My Savior-Complex Boyfriend Left Me in the Fire

The night Ethan decided to sleep over at Vivian’s place yet again, I broke. I rushed forward and blocked the doorway with my arms spread wide. "Ethan." I looked up at him, my voice trembling. "Are you her boyfriend, or mine?" The eyes that used to look at me with nothing but warmth were now filled with nothing but cold detachment. "Iris, I’m just trying to be an umbrella for everyone caught in the rain. Can’t you be a little more generous?" I froze. He continued without a hint of guilt. "A man is always a boy at heart. I'm just living out my childhood dream of saving people. You should be supporting me." "Iris, don't be so selfish. I can’t be your exclusive savior." Of course. His heroism had to be distributed equally to every needy soul in the world. Back in high school, If anyone was bullied, he was the first to fight back. If anyone couldn't afford lunch, he would share his allowance. And when I was beaten by my father, hiding in a dark alley covered in bruises, He was the one who found me and gently wiped away my blood. I didn't want to go back to that house of horrors. So, he took me in. We relied on each other. We loved each other. When the rumors of my molestation spread and everyone labeled me as "damaged goods," He was the one who held me and said, "Iris, they are the ones in the wrong, not you. To me, you are an angel." But love and hate often stem from the exact same source. I fell in love with him because he was a hero. And now, I was losing my mind because he wanted to be everyone else's hero too. Pulling myself back to reality, I grabbed his sleeve tightly, begging. "Ethan, please don't go tonight... please." I stared into his eyes, desperately searching for a single trace of pity or love. There was nothing. He gently but firmly pried my hand away from his sleeve. His tone was brutally calm. "I have to. Vivian is sick. If I don't go take care of her, something terrible might happen." Tears blurred my vision. I choked out, "But I'm sick too." "Ethan, Frank said he’s coming to find me soon. I'm terrified..." Ethan clicked his tongue impatiently. "I’ve told you a hundred times, the security in this apartment complex is top-tier. He can’t get in." Realizing his tone was too harsh, He softened his voice, patted my shoulder, and said seriously, "Iris, stop identifying so hard as a 'victim.'" "Vivian studied psychology. She told me that the more I coddle you, the more you’ll think you’re broken. It's time for you to learn to process your own emotions."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. I didn't have the strength to block him anymore. Slowly, my arms dropped to my sides. Ethan finally smiled. He nodded in approval. "That's my girl. That's the supportive girlfriend I love." "I'll bring you some cake when I get back tomorrow morning." With that, He turned and left without a second look. The door clicked shut. Only a suffocating, pitch-black silence remained in the apartment. It felt like I was back in that dark alley years ago. The horrifying memories rushed back. Anxiety clawed its way through my chest. Right then, A loud, violent knocking banged on the door. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* I crept up and looked through the peephole. I met the bloodshot, drunken eyes of a man grinning wickedly. "Open the door, bitch! Your dad sold you to me to pay off his debt. You’re mine sooner or later!" "Just you wait!" The childhood terror of being violated paralyzed me. I shook violently. My instinct was to dial Ethan's number. But his cold words echoed in my head. *“You need to learn to process your own emotions. Stop relying on me for everything.”* Slowly, I lowered my phone. I bit my lip so hard it bled, refusing to make a single sound. I didn't sleep a wink that night. When the morning light filtered through the curtains, I dragged my exhausted body with heavy dark circles under my eyes into the living room, wanting to pour a glass of warm water to calm my racing heart. But the moment I looked up, I froze. A strange woman was sitting on my couch. She wore a short white skirt and had a bright, radiant smile. She stood up and greeted me warmly. "Hi, you must be Iris. I'm Vivian, Ethan's secretary." So this was the woman Ethan always talked about. The one who needed his constant protection. Before I could even process this, Ethan walked out of my master bedroom and announced casually, "Vivian is going to live with us from now on. The office is close to this place, so it's much easier for her commute." Years ago, He had felt sorry for me because I had nowhere to go, and he brought my bruised body to this very apartment. Back then, this place was my only safe haven. We lived together, fell in love, and built a life. But now, he used the exact same excuse to bring another woman into our home. How was I supposed to react to that? Seeing my eyes well up with tears, Ethan quickly opened a box of cake and held a forkful to my mouth. "Silky girl, are you seriously jealous of my secretary?" "Don't worry. You're the only one I love." He raised three fingers to make an oath. But the promise felt so cheap, so utterly meaningless. "Iris, sweetie, I heard you suffer from depression," Vivian said, putting on a show of deep concern, though her eyes flashed with pure provocation. "But don't worry, I studied psychology. Ethan and I will heal you together." Since she moved in, Everything changed. My personal vanity cabinet, which used to belong only to me, Was now overflowing with her dresses and skincare products. My antidepressants were pushed into a dusty corner, barely having any space. To "heal" me, They brought back all the knives they had previously locked away and placed them right in front of me. They even removed the safety locks on the balcony doors. "Vivian said that trapping you inside only makes you feel more like a patient," Ethan explained. "Iris, live like a normal person. You can do this." At night, the contrast was even more brutal. In the past, even if I just sighed in my sleep, he would immediately wake up to comfort me. Now, when I woke up screaming from nightmares, drenched in cold sweat, He remained completely unmoved. He didn't even bother to look at me. "Vivian said you have to face your fears. Running away won't solve anything." But after a month of this "therapy," My condition got drastically worse.

Vivian stood by my hospital bed, biting her lip as she apologized. "I’m so sorry, Iris. I didn't mean to make your depression worse. But don't worry, I will definitely find a way to cure you." I let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Cure me? Where is your medical license?" She stiffened. She clearly didn't expect me to be so direct. Instantly, her face crumpled into a perfect picture of innocence and hurt. "Iris, if you hate me that much, I'll just leave." Ethan instinctively stepped in front of Vivian, blocking my view. That protective gesture stabbed my eyes like a knife. "Iris! Vivian is only trying to help you. Why are you being so toxic and passive-aggressive?" "Why are you so ungrateful?" He got more and more worked up, finally spitting out the words that shattered my heart completely. "No wonder no one likes you! No wonder your mother chose to die just to get away from you!" My mother's death was not a sudden rainstorm. It was a lifelong humidity. Years ago, when my father raised the knife to kill me, my mother blocked it. Before she passed away in the hospital, she told me, "Living is too painful, Iris. This time, I’d rather die to get away from him." I had shown my deepest, most painful scar to Ethan. And today, he weaponized it to humiliate me in front of another woman. I thought I would cry, but when I touched my chest, it felt empty. Only a freezing coldness remained. When your heart goes completely numb, it doesn't hurt anymore. "Ethan, you’re right," I smiled weakly, a strange sense of calm washing over me. "So, you should leave me too." I was done. I wanted out. A flash of panic crossed Ethan's face. "Iris, I didn't mean it like that..." He wanted to explain, but Vivian held him back. "Ethan, Iris is emotionally unstable right now. She won't listen to anything you say. Let's just give her some space to calm down." Ethan hesitated, then nodded. He tucked my blanket in, and then walked out of the room with Vivian. He didn't come back that night. It wasn't until the next morning that they returned to sign my discharge papers. Looking at my pale face, Vivian smiled mysteriously. "Iris, guess what Ethan and I did for you yesterday?" I kept my face expressionless. "I don't care, and I don't want to know." Her smile faltered for a second, but she quickly pulled a giant teddy bear out of a shopping bag, her face glowing with triumph. "Look! Isn't it cute? I know this is your favorite limited-edition bear." "Yesterday, the mall had a couples' contest. Ethan and I had to kiss for a whole hour—our lips were practically bleeding—just to win this for you!" "See? Ethan and I care about you so much." I had been with Ethan for years. We had never had any passionate physical intimacy. Because he always told me, "The highest form of love is cherish. I'm afraid to touch you too much because I don't want to lose control and hurt you..." But now, He could kiss another woman for an hour in a public game. My stomach churned with intense disgust. I snatched the teddy bear and threw it straight into the trash can. Then, I looked at Ethan coldly. "I have emotional hygiene. I don't want second-hand trash that other people have slobbered over." Ethan’s face flushed red with anger. "Iris! Is your depression cured or what? How dare you speak to us like that!" "Vivian and I did that just to make you happy! Why do you have to be so petty about how we got the toy?" I smiled bitterly. "But I'm not happy at all." "Ethan, let's break up. I'm going back to pack my things." Before Ethan could react, I turned, flagged down a taxi, and left.

Back at the apartment, I felt a wave of emptiness. This place was once my safe haven. But now, the storm inside was too violent, and there was no room left for me. Just as I finished packing my suitcase, Ethan and Vivian burst through the door. Ethan pinned me against the wall, his eyes bloodshot as he begged me not to leave. "Iris, we love each other so much. Why are you doing this over a silly fight?" "If you don't want me to protect other people, fine! I’ll be your exclusive hero from now on." "It's too late tonight. Tomorrow, I promise I'll make Vivian move out, okay?" Yes. We used to love each other so much. We had literally saved each other's lives. The memories of his grand, romantic gestures flashed before my eyes. Once, when I said I wanted pastries from a bakery in Paris, he rented a private jet to fly them over overnight. On my birthday, He rented out an entire amusement park just to put on a private firework show for me. And when my father stabbed me, Ethan took two blows for me and bled out on the way to the hospital just to make sure I survived... But no matter how beautiful the past was, when it's time to let go, you have to let go. Looking back at the past is like trying to catch a ghost. You only torture yourself. Ethan was stubborn. I knew I had to play along to get away safely. "Fine. I'll trust you one last time." Ethan gasped in relief and pulled me into a tight hug. "Go to sleep. I promise when you wake up tomorrow, there won't be a third person in this house." That night, I couldn't sleep. At around 2:00 AM, I felt a sudden draft of cold air. I opened my eyes, and my heart stopped. Standing by my window was the man I feared most in this world—my father, Frank. He had somehow climbed up the pipes and slipped through the unlocked balcony door. He rubbed his filthy hands together, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Found you, you little bitch!" "Give me the money, or I'm dragging you back to sell you to my bookie!" The old terror paralyzed my lungs. But this time, I refused to let him destroy me. I clenched my fists, lunged forward, and bit down on his wrist with everything I had. My teeth sank deep into his flesh. The copper taste of blood filled my mouth. He screamed in agony and violently threw me off. I crashed onto the floor. My arm knocked over the burning aromatherapy candle on the nightstand. The flame immediately caught onto the sheer, flimsy curtains. In an instant, fire roared up the fabric. Within seconds, the room was swallowed by thick smoke and bright orange flames. Frank panicked. Forgetting about the money, he scrambled back out the window to save his own skin. It wasn't until smoke began seeping through the cracks of the bedroom door that Ethan and Vivian finally realized what was happening. Vivian, coughing from the smoke in the hallway, fainted right into Ethan's arms. Ethan looked at the raging fire blocking my bedroom door, then looked at me trapped inside. His face twisted with conflict. "Iris! This is between you and your father. Vivian is innocent, she shouldn't be dragged into this!" "I have to get her to safety first! I'll come back for you!" "You know fire safety! Find a way to survive! I'll be right back!" The scorching black smoke stung my eyes, making them water. I let out a soft laugh. Since no one was coming to save me, I would save myself. Maybe Ethan was right. I couldn't wait for someone else to hold the umbrella anymore. I had to walk through the rain myself. At that moment, I realized that the heart that chose me above all else... had always been beating inside my own chest. I stopped looking at the locked door. I turned around and looked at the open balcony. Below the balcony was a rushing, deep river. It was my only way out. I wiped the tears from my face, took a deep breath, And jumped into the water.