Tears of Breakdown
Liz panicked, rushing to embrace me. "There, there, it's over! A misunderstanding! Cleared up! Don't cry..." She patted my back. David finally stirred. He took a hesitant step forward, watching my collapse, his eyes flickering with incomprehensible emotions. "It..." he croaked, voice raw as sandpaper. "It must have been months ago..." He seemed to struggle for words, each syllable forced out in agony. "Once, when I moved the nightstand, I saw something back there..." He gestured to the crack. "Black—I thought it was an old junk part or discarded gadget..."


A Friend's Comfort
He inhaled deeply, avoiding my gaze. "I shoved it back in, didn't think twice... I was afraid you'd scold me for leaving stuff around..." His voice trailed off into a whisper, thick with shame. I snapped my head up, blurry eyes meeting his. So... he'd known about it? Thought it was trash? Hid it to avoid nagging? While I'd accused him of spying? Every test, every doubtful glare, every cold shoulder I'd given him over the weeks...


David's First Explanation
Had my fears seemed irrational to him? Absurdity crashed over me. Seeing his shame and pain, then recalling my own vile suspicions and torment, an unspeakable humiliation washed over me. I shoved Liz aside, staggering out of the bedroom, desperate to escape the suffocating scene. "Annie!" Liz called after me. David chased a few steps but halted abruptly. I locked myself in the bathroom, sliding down against the cold tiles. Outside, Liz's hushed voice murmured to David. Face buried in my hands, I wept endlessly.

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