The Ink-Stained Letter

By AntonG

Jordan was not the type to panic. He prided himself on being methodical, logical, and, above all, calm. That’s why the panic now spreading through his chest like a brushfire felt so alien. He stared at the crumpled letter in his hand, rereading the words for the hundredth time:

"I’m sorry. I never meant for it to happen. But I have to be honest. I love someone else. –M."

The letter was meant for Melissa, his best friend’s girlfriend. The girlfriend who had written it, intending to break things off with Nick—Jordan’s best friend. But somehow, thanks to an accidental envelope swap at his apartment, Jordan had mailed that letter to Nick himself.

By the time he realized, Nick had already opened it.

“I’m going over there,” Nick had said, eyes glassy, voice shaking. “I need answers.”

Jordan had begged him to wait, to cool off. But Nick was already out the door.

Now, Jordan was spiraling. He hadn’t meant to get involved in their breakup, and he certainly hadn’t meant to be the messenger of destruction. Still, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. He had to fix it.

Plan A: Intercept Nick before he reached Melissa’s apartment.

Jordan sprinted six blocks only to find Nick’s bike chained up and no sign of him in the building lobby. Out of breath, he ran up the stairs and knocked on her door. No answer. He knocked again—harder this time.

Still nothing.

Plan B: Create a diversion.

He quickly sent Melissa a text: “Emergency. Call me. Do NOT open the door.”

No reply.

Desperate, Jordan banged again. This time, the door creaked open.

“Nick?” he called.

What he saw when he stepped in would haunt him: Nick standing still, jaw clenched, Melissa with tears in her eyes—and the letter, now open on the table between them.

Melissa turned to him. “You told him?”

“What? No!” Jordan cried. “I didn’t mean to—I mailed the wrong envelope—I was trying to fix it!”

“Oh my God,” she muttered. “You read my letter?”

“No, I—just—”

“Were you snooping?”

Nick’s face darkened. “You said you hadn’t told anyone yet.”

“I didn’t!” Melissa shouted. “I left that letter at Jordan’s place because I panicked. I didn’t mean for him to send it!”

Jordan raised his hands. “I was trying to help—”

Nick cut him off. “By sending me that? Or by showing up here now like some wannabe hero?”

Silence. Thick, suffocating silence.

Jordan left without another word.

---

Two Weeks Later

Jordan sat alone in his apartment, staring at a blank notepad. He’d written ten different apologies—none good enough. Nick had blocked him. Melissa hadn’t answered any messages. He tried to fix a mistake, but each action only twisted the knife deeper.

Now he understood: some things don’t need fixing. They need owning.

He picked up the pen and started writing. Not to fix. Just to be honest.

AntonG is a storyteller drawn to the delicate line between intention and consequence. His stories often explore how small mistakes ripple into larger truths. Discover more of his narrative world in Defiant Bird Ignores Blizzard Warnings—a poetic tale of resilience in the face of nature’s warnings.