Mark and I had been dating for a year, and I thought everything was perfect. One day, we took a cute picture while hiking, and I posted it on Facebook with a sweet caption. Moments later, I got a chilling message from an anonymous account: “RUN. NOW.”

Confused and scared, I didn’t tell Mark. More messages followed, warning me not to confront him. Though Mark had always been kind and loving, the messages made me second-guess everything. His recent quiet stares only added to my fear.

Then I received instructions to meet at a café for “evidence” against Mark. I lied to him and went, but to my shock, he showed up too. He’d been getting the same anonymous messages—about me!

Suddenly, our friend Andrew walked in, grinning. It had all been a prank to “test” our relationship. Furious, Mark and I confronted him, but Andrew insisted it was to see if we truly trusted each other. His twisted point hit home: instead of talking, we let anonymous messages shake our trust.

As we left the café, we knew our relationship needed work. Despite Andrew’s cruel prank, it forced us to realize that trust must be earned and protected, and we’d have to be stronger—together.