Love, Lies, and Loyalty

Chapter 12: A Deeper Betrayal

Mia could hardly sleep that night. Ryan's confession about the threats weighed on her, twisting her stomach into knots. She tossed and turned, thinking about who could be behind it all. But what bothered her most was Sarah's reaction. Her eagerness to help after everything between them felt... off.

The next morning, Mia texted Ryan and Sarah to meet after school. She needed to figure this out. As the day dragged on, her nerves tightened. Something wasn't right—an uneasy feeling gnawed at her, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions.

When school ended, Mia, Ryan, and Sarah met in the park. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, a contrast to the heaviness in Mia's chest. Sarah sat on the bench next to her while Ryan paced nearby, clearly frustrated.

"I've been thinking," Ryan began, stopping in front of them, "if we can figure out who's sending these messages, we can end this once and for all."

"Any clues?" Sarah asked, her voice neutral but sharp. "Anything we can trace?"

Ryan shook his head, holding up his phone. "No number, just anonymous threats. They say the same thing: 'Break it off, or you'll regret it.'"

Mia leaned forward, her voice soft but worried. "We should report this to the police. Harassment like this can get serious."

Ryan sighed. "I don't know if they'd even take it seriously without any proof."

There was a strange tension hanging in the air. Mia glanced at Sarah, who was unusually quiet. She hadn't said much, but her eyes were fixated on Ryan's phone, as if she were studying it closely.

"What do you think, Sarah?" Mia asked, trying to include her friend.

Sarah looked up, her fingers fidgeting with her bag strap. "I think... we should be careful. If we involve too many people, we might make it worse."

Mia frowned, sensing something in Sarah's tone. "What do you mean? This is serious, Sarah."

"I just mean," Sarah began slowly, "we don't know who's behind this. It could be someone close. Involving the police might make them more desperate."

Ryan groaned. "I hate this. Whoever's doing this is messing with my life, and we're stuck with no leads."

Mia glanced again at Sarah, who was still tense and distant. Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't place what it was.

After deciding to meet again the next day, they said their goodbyes. Mia offered to walk Ryan home, needing to spend some time alone with him. Sarah gave them a tight smile and waved them off, walking away in the opposite direction.

As Mia and Ryan strolled in silence, the weight of the situation hung between them. The cool evening breeze brushed Mia's skin, but her mind was elsewhere. Finally, Ryan broke the silence.

"Do you think Sarah's acting weird?" he asked, his voice low.

Mia's heart skipped a beat. "Weird? How so?"

Ryan shrugged, glancing at the ground. "I don't know. She's been quiet, especially since I told her I chose you. Do you think she's still upset?"

Mia hesitated. The thought of Sarah being upset made sense, but could it explain everything? "Maybe. But I don't think she'd—"

Ryan cut her off, his voice tense. "I don't know. I want to trust her, but something feels off."

Mia's stomach twisted. Was Ryan suggesting that Sarah was somehow involved in the threats? That couldn't be possible... could it?

When they reached Ryan's house, he turned to her, his expression serious. "Just be careful, Mia. Something's not right."

Mia nodded, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. As she walked home, the uneasy feeling inside her grew stronger. Could Sarah really be behind this? It didn't make sense, but at the same time, her behavior was strange, and Ryan had noticed it too.

Later that night, Mia lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her phone buzzed beside her, jolting her out of her thoughts. She grabbed it, expecting a message from Ryan.

But it wasn't from him.

It was from an anonymous number.

Anonymous: You've made a mistake. He'll never be yours.

Mia's heart dropped. Her fingers shook as she stared at the message. It was the same phrasing as the ones Ryan had been getting, but this time, it was directed at her. Before she could process what it meant, another message came through.

Anonymous: You should've known better.

A chill ran down her spine. Who was doing this? Why were they targeting her now?

Her mind raced as another, darker thought surfaced. Could it be... Sarah?

She stared at her phone, her pulse pounding in her ears. Could her best friend—the one person she trusted—be behind this? With trembling hands, she opened her messages and stared at Sarah's contact.

Her finger hovered over the call button, uncertainty clawing at her. She needed answers.

Taking a deep breath, Mia pressed the button and waited for Sarah to pick up. After a few rings, Sarah answered, her voice groggy. "Mia? What's going on? It's late."

Mia's voice shook as she spoke. "Sarah... I just got another message."

There was a long pause on the other end. "What did it say?"

Mia's throat tightened. "It said I made a mistake. That he'll never be mine."

Another pause, longer this time, then Sarah's voice, quieter, more deliberate. "I told you, Mia. Some things aren't as they seem."

Mia froze, her heart thudding in her chest. "What do you mean by that?"

Sarah's voice shifted, growing colder. "You always get what you want, Mia. You always have. But this time, I couldn't just stand by and watch it happen again."

Mia's breath caught in her throat. "Sarah... what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I sent the messages. All of them," Sarah admitted, her voice calm, almost detached. "I didn't want it to go this far, but I couldn't let you have him. Not this time."

Mia felt the world tilt beneath her. "You did this? You tried to ruin everything between me and Ryan?"

"I had to," Sarah whispered, her voice cracking. "You wouldn't understand what it's like to always come second. To always be left behind."

Mia sat up, her chest tight with disbelief. "Sarah, I would've backed off if you told me how you felt. I never wanted to hurt you."

"But you did," Sarah shot back, her voice bitter. "And he still chose you, even after everything I did."

Tears welled in Mia's eyes as the weight of Sarah's betrayal settled in. "You manipulated us. You lied to me."

"I know," Sarah whispered. "And now... I've lost everything."

Mia's voice trembled. "I need time. I can't talk to you right now."

"I'm sorry, Mia," Sarah said, her voice breaking before the line went dead.

Mia sat in the dark, her phone slipping from her hands. Her best friend—the person she trusted more than anyone—had been behind the threats, the fear, all of it. How could she ever forgive that?

As she lay back in bed, staring at the ceiling, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Ryan.

Ryan: Can we talk tomorrow? I've been thinking about everything... about us.

Mia's heart ached as she stared at the screen. Everything had changed, and she wasn't sure if she could handle what came next.