They Are Just Playing Dumb

A thread was trending on a popular forum: "Why do some people stay friends after a breakup?" One girl replied with unmistakable smugness: "To put it simply, they're still in love, but both are too proud to make the first move." "Honestly, I quite enjoy his devotion, his special treatment, his love." "If we hadn't ruined things so badly during our long-distance phase, his current girlfriend wouldn't even stand a chance." My chest tightened. I clicked on her profile. It was Jenny, David's ex. I had been with David for three years, and for those three years, Jenny had played the role of his "best bro." She used that title to slowly worm her way into our lives, eventually moving into the apartment right below ours and even securing a job at David's company. The two of them behaved more like a couple than he and I did. I screenshotted the post and sent it to David. He replied casually: "Just ignore her, she loves talking nonsense." I let out a bitter laugh and left a comment on the thread. "Because both of them know exactly what they're doing, but they're just playing dumb." 1 I walked to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. David was in the study. I couldn't even remember when we had started texting each other despite being in the same house. Whenever I tried to talk to him about it, he'd defend it, calling it a way to keep things "steady and long-lasting." But his idea of steady was simply refusing to engage. As I set my glass down, I noticed a ticket stub slipping out of David's briefcase. The exhibition was titled "Nowhere to Belong." It was a project he and Jenny had spent nearly every waking hour planning together. Clutching the stub, I pushed open the study door. "She usually insists on dragging me to these events just to make me feel small, so why didn't she invite me to the grand opening this time?" David's fingers slammed against his keyboard, the sound sharp and irritable. "Jenny only invited you in the past because she was worried you'd be bored at home," he said, his voice laced with annoyance. "Why do you have to be so sarcastic? Mind your own business and stop assuming the worst of people." Two months ago, at their college reunion, Jenny had insisted I tag along. I sat there all evening while everyone huddled around them, dissecting their legendary campus romance in agonizing detail. Nobody noticed my chronic chest pain flaring up. Last month, on her birthday, she demanded David bring me along. At midnight, she was draped over him, acting completely wasted. Since I was the only one who hadn't touched alcohol, I had to play the silent chauffeur, driving them both home. When we got back, David and I had a massive fight. I was on the verge of tears. "You two are exes. Is it really that hard to have some boundaries?" "What do you want me to do, pretend she doesn't exist?" He looked at me, wearing that familiar mask of guilt. "We were broke back then, and she went through a lot of hardships with me. Now that I'm doing well, I just want to help her out when I can. It's not easy for a single woman to make it in the city alone. You don't understand that struggle. Besides, she's like family to me now." I wanted to laugh. Family? Since when did people date their family? David's phone buzzed. He answered, gave a couple of brief replies, and glanced at me. "Jenny's exhibition opens tomorrow, and she's feeling anxious. I'm going downstairs to talk her through it. Want to come?" I walked right past him, slamming the bedroom door behind me. Ever since she moved downstairs, these calls had been constant. Sometimes, when she couldn't reach him, she would march up and knock on our door, dragging him out of his study without a hint of shame. "You still haven't fixed your habit of ignoring texts. I was worried sick! I'm so glad we broke up, otherwise being your girlfriend would have driven me insane." I used to think there was some emergency. It turned out she just had too many packages and wanted David to carry them. David was usually a sharp, no-nonsense man, but he became a completely different person around her. No matter what she demanded, he listened meekly, almost desperately trying to please her. She was always his exception. Even introducing him to my parents had to take a backseat for her. The first time he planned to visit my family, Jenny sprained her ankle the day before. Without hesitation, he carried her to the hospital on his back and spent the next two months taking care of her. The second time we set a date, she called him crying, claiming her workload was too overwhelming. He spent three days and nights at her place, helping her finish her project. My parents were already deeply displeased, and I had to swallow my pride to make up excuses for him time and time again. A few days ago, he mentioned planning another visit to my family next week. But this time, I didn't want to bring him home. 2 The next morning, David left early. Lately, he had been pouring every spare second into helping Jenny set up her exhibition. I took a cab there alone, needing to see for myself what this show was actually about. The space was styled beautifully, filled with old relics: matching couple sweaters, rings, watches, handwritten love letters, and travel tickets. It felt exactly like a Museum of Broken Relationships. My eyes stung. They had certainly gone to great lengths to publicly mourn their past. The final wall was covered in their old photos and videos, accompanied by dense, handwritten annotations. Around me, visitors were wiping away tears, while some wrote "I loved you" on a memory board. My chest tightened as a cold shiver ran down my spine. Last month, I had found an old, frayed scarf in our closet. I suggested throwing it away and buying a new one. David's face had paled instantly as he snatched it out of my hands. The rough wool caught on my acrylic nails, pulling painfully. Only today did I realize that scarf was part of a matching set he shared with Jenny. I let out a hollow laugh and walked toward the corner of the gallery. David and Jenny were surrounded by reporters. My eyes instantly fell on the Chanel bag on Jenny's shoulder. David had practically dragged me to the store to help pick it out, claiming it was to make up for the hardships she had suffered in the past. Standing in that boutique, I had felt incredibly out of place. Watching him meticulously compare the leather, color, and style, I felt a wave of envy and deep disappointment. He told me she had never owned one. Neither had I. Jenny stood slightly angled toward him, tilting her head and smiling up at David as she spoke. "This exhibition wouldn't have happened without him. He was there for every little detail. Even though we tease each other constantly, he always shows up when it matters." A reporter smiled, looking between the two of them. "You look quite similar. Are you siblings?" Jenny laughed, naturally slipping her hand around his arm. "Haha, maybe we have that married couple look. We used to date, but we realized we make much better friends." The reporter steered the conversation toward the inspiration behind the exhibition. They bounced off each other, sharing stories of their past. Jenny looked deeply into David's eyes. "Don't let his calm exterior fool you. He's incredibly soft-hearted. Right after we broke up, on my birthday, he took a two-hour train ride after work just to drop off a gift." She kept her tone light and teasing. "He looked completely stoic when I opened the door, but later, he was sobbing his eyes out in the lobby downstairs." David laughed sheepishly. "At that moment, I realized something. When it comes to marriage, you need to find someone suitable. We were meant to be friends." Suitable. I let out a silent, bitter laugh, but it couldn't numb the sharp ache in my chest. When I had once asked him why he pursued me, he had wrapped his arms around me. "You make me feel safe. You're the kind of woman who is suitable for marriage." I hadn't thought much of it then. Now, the realization hit me. I had painted our relationship with a beautiful filter. The love I thought we shared meant nothing to him. I was just suitable. I stood there for a long time, staring blankly until the crowd dispersed and my vision finally cleared. David walked briskly toward me. "What are you doing here?" I forced a casual smile. "If I didn't come, how would I know how unforgettable your love story was?" "Didn't you two break up because of the long-distance? Well, you live in the same building now. If you can't let each other go, why not just get back together?" His brows furrowed, suppressing his irritation. "If I really couldn't let her go, you wouldn't be the one standing next to me right now." Before I could reply, a young woman peeked her head over. "How do you two know each other?" she asked, pointing between David and me. David gave me a subtle shake of his head. He was terrified I would say something to embarrass Jenny. "I'm his girlfriend," I said clearly. The girl walked away, and her hushed gossip with her friend immediately drifted back to us. "Told you so! It's a total love triangle, haha." David glared at me, his voice a harsh whisper. "Today is about Jenny's exhibition. Stop drawing unnecessary attention to our private lives. Do you have to make everything about yourself?" So that was how he saw me. Simply stating the truth was a crime. "Go cool off," he said, walking away with Jenny. I slipped my promise ring off my finger and tossed it into a nearby trash can. When David first slid it onto my finger, he had joked, "Now that you're caught, you can't run away." It was just a casual remark to him. How had I been foolish enough to believe it? 3 Before I even made it out of the exhibition hall, my phone buzzed. My boss sounded thrilled. "Have you heard about the 'Nowhere to Belong' show? Apparently, she curated it with her ex-boyfriend, like a Museum of Broken Relationships. This topic is guaranteed to go viral. Go check it out and write up a feature." I gripped my phone case, biting my lip. "Sure." As I hung up, a sharp pain shot through my chest. I leaned against a nearby pillar, struggling to breathe. I needed to go to the hospital again. That afternoon, as I stepped out of the examination room, I spotted David on the first floor. He was kneeling, gently holding Jenny's calf with one hand while pressing her knee with the other. "Does it hurt here, or here?" Jenny looked up, her eyes locking onto mine. She immediately shifted into a protective stance. "He just happened to have free time to accompany me for a checkup. Don't go misinterpreting things and starting another fight with him." David stood up, offering a hurried explanation. "Jenny's meniscus is acting up again. It started hurting during lunch." He paused. "It's an old injury from years ago when she worked extra shifts to help me pay off loans. Standing all day ruined her joints." He was always like this. Once he started talking about Jenny, he couldn't stop. Noticing my silence, he finally changed the subject. "What are you doing at the hospital anyway?" "My chest has been hurting." Jenny cast a dismissive glance at my chest. "Just watch your sleep and diet. The more you stress over minor things, the worse you make it for yourself." David nodded in agreement. "She's just too delicate. Going to bed early is better than any medicine." I had told him about my congenital heart condition before, but he didn't remember. In the past, I would have picked a fight over this. Now, I just felt numb. I turned and walked away without a word. When I got home, I immediately began packing my suitcase. If I didn't clear out of the apartment, I'd just be overstaying my welcome. My phone chimed. It was my boss, pressing for the article. "It'll be best if you include their past history and their current relationship status." Their current status was that Jenny would always be David's top priority. He used to reassure me: "Once Jenny gets a boyfriend, I'll step back." But when she finally did date someone, the guy ended up taking advantage of her. The usually rational, level-headed David had stormed over, beaten the guy up, and landed himself in the police station. I was the one who had to go bail him out. The first thing he asked when he stepped out of the cell was, "Is Jenny okay?" Worrying that her old neighborhood wasn't safe, he went ahead and leased the apartment directly below ours for her. The sound of the electronic lock broke the silence. David walked in, kicking off his shoes as he asked about my hospital visit. I stood up. "Let's break up." His expression shifted. "What are you on about now?" I ignored him, zipping my suitcase and dragging it into the living room. He threw his hands over the bag, pinning it down. "Is this about Jenny again? Are you mad because I helped with her show, or because I went to the hospital with her? I've told you a thousand times, we—" "You two are completely innocent," I interrupted. "I just don't want to be with you anymore. Is that clear enough?" He let out a weary sigh, throwing his hands up in frustration. "You always target her. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you're the problem here?" I froze. He had never spoken to me like this before. He used to tell me how lucky he was to have found me. Suddenly, his ringtone shattered the silence. Jenny's voice came through the speaker. "The bathroom light won't turn on. Can you come take a look?" "I'll be right down," David replied. He looked at me. "Wait here. We'll talk when I get back." I watched the door click shut, wanting to laugh. Even when we were breaking up, he could be pulled away by her minor inconvenience. I had waited for three years. I wasn't going to wait any longer. As the elevator descended, my heart sank with it. My pulse slowed, as if trying to make up for all the extra beats it had wasted on him. I checked into a hotel, intending to resign as soon as I turned in the article. For two days, David made no effort to contact me. Jenny, however, was highly active on social media. She posted a photo of the two of them laughing on an amusement park pirate ship. She was holding David's hand tightly, and the promise ring on his finger was gone. David had once told me he was terrified of heights and would never ride a pirate ship in his life. Men certainly loved using the phrase "in my life." And they were incredibly good at forgetting. Jenny's caption was particularly striking: "How to recall an ex in three easy steps." I left a comment: "What kind of prize is worth recalling anyway?" 4 After turning in my resignation letter, I booked an evening flight. I was walking through the hotel lobby to buy a bottle of water when I saw David marching toward me. I realized I had forgotten to turn off our location-sharing app. He looked incredibly tense, as if the world was ending. The moment he stopped in front of me, his first words were: "You need to record a clarification video right now." "Tell everyone you and Jenny are close friends, and that she never came between us." I stared at him, momentarily stunned. "What?" He shoved his phone in front of my face. The comments section of a viral gossip page was tearing Jenny apart. "Are we rebranding home-wrecking as high art now?" "Hilarious. In that interview, she looked like she wanted to crawl into his skin." "Her social media got leaked. She actually shared a post on 'how to recall an ex.' What a joke." David was practically hyperventilating. "That girl from the exhibition wrote about us online, calling it a love triangle, and it went viral! It's all fabricated lies. You need to record a video and clear her name." I looked at him for a long, quiet moment. "No." His eyes darkened instantly. "What did you say?" I took a step back. "This has nothing to do with me. Besides, isn't Jenny the exact reason we're over? If you care about her so much, go post your own clarification." His anger flared, nearly boiling over. "If a statement from me worked, do you think I'd be begging you? Jenny has been crying since this morning. How is she supposed to handle this kind of abuse? If you hadn't blurted out that you were my girlfriend, none of this would have happened!" I didn't want to argue anymore, so I kept quiet. "Audrey." He rarely used my full name. "This is serious. If you don't record this video, we are truly finished." I let out a tired laugh. How could he threaten me with something I had already walked away from? "We were finished two days ago." I walked past him and headed into the convenience store. When I reached for a bottle of water, my hands were shaking. I thought I was emotionally prepared for this, but the coldness of his betrayal still stung. Before heading to the airport, I realized my passport was still at David's apartment. I had the driver make a quick detour. When the apartment door opened, Jenny was standing there. She was wearing an oversized button-down shirt that belonged to David, her damp hair draped over her shoulders. I had bought that shirt for David last year. I could hear the shower running in the bathroom. Jenny blocked the doorway, looking down at me. "You still have the nerve to show up here?" I pushed past her without looking at her. "Just grabbing my things." As I retrieved my passport and walked out, I noticed Jenny's luggage sitting in the hallway. They really couldn't wait. Jenny leaned against the doorframe, tilting her head with a smug smile. "After looking around, I still think David is the best." She chuckled. "He hasn't lost his touch in bed, either." My fingers clenched around my passport. "You're blocking the door," I said, keeping my voice entirely flat. On the surface, I was calm, but my throat felt as if a fishbone were lodged in it, making it difficult to swallow. Sitting in the back of the cab, I stared blankly at the passing streets. For the first time, I realized how incredibly foolish I had been to love him. My hand brushed against a small, hard object in my bag. It was a transparent pill organizer. Each compartment held different tablets, labeled in neat, handwritten script: allergy meds, cold medicine, motion sickness pills, and my heart arrhythmia medication. David had put it together for me three years ago before my first business trip. I had forgotten it was even in my bag. Three years. The medicine inside was probably long expired. The car moved smoothly through the intersection, heading in the opposite direction of everything we had built. I unlocked my phone, deleted David's contact info, and blocked his number. It was finally over.