My Boyfriend Said: "Honestly, You're So Ugly That I'll Never Have To Worry About You Cheating On...

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:00]My name is Avery Collins. I'm 27 years old, and the strange thing about the moment your life starts slipping out from under you is that it rarely feels like a disaster at first. It feels like a joke. It happened at a party. Loud music, too many people packed into a space that smelled like cheap alcohol and perfume, laughter bouncing off the walls like it didn't belong to anyone specific. I was standing next to my boyfriend, Ethan, holding a drink I hadn't touched, watching one of his coworkers flirt aggressively with some guy across the room. Ethan laughed. Then he leaned closer to me like he was about to share something private. At least I never have to worry about that with you.

[00:00:39]I frowned slightly.

[00:00:41]What do you mean? He smiled. That kind of smile that looks harmless until it isn't. Honestly, he said, loud enough for the people around us to hear, "You're so unattractive that I'll never have to worry about you cheating on me."

[00:00:56]For a second, everything went quiet. Not the room, just inside of me. Then his friends laughed. Not awkward laughter, real laughter. The kind that lands. I felt my face heat up, but I forced a small smile anyway. "That's reassuring," I said. "Don't be sensitive, babe," he added, waving a hand like he was brushing off something insignificant.

[00:01:21]I'm just saying I feel secure.

[00:01:23]It's basically a compliment if you think about it. If I think about it, right.

[00:01:28]The worst part? A small, ugly voice inside me whispered that he wasn't entirely wrong. I had gained weight over the past few years.

[00:01:37]Not a little.

[00:01:39]Enough that my old clothes didn't fit anymore. I wore whatever was clean, hair tied up most days, cut wherever was cheapest. I had stopped trying.

[00:01:49]Somewhere between moving in together and building routines that felt more like survival than living, I had just faded into the background of my own life, but hearing it out loud in front of people, hearing them laugh, that did something to me. Something quiet, but permanent. That the next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.

[00:02:08]Didn't think too much about it. Just moved. Signed up for a gym before work.

[00:02:14]Downloaded a nutrition app. Booked an appointment at a real salon instead of the place downstairs with flickering lights and uneven mirrors. When I told Ethan that night, he barely looked up from his phone. "You're joining a gym?"

[00:02:26]he said, scrolling. "Yeah, just trying to get healthier." "Okay." He shrugged.

[00:02:32]"Just don't overdo it or whatever." That was it.

[00:02:36]No encouragement. No curiosity. Nothing.

[00:02:40]So, I did it alone. I went to the gym four times a week. At first, it was awkward. I felt out of place, like everyone could see exactly how new I was. But, I kept going. I learned. I adjusted. Meal prepped on Sundays.

[00:02:55]Bought clothes that actually fit my body instead of hiding it. Sat in that salon chair and watched someone shape my hair like it actually mattered, like I mattered. Weeks passed. Then, something shifted. Not overnight, but gradually enough that even I started noticing. And apparently, other people did, too. It started small. One of Ethan's friends messaged me on Instagram. "Hey, saw your recent pic. You look amazing. What's your routine?" I smiled, a little surprised, replied casually, "Nothing deep." Then, another message came.

[00:03:29]Similar tone, compliments, questions. Then, a woman from my office commented on one of my photos. "Looking great, Avery." That one, Ethan noticed.

[00:03:40]He was sitting next to me when the notification popped up. "Why is she commenting on your pictures?" he asked, his tone suddenly sharp. "Who?"

[00:03:49]"That girl from your work."

[00:03:52]What's her deal? I blinked.

[00:03:54]No deal. She's just being nice. It's inappropriate.

[00:03:58]I let out a small breath.

[00:04:01]She knows I have a boyfriend. We literally work together.

[00:04:06]Then why is she commenting? Because people comment on social media. I tried to keep my tone light, but something in his expression had already changed. He stared at me longer than necessary.

[00:04:18]You're being defensive. I wasn't. But I knew better than to say that because somehow that would have made it worse.

[00:04:25]That was the moment everything started to feel different. Subtle, but undeniable. And I didn't realize it yet, but the same man who once laughed at the idea of anyone wanting [clears throat] me was about to make sure no one ever could.

[00:04:41]At first, it didn't look like control.

[00:04:44]It looked like concern. Small questions, small comments, the kind you could almost convince yourself were normal.

[00:04:52]If you didn't look too closely. Ethan started asking about everything. Not casually. Not out of curiosity. But like he was collecting evidence. Who liked your post? Why did she like it? How do you know her again? At first, I answered everything openly.

[00:05:10]Calmly. I even handed him my phone once half laughing like, "See, there's nothing there." That was my first mistake. Because once you prove you have nothing to hide, someone who's looking for something to control doesn't stop.

[00:05:24]They just look harder. Within a week, it escalated. He started checking my phone without asking. At night, in the morning, anytime I left it unattended for more than a few minutes. At first, I told myself it wasn't a big deal. We lived together. We shared everything, right?

[00:05:42]But it didn't feel like sharing. It felt like being watched. Then came the food.

[00:05:48]It was subtle at first. He started cooking more, huge meals, pasta dripping in sauce.

[00:05:55]Burgers stacked too high to hold.

[00:05:58]Pizza with extra cheese. "I made your favorite." he said one night, setting a plate in front of me. I hesitated.

[00:06:05]"Thanks, but I already ate." His expression shifted. "What do you mean you already ate?" "I meal prepped, chicken and rice." He stared at me like I'd said something offensive. "I spent an hour cooking this." "I know, and I appreciate it. I just I'm sticking to my plan." "Your plan?"

[00:06:24]he repeated, his tone tightening.

[00:06:27]"You mean your obsession?"

[00:06:30]I let out a small breath.

[00:06:32]"Going to the gym four times a week isn't an obsession." "It is when you prioritize it over me." "Over him." I blinked.

[00:06:40]"I'm gone for 1 hour." I said carefully.

[00:06:45]"Four [snorts] days a week."

[00:06:47]"That's 4 hours you could be spending with me." "There are 160 other hours in the week." Logic didn't land. It never does when the issue isn't logic. After that, the timing changed. Every time I was about to leave for the gym, he picked a fight. Every single time. "We need to talk about the grocery bill."

[00:07:08]"Okay, can we talk when I get back?"

[00:07:10]"Oh, so the gym is more important than our relationship problems? That's not what I said." "Go." he snapped. "Go impress strangers. I'll just sit here like I always do." The guilt came in waves, heavy, relentless, designed to make me hesitate, to make me question something that had once felt simple. But I still went, because something inside me, quiet but stubborn, refused to disappear again. Then his friend messaged me, the same one who had complimented me before.

[00:07:42]Hey, I'd love to grab coffee sometime and hear more about your fitness journey. When are you free? I stared at the message for a moment. Then, I did what I thought was the right thing. I showed Ethan. Your friend just asked me to coffee, I said, holding out my phone.

[00:07:57]He looked at the screen and I watched his face change. Color draining, jaw tightening. What did you tell her?

[00:08:04]Nothing yet. I wanted to check with you.

[00:08:06]Tell her no, he said immediately. Right now, in front of me.

[00:08:12]I nodded slowly, typed out a polite decline, showed him. There, I said softly. He didn't relax. Now, block her.

[00:08:21]I blinked.

[00:08:23]What?

[00:08:24]Block her.

[00:08:26]She's your friend. If you actually cared about me, he said, his voice low now, controlled.

[00:08:33]You'd block her. I hesitated, just for a second, but it was enough. Why are you hesitating? He asked. I'm not. I just It feels a little extreme. Extreme? He laughed, but there was no humor in it.

[00:08:49]My friend is trying to take you out and I'm the one being extreme? She asked for coffee. Don't play dumb, Avery. The way he said my name, sharp, cutting, made something in my chest tighten. So, I did it. I blocked her. Not because I agreed, but because I didn't want the fight. It didn't stop there. Another message came. Another woman. Another Hey, you look amazing. Another argument.

[00:09:16]Another block. Then another and another until my Instagram, my entire social circle, was filtered through his approval. He made me block three of his own friends. Two women from my office. A girl I went to college with who had only liked a photo. Even a coworker's wife.

[00:09:33]Why would a married woman like your picture? He demanded. I stared at him.

[00:09:39]"Because she has thumbs?" I said before I could stop myself. That didn't go over well. Looking back now, that should have been enough. That should have been the moment I saw it clearly, but control doesn't arrive all at once. It builds layer by layer until one day you look around and realize you've been slowly erased. The breaking point came over a message I hadn't even seen. A girl from college, someone I hadn't spoken to in years. "Wow, I barely recognized you.

[00:10:10]You look incredible.

[00:10:12]We should catch up sometime."

[00:10:14]It was harmless, generic, forgettable.

[00:10:20]I hadn't even opened it yet, but Ethan had. And when I walked into the living room, I knew immediately. He was sitting there, phone in hand, waiting.

[00:10:30]"Who is this?" he asked. "A friend from college," I said slowly.

[00:10:36]"We haven't talked since graduation. She wants to catch up." "It's just a phrase.

[00:10:40]I'm not stupid," he snapped. "She's hitting on you, and you like it."

[00:10:47]I didn't even respond because I saw it first. The argument dragged on for an hour, circling, repeating, twisting everything into something it wasn't until finally he went quiet, too quiet.

[00:11:01]And that's when I knew something worse was coming. "I've been thinking about this," he said. My stomach dropped.

[00:11:08]"This whole gym thing, it's gotten out of control." I let out a small, disbelieving laugh.

[00:11:15]"Out of control?" "You need to stop going." The words hung in the air, heavy, absurd, final.

[00:11:25]"Stop going to the gym?" I repeated.

[00:11:27]"Yes, it's ruining our relationship." I stared at him, really looked at him.

[00:11:32]"It's ruining our relationship." I said slowly.

[00:11:37]"Because you're jealous of comments from random people."

[00:11:42]"I'm not jealous." He snapped. "I'm concerned about who you're becoming."

[00:11:46]"Someone healthier? Someone who's getting attention?" He said.

[00:11:50]"And clearly enjoying it." "I'm not doing anything wrong." "Then prove it."

[00:11:55]My chest tightened. "How?"

[00:11:57]"Stop going to the gym." And just like that, everything became clear. All the comments, all the fights, all the pressure. It was never about the gym. It was about control. "No."

[00:12:10]The word came out before I could soften it, before I could adjust it, before I could make it easier for him to hear.

[00:12:16]Just "No."

[00:12:19]He stared at me like I'd just slapped him. "What did you say?" "I said no." I repeated, quieter this time.

[00:12:27]"I'm not stopping." His expression shifted to something darker now, more honest. "After everything I've done for you." He started, then stopped himself.

[00:12:37]I tilted my head slightly. "After you did what?" I asked. He didn't answer, but he didn't need to, because I already knew. "After you stayed with me when I was" I said softly. His silence confirmed it.

[00:12:50]"When I was what, Ethan?" His jaw tightened. I held his gaze. "Too unattractive to cheat on?" The words landed between us. He flinched. "That was a joke." He said quickly. "It didn't feel like one." "It was just It felt like you liked it." I said, my voice steadier now.

[00:13:10]"Having a girlfriend who thought she was lucky to have you." "That's not" "And now" I continued, "that I'm taking care of myself, you're trying to stop me." "I'm not trying to stop you." He said.

[00:13:24]But even he didn't sound convinced. "You told me to quit. Because you're changing. Yes, I said simply.

[00:13:31]I am.

[00:13:33]For a second, neither of us spoke and in something broke. Not loudly, not but in a way that couldn't be fixed. Get out, he said suddenly. I blinked. Just get out. Go to your gym. Go get your attention. This is my apartment, too.

[00:13:49]Then I'll leave.

[00:13:50]He grabbed his jacket and walked out, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the walls. I stood there for a long time after he left, alone.

[00:14:02]In a space that suddenly didn't feel like mine anymore. And for the first time, I allowed myself to think something I'd been avoiding. Not can this be fixed, but should it be? I didn't have the answer yet, but something told me I was getting closer.

[00:14:19]Ethan didn't come back for hours. When he finally did, it was late, past midnight. The apartment was dark except for the soft glow from the kitchen light I'd left on. I heard the door open, then close. Slow.

[00:14:34]Careful. Like if he moved quietly enough, none of this would be real. I stayed on the couch pretending to be asleep. He didn't say a word, didn't check on me, didn't apologize, just walked past me and went straight into the bedroom. The door clicked shut behind him. And just like that, we went from fighting to strangers.

[00:14:56]The next morning, I woke up stiff, still curled awkwardly on the couch. My neck ached. My chest felt heavier, but before I could even process any of it, my phone rang.

[00:15:09]Unknown number.

[00:15:12]I almost didn't answer, but something in me said I should. Hello? Hi, sweetie. I froze.

[00:15:19]It was his mother. I heard you and Ethan had fight, she continued, her voice soft, practiced.

[00:15:26]I just wanted to check in. I sat up slowly. We had a disagreement, I said carefully. Well, she sighed, he's very upset. He says you've been spending all your time at the gym, ignoring him. I let out a quiet breath.

[00:15:42]I go for an hour, four times a week. She feels abandoned, she said. She, not he.

[00:15:48]Like she was already positioning me as the problem. And he mentioned other men have been messaging you. Comments, I corrected, on social media. Nothing inappropriate.

[00:16:00]She's worried you're going to leave him, she said gently.

[00:16:04]Now that you're more attractive. There it was, said out loud, clear, ugly, honest.

[00:16:16]I stared at the wall in front of me. So, what exactly are you asking me to do? I asked. There was a pause. Maybe, she said slowly, you could slow down for the sake of the relationship. Slow down. Stay smaller. Stay safe. Stay less. No, I said. The words surprised even me. Excuse me? She asked. Thank you for calling, I continued, my voice calm now.

[00:16:45]But this is between me and Ethan.

[00:16:48]And before she could respond, I hung up.

[00:16:51]I sat there for a long time after that, phone still in my hand, trying to process the fact that he had gone to his mother, that he had painted me as someone selfish for taking care of myself. When Ethan finally came out of the bedroom, I was waiting. Your mom called me, I said. He froze.

[00:17:10]Just for a second, then shrugged like it didn't matter. I was upset. You had her call me, I said. I didn't tell her to."

[00:17:18]"What did you think would happen?" I cut in. "You tell her I'm abandoning you and she just keeps it to herself?" He ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't know what else to do." I stared at him.

[00:17:30]"You could have talked to me." "I tried," he snapped, "but you're not listening." "I am listening," I said quietly.

[00:17:38]"I just don't agree with you." "That's the problem," he shot back. "You're changing, Avery, and I don't like it."

[00:17:47]There it was again.

[00:17:49]Not we're struggling, not I'm scared, just I don't like it. "You told me I was too unattractive to cheat on," I said, my voice steady now. He went still. "I told you that hurt me," I continued.

[00:18:03]"And now that I'm trying to feel better about myself, you're trying to stop me." "I'm not trying to stop you." "Your mom called me," I interrupted, "and asked me to stop going to the gym." He didn't respond because he couldn't, because there was nothing left to twist. That night, I didn't sleep in the bedroom. I didn't ask, I didn't argue, I just grabbed a blanket and went back to the couch. The next morning, something felt off, not emotionally, physically.

[00:18:35]Like something in the apartment had shifted. I got up, walked into the living room, and immediately noticed it.

[00:18:41]My gym bag, gone.

[00:18:44]I frowned.

[00:18:45]Checked the kitchen, the hallway, the closet. Nothing. A strange, cold feeling settled in my stomach. I grabbed my keys and headed downstairs, three floors down, out the back door, to the dumpster, and there it was. My bag, my headphones, my water bottle, even my supplements, all thrown in like trash, like they meant nothing, like I meant nothing. I stood there for a second, just looking at it. Then I reached in, pulled everything out, carried it back upstairs, each step heavier than the last. Ethan was in the kitchen when I walked in, making coffee, like it was any other morning. Why were my things in the dumpster? I asked. He didn't turn around. What things? My gym bag, I said.

[00:19:33]My stuff.

[00:19:34]He shrugged slightly. I don't know.

[00:19:36]Maybe you left it outside. I stared at him.

[00:19:39]It was on the chair, I said slowly.

[00:19:43]In the living room.

[00:19:46]I didn't see it.

[00:19:48]It's three floors down, I said, in the outdoor dumpster.

[00:19:52]Silence, then another shrug. I don't know what you want me to say. And that was it. That was the moment, not the party, not the fights, not even his mother. This, the lie, blatant, casual.

[00:20:06]Like I was supposed to accept it, like my reality didn't matter. Something inside me clicked, not loudly, not dramatically, but with a kind of quiet certainty that felt final. I'm moving out, I said. His head snapped up. What?

[00:20:24]I'm done, I said. All of this it's not working. You're ending this over a gym bag? He laughed, sharp and disbelieving.

[00:20:33]No, I said calmly.

[00:20:35]I'm ending this because you threw my things away and then lied about it.

[00:20:41]That's not what happened. Because you're jealous of nothing, I continued.

[00:20:46]Because you called your mom to manipulate me.

[00:20:49]Because you told me I was unattractive.

[00:20:51]And now you're punishing me for not being that anymore. I didn't mean it like that, he said quickly. Yes, you did. The silence that followed was heavy, unavoidable. Where are you even going to go? He asked after a moment. My friend has a spare room. His eyes narrowed. You already asked her? I texted her this morning, I said, after I found my stuff in the trash. That's when he started crying, real tears, sudden, overwhelming. Please don't leave, he said, his voice breaking.

[00:21:24]I'll change. I'll support you. I promise. I looked at him, really looked at him.

[00:21:31]And for a second, I almost wanted to believe it. But then I thought about the months, the comments, the control, the lies. You had time to support me, I said quietly.

[00:21:43]You didn't. I started packing. Not everything, just the essentials.

[00:21:48]Clothes, shoes, a few personal things.

[00:21:51]He followed me around the apartment the entire time, talking, pleading, listing reasons I should stay. The lease, the furniture, our history, everything, except an actual apology, except accountability. When I picked up my first bag and headed toward the door, he said it.

[00:22:13]The thing that made everything else make sense. Fine, he snapped, leave. But good luck finding someone better.

[00:22:21]I paused. You might look better now, he added, his voice cold.

[00:22:26]But you're still you. I turned slowly, met his eyes, and for the first time, I didn't feel small. Thank you, I said. He frowned.

[00:22:35]For what?

[00:22:37]For making this easy. And then I left.

[00:22:40]Not angry, not dramatic, just done. I didn't know exactly what came next, but I knew one thing for sure. I wasn't going back.

[00:22:50]I thought leaving would be the end of it, clean, final, a quiet closing of a door that had already been falling apart for months. I was wrong. At first, it was just messages, apologies, long paragraphs about how he'd overreacted, how he was just scared, how he didn't want to lose me. Then came the anger. You're really throwing this away over nothing. You've changed. You think you're better than me now. Then the sadness again. I can't sleep without you here. I miss us. I'll do anything. It came in waves, predictable almost. Like he was cycling through emotions hoping one of them would land. I didn't respond, not once.

[00:23:36]Then he started showing up. At my gym, at my office building, at the coffee shop near my new place. Always with an excuse. I was just in the area. I needed to talk to you about the lease. Can we just have 5 minutes? 5 minutes? Like closure was something he was owed. Stop contacting me, I told him the third time he showed up at the gym. My voice didn't shake. Stop showing up. We're done. He nodded.

[00:24:04]Like he understood. Like he respected it. He didn't.

[00:24:08]The calls started next. Different numbers, unknown IDs. Sometimes silence on the other end. Sometimes his voice, soft, careful, like if he sounded gentle enough I'd forget everything else. I didn't.

[00:24:23]Eventually, I did something I never thought I'd need to do. I hired a lawyer. $400 later, a formal cease and desist letter was sent. Clear, documented, final.

[00:24:37]That was the first time he actually stopped contacting me directly, but he didn't stop. He just got creative. A new Instagram account messaged me one afternoon. No profile picture, no posts. Hey, it said.

[00:24:52]Just thought you should know your ex has been telling people you were abusive. I stared at the screen, didn't react at first, just read it again. Controlling, the message continued, that you isolated him from his friends, that you got violent when he tried to leave. I almost laughed. Not because it was funny, but because of how backwards it was. Me, the woman who had been told she was too unattractive to cheat, the one who blocked people because he demanded it, the one who had her belongings thrown in the trash. Abusive. But this time, I didn't stay quiet. I had everything.

[00:25:32]Every text, every message, every interaction saved, screenshot-ed, documented. Not because I was planning something, but because somewhere along the way, I had started needing proof that I wasn't losing my mind. So, I sent it to a few mutual friends who had started asking questions. Not defensively, not dramatically, just the truth.

[00:25:57]And the truth doesn't need much decoration. It just needs to be seen. It unraveled quickly, faster than I expected. People compared stories, noticed the gaps, the contradictions, the way his version of events didn't line up with reality. Within days, it fell apart. But he still wasn't done. A week later, I got called into the gym manager's office. "Hey," he said, gesturing for me to sit.

[00:26:24]"We received a complaint." My stomach tightened slightly. "What kind of complaint?" He hesitated. "Someone said you've been harassing them, showing up intentionally when they're here." I blinked, then exhaled slowly.

[00:26:38]"Did they happen to mention their name?"

[00:26:40]He nodded.

[00:26:42]"Of course." I reached into my bag, pulled out a copy of the cease and desist letter, set it on the desk.

[00:26:48]"She's been following me," I said calmly, "not the other way around."

[00:26:54]He read it, looked back up at me. "So, she's been showing up here to see you?" Apparently.

[00:27:02]He leaned back in his chair, shook his head slightly. "All right," he said, "we'll handle it." She was banned from the gym that same week. And that's when everything went public. He posted about it, a long rant about toxic women, about feeling unsafe, about how some people weaponize victimhood. It would have almost been convincing if people didn't already know the truth. The comments turned fast. People who had seen the messages, who had heard both sides, who had watched everything unfold, they didn't stay quiet. I didn't respond, not once, because I didn't need to. Then came the Venmo requests. The first one was for $2,800.

[00:27:45]"Back rent," the note said. I stared at it for a moment, then declined it.

[00:27:49]Another came, $3,500.

[00:27:53]"Emotional damages." I actually smiled at that one, then declined it, too. A few weeks later, I got served papers.

[00:28:01]Small claims court. He was actually suing me for financial loss, for emotional distress. So, I showed up.

[00:28:10]I brought everything. Printed texts, screenshots, the message where he called me unattractive at the party, the ones where he demanded I block people, the call from his mother, photos of my belongings in the dumpster, the messages after I left, the proof of him showing up where I was, everything.

[00:28:29]When it was my turn to speak, I didn't raise my voice, didn't exaggerate, didn't perform. I just told the truth.

[00:28:36]The judge listened carefully, then looked at him. "Sir," she said, her tone measured, "from what I can see here, you insulted the defendant, attempted to interfere with her personal well-being, and continued to contact her after she made it clear she wanted no further communication. He tried to interrupt.

[00:28:57]She didn't let him. What exactly are you suing for? He abandoned the apartment, he said quickly. Was her name on the lease? The judge asked. No, but So, she was contributing financially as a guest, the judge said, and chose to leave the relationship. He has a ted it. Yes. The judge nodded once. Case dismissed. Outside the courthouse, he tried one last time. This isn't fair, he said. I kept walking. You changed, he added.

[00:29:27]You became someone different. I stopped, turned slightly. I became healthier, I said. You became someone who thinks she's too good for me. I shook my head.

[00:29:37]No, I said quietly.

[00:29:40]I became someone who won't accept being torn down.

[00:29:44]And then punished for standing back up.

[00:29:47]He didn't follow me after that. Not really. Life moved on. Quietly, steadily, the way it's supposed to. I stayed with my friend for a while, then found my own place. Smaller, brighter, mine. I kept going to the gym. Not obsessively, not to prove anything, just consistently. Because it made me feel good. Because it reminded me that I could take care of myself. I lost weight, gained strength, started recognizing the person in the mirror again. Work got better, too. More focus, more energy, eventually a promotion. And then, slowly, I started dating again.

[00:30:29]He's different, not perfect, but kind, supportive, the kind of man who asks about my workouts and actually listens, who brings me snacks that fit my routine, who doesn't feel threatened by me taking care of myself. A strange concept, I know. The last time I saw Ethan was at a mutual friend's wedding.

[00:30:49]I was there with my boyfriend. We were laughing, dancing, existing in a way that felt light. And then, I saw him across the room, staring.

[00:31:01]Like he didn't recognize me, or maybe like he finally did. My boyfriend leaned in slightly, "Is that him?" he asked.

[00:31:09]"Yeah," I said. He glanced over, then back at me. "She looks miserable." I followed his gaze for a second, then shrugged. "Not my problem anymore." We left early that night, had plans in the morning, real plans, the kind that don't revolve around surviving someone else. As we walked past his table, Ethan opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, anything. I didn't stop, didn't slow down, didn't look back. Because here's the thing, he doesn't get closure. He doesn't get an explanation. He doesn't get to understand why I'm happier now. He just gets to see it from a distance. And sometimes, that's the only ending someone deserves. I'm done with that chapter, and for the first time in a long time, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.