The first red flag

Ella’s POV

Something didn’t sit right with me.

I knew what I saw, the way Felix and that woman looked at each other, it was more than just a simple coincidence. Their eyes locked for a moment too long, and I noticed something shift in Felix’s expression, something that made my stomach twist. There was familiarity in the way they stared at each other. A silent recognition.

“You again,” I heard Felix mutter, sounding genuinely surprised.

And just like that, I knew this wasn’t the first time they had met.

My chest tightened with unease. I could feel a storm of jealousy stirring inside me. I wasn’t normally the jealous type, but in that moment, I wanted to scream. How dare she stare at my boyfriend like that? And worse, how dare Felix not look away?

Instead of cutting the interaction short, he kept looking at her. His voice came next, calm and polite, “Did I hurt you, madam?”

That was it.

I felt fire in my chest. I was right there, standing next to him, yet he was focused on this woman like I didn’t even exist. I couldn’t take it any longer.

“Babe, can we go now?” I asked sharply, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.

“Of course, baby, let’s get out of here,” he replied immediately. But I could tell from his face… he didn’t mean it. His eyes lingered on her even as we turned away. I saw it. Felt it. Knew it.

I had to ask.

“What is going on, babe? Do you know that woman?” My voice trembled slightly, part with suspicion and part with fear. I had never seen Felix this distracted, this unsettled, by another woman.

“Yes, babe,” he replied, sounding casual, “I saw her earlier at the office. This is actually the second time we’ve bumped into each other today.”

I tried to believe him.

I didn’t want to ruin our night. We had just had an amazing time together, full of laughter and sweet moments. I wanted to hold on to that feeling instead of letting insecurity eat me up. So I nodded and said, “There’s no problem. Let’s just go. It’s getting late already.”

But I couldn’t shake it off. He had never behaved like that before. Something was different, and the silence on our way home said it all.

When we got back to the house, neither of us said a word. It was unusual for us, we always had something to talk or laugh about. But not tonight. The air was thick with unspoken feelings.

“Are you still mad at me, babe?” Felix asked, his voice quiet.

I didn’t respond right away. I wasn’t mad, I was just… disappointed. Something inside me felt bruised.

“Babe, please stop this,” he said again, walking over to me. He held both my arms gently and looked directly into my eyes, his voice softening.

“Babe, come on. You know how I feel about you. I would never have feelings for another woman. That’s not me. You know it, and I know it. So let’s stop all this jealousy, it doesn’t suit you at all.” He offered a small, reassuring smile.

I took a moment before replying. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. Don’t forget our dreams, babe. We’ve built something beautiful together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We have so many things to achieve, together.”

That was what I needed to hear. His words calmed me. Slowly, the tension in my chest melted away. I sighed and smiled faintly.

“I’m not angry, babe. Just… disappointed. But it’s okay now. Let’s forget about it. It’s already late, and you have work tomorrow. You need to sleep early or you’ll end up oversleeping,” I said gently.

He nodded in agreement.

It was midnight already, and I knew how hard it was for him to wake up in the morning, especially with only a few hours of rest.

But even when I lay down beside him, I couldn’t sleep.

My mind kept replaying that moment in the movie hall. The way that woman looked at Felix. The way Felix looked back.

Was I just being insecure? Was I overthinking everything?

I prayed that was all it was. Just one of those moments when fear gets louder than trust.

But still, the thought of losing Felix gripped me. He wasn’t just my boyfriend. He was already a part of my soul. My everyday. The man I had waited so patiently for.

I got up and went to the kitchen to drink some water, hoping it would calm my racing mind.

When I returned, he was already fast asleep, breathing softly. Peaceful.

I stood there for a moment, watching him.

“Felix is mine,” I whispered to myself, my voice firm. “And no one will ever take him away from me.”

Felix’s POV

What was happening to me?

I couldn’t stop thinking about the woman from the movie theater. Her image had invaded my thoughts and refused to leave. Her eyes, her presence, it was like she had cast some strange spell on me. It wasn’t love. No, definitely not. But maybe… maybe it was infatuation. A momentary attraction. A crush.

But that didn’t make it any better.

Especially not when I had Ella, the woman who had stood by me through thick and thin. The woman who believed in me when even I had lost hope.

And now here I was, letting my thoughts drift to a stranger. It was so wrong.

I lay there in bed, pretending to sleep, when I noticed Ella getting up and leaving the room. I guessed she couldn’t sleep either. She was probably upset because of me. I hated the thought of her hurting, especially when I was the reason.

I never meant to ignore her the way I did earlier. But the moment I bumped into that woman at the theater, I froze. Everything else around me disappeared for a second, including Ella. That scared me.

What was it about that lady that made my mind go blank?

All I could think now was, I wanted to see her again. I hoped she would show up at the office tomorrow. I was drawn to her, and as much as I hated to admit it, a part of me wanted to know her. Just a name. A detail. Anything.

And yet, as I lay here beside Ella, I knew the truth, I couldn’t afford to lose her.

Ella was my light. My home. The woman who fought for me when no one else would. She didn’t deserve to be caught in the storm of my confusion.

So I closed my eyes and willed my thoughts away.

I had to figure out what was happening inside me.

And no matter what, Ella was still the woman I wanted to be with.