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She Said: "Open Relationships Are Normal Now — Don’t Be Insecure." After I Found Her Messages...

She Said: "Open Relationships Are Normal Now — Don’t Be Insecure." After I Found Her Messages...

Chapter 2

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The real moment of clarity came on a random Tuesday night. We were watching TV. She got up to take a shower, leaving her Apple Watch charging on the side table.A message lit up: Still thinking about Saturday night. Winky face. You're unreal.From a guy named Travis.I didn't snoop. I didn't need to. That one message was enough. My stomach dropped. I paused the show and just sat there staring at it, my ears ringing.When she came out of the shower wrapped in a towel, she saw me sitting there with her watch in my hand."Who's Travis?" I asked. My voice wasn't angry, just numb.She blinked. Tail tucked, arms crossed. "What are you doing going through my stuff?""I didn't. It lit up while I was sitting here."She scoffed and grabbed the watch from my hand like I'd stolen it. "Jesus, Eric, that's so invasive! He's just a friend."I didn't say anything."You're being ridiculous. What, I can't have guy friends now?""Friends don't text that kind of stuff," I said, still calm.She rolled her eyes and walked past me to the bedroom. "God, you're so insecure sometimes."I followed her. "Did you hook up with him?"She pulled on a t-shirt. "We hung out. It wasn't a big deal.""You cheated on me.""I explored! You and I are too rigid, Eric. You never want to talk about non-monogamy, even though I've brought it up like ten times. You keep acting like this 1950s dad figure who owns me."I just stood there. She was pulling the floor out from under me and doing it like I was the problem."I thought we were exclusive," I said."You assumed! I was trying to expand the way we connect, and instead of being open-minded, you turn it into this morality play. Seriously, open relationships are normal now. You sound like a dinosaur."I said nothing. The silence must have unnerved her because she suddenly got defensive."I didn't lie to you! I just didn't feel the need to narrate every interaction I have. That's not cheating. That's me having agency."That word: agency. Like sleeping with someone behind your partner's back is a form of activism now.I went to bed without speaking again. She tried to cuddle; I turned away. That night, something in me turned off. No yelling, no slamming doors. I just stared at the ceiling and realized this wasn't my person. This wasn't even a relationship. It was emotional hostage-taking wrapped in buzzwords and gaslighting.
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She Said: "Open Relationships Are Normal Now — Don’t Be Insecure." After I Found Her Messages...

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