My life felt dull and empty, drifting alongside my distant partner. One day, the building’s old washing machine started leaking, and I left a note about it. The next morning, I found a folded reply under it: “It’s okay. Sometimes life just leaks. Hope your day gets better.” No name, just kindness.
We began exchanging notes secretly, sharing thoughts, frustrations, and feelings I hadn’t voiced to my partner. I fell in love—not with a face, but with a mind and spirit that truly saw me. Eventually, I left a note asking to meet at a cafe.
When I arrived, I saw my partner meeting someone—my secret pen-pal. The person I’d fallen for had always been there, but it was my partner’s lover. They knew everything. My muted life exploded into a blinding, heartbreaking revelation: I had fallen for the person my partner loved.