Left on Read Ditching My Fiancé and Toxic Best Friend

In our three-person Snap group, nobody ever replied to my messages. At first, I thought they were just busy. After all, Ethan and I had been together for seven years, and Harper had been my best friend for eighteen. Until today, when I sent my usual text: "Do you guys want to take a trip to Colorado?" All day, complete silence. That night, Harper reposted a video of wild mushrooms in Colorado: "Omg, these look so delicious!" Ethan replied instantly. Within seconds, their notifications were blowing up the chat. I chimed in: "So, should we all go to Colorado together?" The group chat went dead silent again. I scrolled up through our chat history. Yesterday, I texted: "I really want to quit my job, I'm so exhausted." No response. The day before, Harper posted a selfie: "My skin looks awful today, I'm so sad." Ethan immediately replied: "Stop talking nonsense, you're gorgeous." They chatted late into the night. I jumped in: "Want to grab dinner tomorrow?" Silence. The next day, I ran into them eating together at the same restaurant. Last week, Ethan shared a movie trailer. Harper replied, "I want to see that!" I added, "Count me in too!" Still, no one replied. When I texted Ethan privately, they had already watched it together. Turns out, they weren't too busy to reply. They just didn't want to reply to me. I didn't leave the group, nor did I send an angry essay. I just muted the chat. On the day I gave my two weeks' notice, the group finally buzzed. Ethan: "@Chloe My mom is asking when we're setting the wedding date. Harper’s asking too. Why aren't you answering?" Touching down in Denver, I sent him my very last message: "You two have fun chatting. No need to text me back anymore." "Happy breakup." Right after I muted the group, a private notification popped up on my screen. Ethan: "Can't take you to see the new house this weekend. Something urgent came up." I frowned. "Is it that urgent? I finally got time off, and I have something important to tell you." Ethan never replied. I checked our Snap group. He was actively chatting with Harper, totally available—just not for me. Instead of humiliating myself further, I closed the app, opened my laptop, and started drafting my resignation letter. I was just so tired. I needed a long break. The next day, I handed in my two weeks' notice at the office. The VP tried to convince me to stay, but in the end, he reluctantly signed off. I originally thought about mentioning it in the group chat, but when I unlocked my phone, I saw Harper's new Instagram story. "Someone said I've been working too hard and is taking me on a getaway." Tagged at the airport, showing two boarding passes. Destination: Colorado. I zoomed in on the picture. One ticket had Harper’s name. The other had Ethan’s. So that was Ethan's "urgent matter"—a private getaway with Harper. I tagged both of them in the Snap group. "You guys went to Colorado? Why didn't you tell me?" Unsurprisingly, radio silence. I sent Ethan a private DM: "Why did you go on a trip alone with Harper?" Still nothing. It wasn't until late afternoon, right before clocking out, that Ethan brushed me off with a careless message in the group: "Just landed. It was a last-minute decision. We saw how busy you were with work, so we didn't want to bother you." Followed by a giggling emoji from Harper. When I got home, my landlord was already showing the apartment to prospective tenants. Seeing me walk in, she smiled warmly: "Chloe, congratulations!" "I heard you're moving out to move into the new place with your fiancé. Though, that friend of yours I met last time didn't seem too happy whenever marriage came up. Was she just sad you're moving so far away?" I froze for two seconds, realizing she meant Harper. I pressed my lips together, too exhausted to explain. "No, actually, I quit my job." "They have things going on... The wedding isn't happening."The landlord and the new tenant exchanged awkward glances, made some polite small talk, and quickly left. I sat on the couch, staring at their latest social media updates. After landing, Ethan and Harper headed straight to that wild mushroom restaurant from the video, beaming at the camera. The vacation rental they booked was the exact one I had shared in our group chat a few days ago. So they did see my messages. They just chose to ignore me. I wiped away the stray tear at the corner of my eye and muted both of their profiles. I stood up and started packing my boxes. Four days later, Ethan called. "Chloe, are you off work?" "Harper and I just got back. We brought you some souvenirs. Let's go check out the new house together. Didn't you say you had something important to tell me?" I looked out the window. It was pouring rain. "Sure. But it's hard to get an Uber in this weather. Pick me up on your way." Silence on the line. After a long pause, Harper's timid voice came through the speaker. "Chloe, could you just grab a cab to the house yourself?" "Ethan is at my place cooking dinner for me. If he drives over to pick you up, it’ll be a huge detour and traffic is awful." My tone turned freezing cold. "Didn't he just say you two barely landed?" "Forget it. Rain check." With that, I hung up. Ethan’s text arrived seconds later: "Don't snap at Harper over nothing. I'm on my way to get you now." I scoffed. "Don't bother. I didn't even know you could cook." "Some other time. I'm staying in tonight." Ethan didn't reply. Two hours later, someone pounded frantically on my doorbell. Ethan was outside, calling my name. I pulled the door open, scowling. "Didn't you read my text? I told you, I'm not going anywhere tonight." Ethan didn't listen. He grabbed my arm and dragged me out. "Stop throwing a tantrum. Harper had a stomachache on the flight, so I just made her some soup." "I told her to stay home and rest, but she saw how mad you were and insisted on coming along. Just talk to her, okay? Otherwise, she won't be able to rest easy." I didn't say a word. I yanked my arm back and rubbed my bruised wrist. Grabbing my purse, I followed Ethan downstairs. I didn't even glance at the passenger seat. I just routinely climbed into the back. I already knew Harper would be sitting up front. Sure enough, seeing that I didn't make a fuss, Harper turned around from the passenger seat with an apologetic smile. "Chloe, I'm so sorry." "I really feel awful right now, so I didn't want to move. Sorry to make you sit in the back." "Whatever," I mumbled. Ethan glared at me through the rearview mirror, annoyed by my coldness. As he drove, he tried to clear the air. "Chloe, Harper was terrified we'd fight over the trip. She dragged herself out even while feeling sick just to explain things to you." "Aren't you going to say something?" I leaned my head against the window and replied flatly. "Nothing to say." Ethan choked on his words. He let out an awkward chuckle, then turned to chat with Harper about other things. Inevitably, the conversation drifted right back to Colorado. "Ethan, remember when we fed the pigeons by that lake in the Rockies?" "How could I forget! They swarmed me, and I almost fell into the water. And that tie-dye workshop—you got dye all over my face." "You're one to talk! You completely ruined my dress! I can't even wear it anymore!" ... Their back-and-forth chatter stabbed into my ears like needles. When Ethan finally paused, it was like he suddenly remembered his girlfriend was sitting in the back seat. "Chloe, next time the three of us should go backpacking in the Himalayas." "You said work has been burning you out and you need a reset, right? When we go..." I couldn't stand listening to another word. I cut him off. "We're here. Pull over."Ethan clamped his mouth shut awkwardly. When we got out of the car, he hurried over to my side, reaching out to hold my hand. I casually shifted away, shoving my hands into my coat pockets. The next second, Harper slid in between us, linking her arm affectionately through his. Ethan didn't pull away. He even instinctively shielded her with his hand, making sure she didn't bump into the car door. I watched it all, silent. I just walked straight ahead. The moment the front door of our new house swung open, Harper’s stomachache miraculously vanished. She excitedly dragged Ethan around the house, critiquing every corner. "Ethan, didn't I tell you I hated the color of the guest room curtains? Why haven't you had them replaced yet?" Hearing that, I stopped in my tracks. "I told the contractors not to touch them. The color you picked is hideous." "Since this is the home Ethan and I are moving into, you don't get a say." The smile froze on Harper's face. She clearly didn't expect me to humiliate her so bluntly. Stunned for a moment, she quickly rushed over, grabbing my arm and putting on her signature wounded-puppy act. "Chloe, don't say that. Are you still mad at us for going to Colorado without you?" "I'm sorry. I just saw how swamped you were and wanted you to rest over the weekend. That's why... We've known each other for eighteen years, why draw lines between us?" With a cold face, I shook her hand off. "No lines? Why don't you marry Ethan instead then? Harper, precisely because we've known each other for eighteen years, I know exactly what you're pulling." "Cut the act." Harper stood tongue-tied, her eyes welling up with tears. "No, no, that's not true. Chloe, please don't think of me like that. I really just..." I took a deep breath. Since we were already here, there was no need to keep up appearances. Let's lay it all out. "You two deliberately ignore my texts in the group chat. You chat in front of me until 2 AM, but ignore my private DMs." "Under the guise of being 'best friends,' you go to the movies with my fiancé alone, go to dinners with him alone, and take vacations with him alone. Ask anyone on the street—ten out of ten people will tell you that's completely messed up." "Harper, do I need to spell it out any clearer? Learn some boundaries, will you?" Harper had no comeback. She just buried her face in her hands and started bawling. Ethan couldn't take it anymore. He stepped forward and shoved me backward. "Chloe, what is wrong with you?" "There is nothing going on between Harper and me! We've known each other for years—if something were going to happen, it would've happened ages ago. Can you stop being so paranoid? I brought you here to comfort Harper, not to point fingers and scream at her!" I lost my balance, stumbling back hard against the hallway wall. A dull thud, followed by a sharp ache in my back. Ethan instinctively reached out to steady me, but his hand froze in midair. Instead, he turned around and wrapped his arm around Harper's shoulders to soothe her. "Chloe, apologize to Harper." "Let this go. Stop making a scene." I looked at the blame in his eyes. My heart had ached past its breaking point. Now, it was just numb. I braced myself against the wall, stood up straight, and looked him in the eye. "It's not going away." "There are things I need to say to you in private. I'll be in the master bedroom. Don't bring anyone else in." With that, I walked past him. Ethan lingered outside for a while, sweet-talking Harper and handing her a gift box and a key before finally joining me. "Chloe, this is for you." "Harper and I picked it out together in Colorado. We were thinking of you the whole time. Don't be mad. In the future... in the future, I'll watch my boundaries. I won't upset you again." I glanced at the box, not taking it. Instead, I held out my hand. "Keep the gift. Where's my key to the house?" "The locksmith gave you two keys when they changed the locks. One for you, one for me. Right?" Ethan shifted his eyes guiltily. "I... I can just pick you up from work every day. You don't really need a key, and you might lose it." "You gave it to Harper, didn't you?" I scoffed. The sheer absurdity of it was laughable. "Ethan, I'm your fiancée. The future mistress of this house. And I don't even get a key?" "Does that make any sense to you? You knew I was upset, you knew I minded, and you still gave the key to someone else. Is this our home, or yours and Harper's?" Cornered, Ethan had no defense. After a long pause, he mumbled under his breath: "I'll get another copy made for you later." "You know Harper's family situation is tough. I gave her the key so she'd feel safe and have a sense of security. As her friend, don't you want Harper to be happy..." I couldn't take it anymore and snapped. "Whether this is 'just as a friend,' you know the truth damn well!" Before the words fully left my mouth, the master bedroom door was thrown open. "Ethan, you gave me the wrong gift!" Harper cried. "I was supposed to take the cheap ten-dollar souvenir. Why did you give me this forty-thousand-dollar designer bracelet? It even has my name engraved on it! Quick, give it back to Chloe!" Ethan glanced at it. "No, it's right. You said you've never owned an expensive piece of jewelry, so I wanted to get it for you." Saying that, Ethan shoved the other gift box into my hands. Terrified I'd explode, he lowered his voice to placate me: "I'm short on cash right now, so just make do with this one for now. When year-end bonuses come in, I'll buy you a much nicer one. You know Harper's background—she barely makes any money, and you were the one who pulled strings to get her that job." "Just have some pity on her. Stop fighting over petty things, okay?" Harper looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "Chloe, please just forgive me."A bitter taste filled my mouth. I let out a soft, humorless laugh. Right in front of their eyes, I tossed the gift box straight into the trash can. "I don't want the gift." "I don't want the key either." I looked between Ethan and Harper. "And as for the two of you? I don't want either of you in my life anymore." I grabbed my purse, unlocked the door, and prepared to walk out. Ethan lost his temper. He chased after me into the hallway, yelling: "Chloe, what more do you want?" "We're practically begging you! Isn't that enough?" I cast a cold glance back at him. Too utterly disappointed to waste another breath, I walked away. From that day on, neither Ethan nor Harper reached out to me. Not a single DM. In the three-person Snap group, they continued chatting back and forth, but my name was never mentioned. I never sent a word either. We maintained this eerie, suffocating silence. Until my last day at the company. I finished wrapping up my final paperwork, ready to head straight downstairs to the airport. It was just Colorado. I could go by myself. Downstairs, Ethan was waiting for me with a sniffling Harper by his side. I glanced at them and pretended not to see, pulling out my phone to hail an Uber. They rushed over to block my path. Ethan opened his mouth, full of accusations: "Chloe, aren't you taking this too far?" "Just because things got tense between us, you decide to ruin Harper's career? Call the client right now and tell them to drop the complaint!" Harper sobbed, pleading: "Chloe, I'm sorry! You know how hard it was for me to get this job. Please let me off the hook!" "If that client keeps pressing the complaint, HR is going to fire me!" I looked at the two of them. "I didn't tell anyone to do that. And she shouldn't expect me to clean up her messes every time she screws up at work. If you made a mistake, fix it. Go apologize to the client. Crying to me won't do a damn thing!" Hearing this, Harper became hysterical. She lunged forward, grabbing my clothes, dropping to her knees. "Chloe, I hear you! I get it!" "I'll make it up to you! I'm apologizing! Is dropping to my knees enough? Please spare me! I promise I'll never contact Ethan again! But I really can't lose this job, I can't go back home!" Ethan rushed to pull her up, the two of them clutching and tangling with each other. Once Harper was steady, Ethan glared daggers at me. "Chloe, haven't you had your fun? Do you really need everyone begging on their knees before you're satisfied? Fix Harper's issue right now, give her a sincere apology, and we can still work this out." "Otherwise, there is no way in hell I'm marrying you!" I burst into laughter. "Then we don't get married." I opened the Uber door, slipped inside, and the car pulled away. In the rearview mirror, Ethan stood frozen on the sidewalk, stunned, as if he never imagined I would actually leave. He scrambled for his phone to call me, but Harper pulled at his sleeve. They started grappling with each other again. I looked away. My heart didn't ache. I only felt immense, overwhelming relief. A few minutes later, Ethan sent a barrage of texts. "Where are you going?" "Harper won't stop crying. Her work situation isn't resolved yet. Where the hell are you?" "Chloe, stop being so childish! Let's both cool off. I'll come by your place tonight!" My place? Where would he even find me? I chuckled coldly and locked my screen, not bothering to reply. Once seated on the plane, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Ethan. He probably realized my apartment was completely empty. I ignored it. Snapping a photo of the airplane wing outside the window, I posted an Instagram story: "Ethan and I are officially over. Just so everyone knows." Then, I switched my phone to airplane mode. None of it mattered anymore. Three people in a relationship is far too crowded. From now on, I'm walking this road alone.