British Bake Off. There’s no ‘traitor’ here.”
But my boyfriend’s expression darkened. “You betrayed me. Both of you.”
Something about his tone made the room go still. His smile was too wide now, his eyes glinting with something unhinged.
And that’s when I noticed something odd — his suitcase was still by the door… but on top of it, half-buried under clothes, was a wedding ring box.
And beneath that… a burner phone, still glowing from a recently ended call.
I took a slow step back. “Who were you really visiting in Washington?”
He didn’t answer. But the look in his eyes said everything.
The pause wasn’t just a break… it had been a test. And I had just failed it.
At least, according to him.
Liam glanced at me, whispering, “I think you should call the police.”
But I didn’t get the chance — because the door suddenly slammed shut behind him.