Bradley had always admired Anne's playful nature. She had a knack for bringing light to the dullest moments, a gift that had drawn him to her from the beginning. In their small town, where life moved slowly and predictability ruled, her spontaneity was a breath of fresh air. But on that particular day, Anne's playful nature crossed a line, and neither of them saw it coming.It started as a typical Saturday afternoon, the two of them sitting at the local diner, chatting and laughing over their favourite meals. Bradley had been talking about the upcoming town festival, excitedly planning their day together. Anne, in her usual teasing way, had leaned in with a mischievous smile and whispered, "What if I told you I might have infected you with something?"Bradley froze, the laughter dying on his lips. "What do you mean?"Anne's smile faltered for a moment, but then she chuckled. "Relax, I’m just messing with you. It’s a joke."But the words lingered in the air like a bad omen, and Bradley couldn't shake them off. His mind raced. HIV? Could she really be joking about something like that? The thought settled deep in his chest, and for the rest of the day, he couldn't look at her the same way.Later that evening, when they were alone, Bradley confronted her. "Why would you say something like that, Anne?"She looked at him, her playful demeanour gone, replaced with concern. "Brad, it was just a prank. I didn’t mean anything by it."But the damage was done. He couldn’t unhear the words, couldn’t...