Why did this notification appear and why won't it go away?

[Android Central Question]

Today, my phone decided I need a little "2" over my messages....forever. while I did not receive any messages, two threads are lit up and there is a 2 that won't go away. One of the threads I use nearly every day, the other hasn't been used in a couple months. I have cleared cache, force stopped messaging and disabled notifications, restarting the phone again after each attempt. I am willing to try anything that does not result in my messages being deleted. How do I make the annoying stuff go away????

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone? Are you seeing the 2 as an unread count badge on the app shortcut icon on your homescreen, or is it associated with certain message threads? If the latter, is your phone dual-SIM?