Betrayed

"I didn't lie," she said softly. "I just… I thought that if I told you the truth, you wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore. I was afraid of losing you."

I felt a pang of sympathy for her, but at the same time, I couldn't just ignore the lies. "Martha, I can't continue to be friends with you if I can't trust you," I said firmly. "I need some time to think about what I want to do, but for now, I need to take a step back from our friendship."

Martha's expression turned to one of hurt and sadness. "Please don't do this," she pleaded. "I need you in my life. You're one of my closest friends."

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision I had just made. "I'm sorry, Martha," I said softly. "But I need to do what's best for me right now."

As I left the coffee shop, I felt a sense of sadness wash over me. It wasn't easy to end a friendship, but I knew tha