Broken Boundaries，Never His Secret Again

My boyfriend was obsessed with keeping his distance. Whenever I asked him for advice on my group projects, he refused, claiming we had to maintain professional boundaries so no one would think I got in through favoritism. When I was burning up with a fever and begged him to bring me medicine, he coldly said he was just my boyfriend, not my butler, and owed me nothing. Then came the campus career fair. Ten minutes before my interview, I realized my hearing aids were gone. Panicking, with nowhere else to turn, I went looking for him. And found him sitting in a quiet lounge, my best friend perched on his lap in a tiny miniskirt. Lillian smiled playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Ethan, you just made management at top tech. Don't go pulling strings or helping anyone cheat, okay? Consider this a little test for Maya." Ethan grabbed her wandering hands with a smirk. "With you watching over me, how could I dare?" I watched them touch and whisper, completely lost in their own world. Turns out, his strict boundaries were only ever meant for me. To them, I was nothing but a punchline. Fine. I was done with both of them. I forced myself to walk into that interview anyway. I couldn't let my hard work go to waste. The entire time, I strained my eyes reading the interviewer's lips, speaking into a world of dead silence. At first, she spoke slowly. But as the interview went on, she spoke faster and fired off more complex questions. Her lips blurred. I could barely make out the words. Cold sweat trickled down my neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Ethan standing nearby. Instinctively, I looked at him, silently begging for help. All he had to do was mouth the questions to me slowly, and I could have aced the interview. His eyes flickered. Then, slowly, his lips formed two words: "Professional boundaries." He turned his back on me and started chatting with Lillian, never looking my way again. I was an idiot to ever expect anything from him. I had heard those words countless times over the past four years. Every time I needed him, that was his default excuse. Yet Lillian, who was interviewing for the exact same tech giant, stood right beside him. They laughed and whispered without a shred of professional distance. He was even patiently coaching her on interview tips. Seeing my silence, the interviewer repeated herself: "Maya, what would you say is your greatest strength?" Doing an interview completely deaf while watching my boyfriend ignore me to flirt with my best friend? Swallowing the bitter self-mockery in my throat, I answered with complete sincerity. "Resilience." I explained what that word meant to me. The interviewer nodded, visibly impressed, and moved on to the next topic. When it was over, she smiled warmly and nodded in approval. I offered a polite smile, turned around, and walked into an empty corner to pack up my portfolio. Suddenly, someone grabbed my wrist. Ethan stood there, looking annoyed, his mouth moving rapidly. When I didn't respond, he finally remembered I wasn't wearing my hearing aids. He reached into his backpack and pulled them out. My chest tightened, followed by a strange, numbing calm. My hearing aids had been in his bag the entire time. He knew. He just deliberately chose to watch me struggle. The moment I put them in, his sharp voice hit my ears: "Lillian was calling your name just now. Why didn't you stop?" "How was I supposed to hear her?" I asked, bewildered. "You just gave me my hearing aids." Ethan choked for a second, then straightened his posture. "Go apologize to Lillian." "Why the hell should I apologize to her?" "She hid my hearing aids! She almost ruined my interview!" "She did it to help you," Ethan argued. "If you wanted to help, you would have handed them to me!" Ethan frowned. "Keeping them from you was to build your independence. It's for your own good." A lump formed in my throat. "For my own good? Then why do you constantly hurt me?" "Who gave you the right to decide what's good for me?"This wasn't the first time Lillian used "building my character" as an excuse to steal my hearing aids. During the fitness test, Lillian hid them so I could "focus better." The result? I didn't hear the coach blow the whistle to stop. I kept running around the track like an idiot until I collapsed from heat exhaustion and had to be rushed to the campus clinic. At a crowded restaurant, she hid them, then giggled into Ethan's chest while I frantically signed at a confused waiter, trying to explain I had lost them. At the movie theater, she told me to experience silent films. When a small fire broke out and the alarms blared, everyone evacuated while I sat there alone in the dark, watching the screen. Thinking about all of it made my eyes burn. Ethan hesitated, reaching out to wipe a tear from my cheek. "Why do you cry every time I critique you?" "Fine, you're right, I'm wrong, okay?" "You don't have to apologize to her. Just stop crying, alright?" I slapped his hand away, dodging his touch. Before he could snap, Lillian's saccharine voice floated over. "Aww, look at the cute couple having a secret rendezvous! You're making everyone jealous!" Ethan quickly pulled back. "Stop talking nonsense. We're not." Lillian pouted playfully. "Not true! I saw you caressing her face! If I hadn't interrupted, you two would be making out right now!" "Are you crazy? In broad daylight? I was just returning her hearing aids." "Since when does our former student council president personally deliver hearing aids?" "I graduated already. I'm not the president anymore..." They started their usual banter, back and forth. Lillian lightly punched his chest, and Ethan ruffled her hair with a grin. They were totally absorbed in their private little world. I stood there like an invisible ghost. A few classmates walked past. "Oh, look, Ethan and our department beauty are flirting again." "Who's flirting with him/her?" they chorused in perfect unison. They glanced at each other. "Why are you copying me?" Seamless chemistry. Someone snapped a picture. "Cutest couple on campus, seriously." Then they turned, noticed me standing awkwardly beside them, and scowled. "Ugh, look at her. Dying for attention as usual, total third wheel." Here it went again. Sick of watching the circus, I picked up my bag to leave. Someone snickered. "What a pathetic tagalong. Gets called out and runs away mad. She clings to Lillian just to stay near Ethan. Talk about thick-skinned." I stopped and looked back at the two of them. "What am I to you guys?" Neither answered. The snickers grew louder. Biting my lip, I stepped up and grabbed Ethan's sleeve, speaking loud and clear: "Ethan, tell everyone. What are we?" A flash of irritation crossed his face. He looked down at me coldly. "Maya, what relationship do you want us to have?" The crowd burst into laughter. "Oof, totally shut down in public. That's embarrassing." "Desperate delusions fail again!" Lillian frowned, playing the peacemaker. "Don't be mean, guys. Maya just wanted an answer." The crowd sneered even louder. "What answer does a deluded stalker need? Expecting Ethan to call her his girlfriend?" "Seriously, the audacity is insane." Every cruel remark hit me like a slap. Ethan didn't utter a single syllable to defend me. That was my answer. Every trace of hope inside me died. "My mistake, Ethan." His brows relaxed slightly. Then I spoke clearly: "We're done. It's over." I turned and walked away. Lillian shouted my name behind me. I never looked back. I was done being the clown in their twisted love story.Back at the apartment, I started packing. As I shoved our matching couple pajamas into my suitcase, my phone buzzed with a text from Lillian: [Maya, ignore those idiots, they don't know anything! Don't let it get to you!] I replied blandly: [I know.] A second later, Ethan texted: [Maya, I'll pretend you didn't say that in anger. Be good, stop throwing a fit.] [Everything will be fine once the recruitment results are out.] [I already booked plane tickets. I'm taking you on vacation to unwind.] My hands froze on my clothes. I pressed my lips together. Back during freshman year, Ethan had promised to take me on a trip. Over four years, he made excuse after excuse and never followed through. I tapped open the flight confirmation. My blood ran cold. Austin. A bustling, high-tech hub known for its futuristic skyline. And the place where my worst nightmares lived. I touched my hearing aid. My hands began to shake uncontrollably. I absentmindedly opened Lillian's public Ins story. [Campus recruitment secured! Someone lost our bet and has to take me on an epic trip to Austin, haha!] The picture showed her pinching Ethan's chin while he laughed warmly beside her. My heart shattered into a million pieces. He didn't suddenly remember his promise to me. Lillian wanted to go to Austin. He was merely bringing me along as an afterthought. Looking closer at the photo, they were sitting in front of a lavish feast. The comments below were overflowing: [Is this official now?! You two look so good together!] [Queen Lillian! Not only did you lock down our ex-president, but you also snatched the only tech offer!] [When's the engagement party?] The university group chat was equally wild: [During the interview, Ethan personally recommended Lillian to the recruiters. He really can't stand being away from her, huh? Are they coming back from Austin with a marriage license?] Someone dropped a video clip: [Honestly, they might as well be married already.] I clicked on it. In the video, Ethan was carefully peeling shrimp for Lillian, his smile soft and affectionate, his eyes entirely fixed on her. [So gorgeous together! Total power couple!] The thread ran for hundreds of comments. Then someone brought me up, and the vibe soured instantly. [I saw her earlier, clinging to Ethan's sleeve begging him to find her hearing aids. Why does she dump all her drama on him?] [Saw that too! She actually claimed they needed to 'break up'... Gross. Does Ethan even know who she is?] [Lillian is way too sweet. If my best friend kept leeching off me and fantasizing about my man, I would've dropped her years ago!] They mocked me openly, completely forgetting I was in the SnapChat group. Or maybe they knew, and simply didn't care. I stared at the screen as a drop of water blurred the cruel words. When did I become such an outcast? Was it when I needed his signature on a club form, and he forced me to submit it through three different departments just to "avoid suspicion"? Was it at the annual gala, when he posed for photos with Lillian while pushing me into the dark corner of the room? Or was it every single time he shrugged indifferently whenever I told him people were isolating me? We were the ones dating. Why was I forced to live like a shameful secret? Staring at the messages ridiculing me for daring to compete against Lillian, I took a deep breath and typed: [Ethan and I have been dating for four years. We broke up today. From now on, we have zero connection. Don't mention me with him again.] Without waiting for the inevitable explosion of insults, I left the group. Then I opened the chat with my academic advisor and sent a message: [Professor, regarding the overseas research job you mentioned... I accept.]Her reply was almost instantaneous: [There's a red-eye flight tonight. Can you make it?] I pulled the matching pajamas out of my suitcase and tossed them onto the sofa. [Yes. I'm all packed.] I didn't own much, just basic daily necessities. Because Ethan insisted on maintaining boundaries even at home, our belongings were strictly separated. Packing took no time at all. There was nothing left behind. Still. My eyes swept over Ethan's workspace. On his desk sat Lillian's designer headband. On his beloved desktop plant hung a Christmas trinket Lillian gave him. His open laptop screen still displayed the capstone thesis he was editing for Lillian. A suffocating weight settled on my chest. My years of quiet patience and loyalty felt like a giant, humiliating joke. Just as I zipped up my bags, the front door clicked open. Ethan walked in. "Maya, haven't eaten yet, right? I brought you something great." He smiled gently, as if our fight had never happened. He popped open the takeout containers. Looking at the mountain of seasoned shrimp, my lips twisted into a dry smile. "Thanks for bringing me seafood. You know I'm severely allergic." "Must be nice celebrating Lillian winning the only job offer, then packing up her leftovers for me." His smile froze. "Maya, stop acting like this. It's just food." He reached out to hold my hand. "Yes, we went out to celebrate, but we didn't invite you because we didn't want you to feel bad." When I pulled away, he sighed heavily. "Lillian passed the interview, and you didn't. You... look." "I know you wanted to get into top tech. But your GPA isn't as high, and honestly, your interview performance wasn't as polished as hers today. You stuttered on several answers. It makes sense you didn't get it." I stayed silent. Did he really have the audacity to act like he didn't know "why" I stuttered? Feeling the burn of my stare, his gaze shifted uncomfortably. "I have a plan. Tomorrow, go interview with some smaller firms first. Get some work experience, and I'll find a way to transfer you into our company later." "Once your interviews are done, we'll fly to Austin. Deal?" His eyes looked almost sincere. Yet my heart was completely numb. Even if I did what he said, would anything change? If I got into his company, would he keep enforcing his "boundaries"? Keeping so much distance that my colleagues would assume I offended him and ostracize me all over again? I had endured four miserable years of that in college. I wasn't doing it for the rest of my life. Besides... "Ethan, do you even remember what Austin is to me?" He paused, confused. "A great vacation spot?" The last lingering spark in my eyes faded into pitch-black darkness. Ten years ago, our families took a summer trip to Austin. A massive highway disaster struck. My father was crushed right before my eyes. The horrific screech of tearing metal and the shrieks of dying victims shattered my eardrums. I went deaf that day. Ever since, Austin gave me severe, debilitating PTSD. When we got home back then, young Ethan threw away everything connected to Austin. He tossed souvenirs, tore down posters, and even used a black marker to scrub the city's name off our state maps. All because he couldn't bear to see me hurt. And now, he booked tickets there with a smile, calling it a getaway. I looked at him, my eyes burning. He opened his mouth to say something, but his phone rang. He answered instantly. Lillian's bubbly voice carried through the speaker: "Ethan! Did you make the itinerary yet? The top ten sights in Austin..." His expression melted into effortless tenderness. "Babe, what's the rush? I'm pulling it up right now..." Still talking, he turned toward his study, tapped on his computer, and began saving travel photos to a shared folder. Looking at the familiar street names on his screen, nausea surged up my throat. I couldn't breathe in this room for another second. Gripping my suitcase handle, I walked out the door and never looked back.