My Unknown Listener

Part 1 Unknown Number

It was just another ordinary day—or at least it felt that way. You woke up, your eyes scanning the quiet room. It was your birthday today, but nothing about it felt special. No excited messages, no surprise plans, no calls. Just silence.

You sighed and got out of bed, your bare feet cold against the floor. The small apartment was quiet, too quiet. You lived alone, so it was no surprise. Still, a part of you hoped that maybe—just maybe—someone would reach out. As you checked your phone, you saw nothing but the time on the screen: 8:00 a.m.

No notifications.

You scrolled through your contacts, lingering over your friends' names. Maybe they’re just busy, you told yourself. You decided to send a few messages, keeping it casual:

You : "Hey, it’s my birthday today! Any plans to hang out later?"

You hit send, feeling a pit in your stomach. Minutes passed. Then, an hour. Eventually, you got a few replies.

"Sorry, busy with work."
"Can’t today. Maybe next week?"
"Hope you have a good day though!"

You stared at the screen, reading the words over and over again. Busy. Can’t. Maybe later. They felt like cold stabs, each one cutting a little deeper. A small tear slipped from your eye, but you wiped it away quickly. You didn’t want to cry—not yet.

Trying to distract yourself, you scrolled through social media. Maybe looking at happy posts would lift your spirits. But that’s when you saw it—a photo. Your friends, all of them, together at a party. The same people who told you they were busy.

Laughter in the photo. Happy faces. They didn’t even think to invite you.

It was like a punch to the chest. You could barely breathe. Tears spilled over, and this time, you couldn’t stop them. You threw your phone onto the bed and buried your face in your hands, sobbing.

After what felt like hours, you finally sat up, wiping your swollen eyes. You felt like screaming, or maybe disappearing. In a moment of desperation, you grabbed your phone again. You didn’t know what you were doing, but your fingers moved on their own, dialing a random number. You didn’t care who it was. You just needed to say something—to someone.

The message came out in a rush, tears still drying on your cheeks:

You :"Today is my birthday, and no one remembered. I’m so alone. I wish I had someone to talk to."

You stared at the screen, your heart pounding. You had no idea who you sent it to, and honestly, you didn’t care. You just needed to let it out.

______

You sighed as you sat behind the counter of the convenience store. It was 8 p.m., and only a few customers wandered the aisles, picking up snacks or drinks. You pulled out your phone, your eyes landing on the message you had sent earlier that morning—the one you sent to that unknown number.

You hadn’t heard anything back. Of course, you didn’t expect to. But it didn’t stop you from messaging again. Typing quickly, you poured out your thoughts from the day.

“Hi, it’s me again. Today was... hard. I went to my first job at the hotel, and it was super busy. I felt invisible, though. No one talks to me unless it’s to ask for something. I spilled some drinks while serving a table, and my boss gave me a hard time. It made me feel so small.

Now I’m at my second job, sitting at the counter. I’m just so tired... of everything. Tired of feeling like I don’t matter to anyone. My friends still haven’t texted me. I saw them at a party today, all together. Without me. Again.