Part 1The Price of His Secrets: Exposing My "Perfect" Boyfriend

My boyfriend, Ethan, suddenly got into a car accident and was rushed to the hospital.

Our classmates were all chipping in and donating money, but I acted like nothing had happened.

Ethan’s sister tracked me down at school, her eyes red and swollen.

"Maya, our family isn't rich. Can you please take out the money my brother has been saving with you all these years to help pay for his emergency surgery?"

My expression remained flat. "The money he saved? That was spent a long time ago."

Tears streamed down the girl's face. "My brother gets a $500 monthly allowance, and he transfers $400 of it straight to you. Plus all the money he makes from his part-time jobs... he asked to borrow money from me several times and told me to keep it a secret from our parents..."

"You're his girlfriend. How can you just leave him to die?"

At that moment, Ethan's college roommate stepped forward to back up the girl's claims. But I stood my ground, insisting I had no money.

When Ethan regained consciousness, he immediately demanded a breakup. The entire student body rallied behind him.

Faced with everyone's harsh accusations, I pulled out the joint income and expense records from our two-year relationship.

* * *

The hem of the girl's t-shirt was frayed, making her look like she came from a struggling, working-class family.

She looked at me, swallowed hard, and spoke up amidst the confused stares of the crowd.

"Maya, can you please just take out the money my brother left with you to cover the hospital bills?"

"Mom has already borrowed from everyone she can, but we're still short..."

"I know my brother has been depositing his money with you since the very beginning."

I frowned, completely unmoved by her pitiful display.

"The money he saved with me was spent ages ago."

My face was completely calm, but the girl's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"Spent? How is that possible?"

Her voice was laced with shock. "My brother has been dating you since freshman year, it's been almost four years. Out of his $500 monthly allowance, he sends you $400 and only keeps $100 for his own food."

"Not to mention the side hustles he works. All that money went into your shared savings app. There has to be at least ten thousand dollars in there! How could it possibly all be spent?!"

"There were times he was so broke he was starving and had to borrow money from me. He even begged me not to tell our parents, which is the only reason I know about this."

"I'm begging you. I know this isn't ideal, and I didn't get my brother's permission, but as his girlfriend, are you really just going to watch him die?"

She bent forward slightly, tugging at the hem of my shirt, her eyes brimming with tears.

A heavy silence fell over the crowd.

"Wait... I thought Ethan was on full financial aid! Turns out his allowance isn't that small after all!"

"Yeah, he's always so frugal... I used to think Maya was a decent person, not a gold digger like other girls... So all of Ethan's money went to her?"

"Wow, I always assumed Maya came from a rich family. So she’s been living large off the money Ethan starved himself to save?!"

Voices of surprise and suspicion rippled through the onlookers.

I frowned and looked around. "You're all making wild assumptions based on a completely one-sided story?"

I turned back to the girl. "I told you, your brother has no money saved with me. Stop making a scene. Everyone is responsible for their own fate."

My voice was cold and flat, lacking any emotional inflection.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Just as I finished speaking, the sound of slow, sarcastic applause rang out.

Ethan's roommate, Noah, was clapping, a mocking sneer on his face.

"Wow. 'Everyone is responsible for their own fate.' What a line."

"Other people might not know, but do you think his roommates are blind?"

"I've watched Ethan get his allowance every month, and the very first thing he does is open Venmo to send it. So, he was sending it to you all along?"

"Look at the clothes and shoes you're wearing—all designer brands. And what about Ethan? To save money, he buys clearance bin clothes and wears sneakers until the soles literally detach!"

"What's the deal? Now that he's in an accident and you need to cough up the money, you're trying to cut ties? Do you think we're all idiots?"

Noah's words hit like a sledgehammer, leaving everyone stunned.

Unlike the crying girl, Noah was our class representative. He was known for being responsible, gentle, and level-headed. No one had ever seen him lose his temper.

But right now, his eyes were wide with blazing anger.

"Do you even realize that Ethan got into that car crash while heading to an extra shift just so he could buy you a birthday present?!"

The classmates who had been on the fence were now entirely convinced.

"Holy crap. I never would've guessed Maya was this kind of person."

"How does she live with herself? Shouldn't a relationship be 50/50? This is just pure greed!"

Facing the crowd's accusations, I merely scoffed, turned on my heel, and walked out of the noisy classroom.

I didn't expect my phone to blow up with a barrage of notifications just minutes later.