George’s eyes were going back and forth between the pacing dog and his wife, Zoe. His eyes were filled with a silent worry as he looked on. They had agreed to dog-sit Rex, their friend Corey’s well-behaved pooch. George and Zoe had expected an easy time, and indeed, the initial days were a breeze. However, the peace didn’t last long…
The house was silent except for Rex’s constant movement. The dog was acting strange, walking back and forth erratically, looking like he could pounce at any moment. George felt uneasy, not knowing what to expect, both he and Zoe had little experience with dogs, especially such large ones. Rex kept pacing back and forth, his eyes darting around the room as if tracking something only he could see. The hair on his back bristled, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. A feeling of dread crept over George. Rex’s behavior signaled that something was very wrong.
But what was it? Why was Rex so focussed on Zoe? From the moment Rex entered their home, he stayed by Zoe’s side, showing an unusual level of interest. This obsessive behavior unsettled George, and he knew something didn’t add up. And then on top of that, there was the text message. George felt Zoe’s eyes on him. Was she hiding something? Her smile seemed forced, not reaching her eyes. This just wasn’t right and he was determined to find out what was going on…
During Rex’s first days here, everything was calm and ordinary. Rex behaved perfectly normal. Zoe, showing her affection, frequently played with Rex on warm afternoons in their small garden. Meanwhile, George was immersed in his own world of work and routine. Everything seemed normal. At least, that’s what George believed…
But then, a quiet change swept through their home. Rex started acting differently, becoming strangely attached to Zoe. He would watch her every move, his intense stare creating an unsettling atmosphere. George started to feel an unexplainable unease.
One morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, gently illuminating the room.George was still sleeping, but a soft sound from Zoe’s phone woke him up. Stirred from his slumber, he opened his eyes and glanced at the softly lit screen of her phone.
A new message had popped up. George knew he should respect Zoe’s privacy—it was an unspoken rule. But something powerful, a mix of curiosity and an eerie sense of unease, gripped him. He felt compelled to read it. Maybe it was his gut feeling?
George quickly looked at Zoe, who was sound asleep and unaware of the thoughts racing through his mind. He was torn between respecting her privacy and the strong urge to read the message. His heart was pounding in the quiet room. Finally, he couldn’t resist the urge any longer and started unlocking her phone.
The message was from a number George didn’t recognize; it wasn’t saved in Zoe’s phone. His heart started beating faster. He had a bad feeling that this could change their perfect relationship. Should he keep reading or ignore it to keep the peace? He paused, unsure of what to do.
A voice in his head warned him – once he read the message, he wouldn’t be able to forget what it said. However, there was no turning back now. Curiosity and unease drove him forward. With a pounding heart, George read the first few words. They were cryptic, leaving him even more confused than he had been before reading the text. What could it mean?
The message read: “You’ve told me that I can’t tell George about this and that you’ll tell him when the time is right, so that’s wha…” The message abruptly ended there. He had to open the message to read it entirely, but that could mean Zoe discovering he was snooping around. Suddenly, Zoe started to stir; she was waking up! George hastily locked the phone and returned it to her pillow. A whirlwind of questions swirled around in his mind. What was Zoe hiding from him?
The next few days were tough for George. He started to doubt everything Zoe did and said. Their home, once full of laughter and love, was now quiet and filled with doubt. Everything just felt wrong. Even Rex started acting weird around Zoe, like the dog could sense George’s unease.
Besides, Zoe began leaving the house late at night and would deny ever being gone. She insisted he must have been dreaming because she had been right beside him all night. But George knew better. Every time she disappeared, it was like finding another sign of betrayal he never expected. One evening, overcome with feelings of betrayal and engulfed in confusion, George reached his breaking point.
On top of that their communication had worsened. Where they once couldn’t stop talking and laughing together, their house was now quiet and tense. They argued more often, each lost in their own problems. George kept thinking about a mysterious message on Zoe’s phone. He felt both angry and helpless. “Does she think I’m stupid?” he wondered, feeling his anger rise. He believed something was very wrong. Not knowing what else to do, he called the police. Their once-peaceful home became a tense battleground.
George noticed many signs that Zoe was behaving strangely and he couldn’t ignore them. However, it wasn’t as he initially thought – that she had cheated on him. It was something much worse. So when he reported his concerns to the police, they took them seriously and arrived at their house promptly. The situation escalated quickly upon their arrival. They asked a lot of questions. Zoe looked trapped under the hard stares of both the officers and George. But as they talked, surprising truths started coming out. Every mystery, from Rex’s behavior and Zoe’s secret trips to the strange text message, was getting solved. George was hearing answers he wasn’t ready for, answers that could change their lives. And they were nothing like he could have ever expected…
And to think that all of this began with a simple text message just a couple of weeks ago. That particular day George was enjoying a quiet evening at home when his phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was Corey, his best friend. Corey was due to travel abroad for a work trip in a matter of days, a trip that promised to immerse him in new cultures and bustling foreign cities for several weeks. It was an adventure George was slightly envious of. However, an unexpected issue had come up.
Corey’s loyal Doberman, Rex, was unable to accompany him on this international escapade. Normally, a friendly local dog sitter would step into Corey’s shoes, ensuring Rex was well-cared for in his absence. But fate, which is often unpredictable, had disrupted those plans. The sitter had canceled at the last moment because of a family emergency. Time was running out, and Corey was in a tough spot.
Corey had sent a message to George, but with every passing second, anxiety bubbled up. “I can’t wait”, he thought. The idea struck – if George saw Rex’s big, soulful eyes, saying no would be impossible. So, Corey wasted no time and, with Rex by his side, headed to George’s house.
As soon as Corey arrived, he began explaining his urgent situation to George. He was caught between an impending work trip and the need for someone to care for Rex Maybe George could keep Rex for two weeks? Just then, Zoe, George’s partner, walked in. Corey’s plea was still hanging in the air. Upon seeing Zoe, Corey quickly turned to her, saying: “Hello,my sweet Zoe”, in a soothing tone. It was clear he wanted something from her. Perhaps she would be easier to convince? ………….