**Sara**
I gazed across the candlelit table at Matt, his face aglow in the flickering light. The aroma of garlic and herbs wafted through my apartment, a testament to my culinary efforts. I'd spent hours preparing this meal, determined to make it perfect.
"This is delicious, Sara," He said, twirling pasta around his fork. "You've outdone yourself."
I beamed, pride swelling in my chest. "Thanks. I wanted tonight to be special."
I noticed Matt glancing at his watch as we finished our main course. My stomach tightened.
"Everything okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light.
He looked up, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "Yeah, it's just... I hate to say this, but I need to head out after dinner."
My fork clattered against the plate. "What? But I thought we were going to have a nice, relaxing evening together."
He reached across the table, taking my hand. "I know, and I'm sorry. It's just that I promised my friend I'd drop off some important files tonight."
"Files? What files are so important that they can't wait until tomorrow?"
He shifted in his seat, avoiding my gaze. "Oh, you know, work stuff. Boring legal documents and whatnot."
"Right," I said, pulling my hand away. "Because law firms are always desperate for paperwork at 9 PM on a Friday."
Matt's cheeks flushed. "It's not like that, Sara. It's just a favor for a friend."
I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "You know what? It's fine. I just remembered I'm supposed to meet with Jessica tonight anyway."
Matt's eyebrows shot up. "Really? You didn't mention that earlier."
"Must've slipped my mind," I said, shrugging. "Besides, I thought we'd be spending the evening together."
"That works out perfectly then. We can both take care of our commitments."
I stood up, gathering our plates. "Yep, just peachy."
As I headed to the kitchen, Matt called, "Hey, Sara? Maybe it's best if you don't go out tonight. I mean, it's getting late and all."
I froze, plates in hand. "Excuse me?"
"I just mean... you know, it's not safe for a woman to be out alone at night."
I bit back a laugh. "Right, because I'm a delicate flower who can't possibly navigate the mean streets of Boston at the ripe old age of twenty-three."
Matt held up his hands. "That's not what I meant. I'm just looking out for you."
"Uh-huh," I muttered, scrubbing a plate more forcefully than necessary. The soapy water splashed onto my shirt, but I hardly noticed.
Matt appeared in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame. "So, how long have you left with your studies?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? We've talked about this like a million times."
He shrugged, looking sheepish. "I know, I know. I just... forget sometimes."
"I'll be done in a few months."
Matt's face lit up like he'd just had the most brilliant idea in the history of mankind. "Hey, you know what? We should go to Europe after you finish your studies!"
I nearly dropped the plate I was holding. "Europe? Really?"
"Yeah, why not? It'll be a great way to celebrate your graduation. We can hit all the romantic spots - Paris, Rome, Venice. What do you say?"
"What happened to 'it's not safe for a woman to be out alone at night'? Now, you want to whisk me off to foreign countries?"
Matt had the decency to look embarrassed. "Come on, that's different. We'd be together."
"Ah, yes. Because you're clearly the pinnacle of reliability and protection," I muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," I said, plastering on a smile. "Europe sounds great. I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower."
Matt grinned, oblivious to my sarcasm. "Perfect!"
I turned back to the sink and resumed scrubbing the dishes. The warm, soapy water felt soothing against my skin, though it did little to calm the storm brewing within.
He sidled up behind me, his arms snaking around my waist. I stiffened as I felt the unmistakable press of his arousal against my backside.
"You know," he murmured, his breath tickling my neck, "I could think of a few other ways we could celebrate your graduation."
"Matt, I really need to finish cleaning up. You said you had to run out, remember?"
"Ah, right." He planted a wet kiss on my lips before releasing me. "I'll be back in a couple hours, tops. Don't wait up!"
With that, he sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving me to deal with the aftermath of our less-than-perfect evening. I sighed long, scrubbing the plate in my hands with renewed vigor.
As the minutes ticked by, my irritation only grew. Why did Matt always have to run off at the most inopportune times? And what was so urgent that he couldn't just stay and enjoy a quiet night in with me?
I rinsed the last dish and set it on the drying rack, wiping my hands on a towel. Glancing around the kitchen, I decided it was good enough.
I grabbed a glass of wine and headed to the living room and curled up on the sofa, flipping on the TV.
Just as I was starting to unwind, my phone buzzed. I groaned, half-hoping it was Matt canceling his mysterious errand, but my heart sank when I saw Claire's name on the screen.
"Hey, girl. What's up?" I answered, trying to sound cheerful.
"Not much, just checking in on my favorite gal pal. How are you doing? How is everything between you and Matt?" Claire asked.
"Oh, you know, same old, same old. Matt and I are doing fine - we're deeply in love, as always." I
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Wait, what? I thought you broke up with him. Isn't he dating Victoria now?"
My heart stopped. "What are you talking about? We're still together. Who the hell is Victoria?"
"Oh, shit. Sara, I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. Victoria's this girl from his high school. They've been hanging out a lot lately."
I gripped the phone tighter, my knuckles turning white. "That's impossible. Matt and I are in love. He just asked me to go to Europe with him after graduation."
"Honey," Claire said gently, "Matt's been telling everyone he's in love with Victoria. I've seen them together at parties and stuff. I can't believe he's still stringing you along like this."
My mind raced, trying to make sense of what I was hearing. "No, there has to be some mistake. Maybe they're just friends?"
"I wish that were true, Sara. But I've got photos and videos of them together. They look pretty cozy if you know what I mean."
I swallowed hard. "Show me."
A moment later, my phone buzzed with incoming messages. With shaking hands, I opened them.
There was Matt, his arm wrapped around a stunning blonde. Another showed them dancing close at what looked like a frat party. The final one, a short video, made my stomach lurch. Matt and the blonde – Victoria, I assumed – were in a dimly lit room, locked in a passionate kiss.
"Oh my God," I whispered.
Claire's voice came through, tinny and distant. "Sara? Are you okay?"
I realized I'd lowered the phone. Bringing it back to my ear, I croaked, "I'll be fine. I just... I need to talk to Matt."
"Be careful, sweetie. Don't let him gaslight you. You deserve better than this."
"Thanks, Claire. I'll... I'll call you later."
I ended the call and stared at the photos again, willing them to be some elaborate hoax. But there was no denying the truth staring me in the face.
My mind whirled with questions. How long had this been going on? Was this why he was always so eager to leave our dates early? Why could he never remember details about my life?