I had spent almost the entire Saturday in the company of my boyfriend. We wandered the city streets wrapped up in each other, popping into various stores, and by evening, we relaxed in a cozy restaurant, filling our bellies with delicious food.
I was trying to lift Felix's spirits and help him forget the troubles that had recently plagued him at school. It seemed I had succeeded because finally, a genuine smile lit up his face.
On one street, a band was playing a concert, and we stopped among the crowd to watch and listen.
The singer's voice was so soothing that, at one point, I closed my eyes and rested my head on Felix's shoulder.
"They're perfect, aren't they?" he said softly, turning to me.
I nodded. "Maybe one day someone will finally notice them."
"Should we head back now?" I asked, lifting my face to meet his. "I won't lie—I'm tired after walking half the day. Tonight, I'm going to sleep like a slayer."
He smiled warmly. "Thanks to you, I'll fall asleep easily too."
Hand in hand, we strolled down the sidewalk, happy in each other's company. The sky had begun to gray, but I felt safe with him beside me. I knew he would never let anything happen to me.
Suddenly, Felix froze mid-step. Panic flashed in his eyes as he stared at a car stopped by the sidewalk. He released my hand, and I looked at him in confusion.
I didn't understand what was happening until a woman with a grim, cold expression stepped out of the black Mercedes.
His mother.
"Are you kidding me?" she snapped, her voice sharp as a blade, cutting through the quiet street. Luckily, there was no one else around to witness the scene.
She approached us, fixing me with a dangerous glare that could have killed.
"Not here… please," Felix began calmly, but she cut him off.
"So this is the girl you spend all your time with? She seduced you, and now your grades are falling? You don't study anymore... You're throwing away your future. Why did you stop going to basketball practice? You're the captain of the team, with a bright future ahead! You're about to graduate high school! Think about your studies and career, not this hopeless girl. Your paths will split soon anyway! I knew sending you on business trips with your father was a mistake. You shouldn't be left alone."
I felt a chill run down my spine, pale with fear. The hatred she radiated was suffocating. Her hostility toward me was unmistakable.
"It's not because of her," Felix suddenly shouted, unable to hold it in any longer. "It's because of you that my life is falling apart! You ruined me! You're the reason I had health problems and needed a psychiatrist! Everyone at school knows I'm 'crazy,' and no one wants me on the team! It's your fault I lost my mind because you controlled me every minute of every day. In elementary school, I was locked up and terrified because of you! No one can live like that for long," he added in a harsh whisper.
His mother slapped him hard across the face, and I gasped, horrified.
"You're weak because of your own failings. This won't happen in our family. I won't allow it," she declared, grabbing his hand tightly. "You're coming home with me, and that's where we'll finish this conversation."
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Felix shouted, wrenching his hand free. "I'm not leaving Selena here alone."
"Please, Felix, come back with your mother. Don't make this worse. Do it for me," I said gently, trying to calm him. I already felt like a target of her burning hatred.
"Selena…"
"Please, Felix. Don't make it worse. I'll be fine. I promise."
He looked at me with tenderness, but when his gaze shifted back to his mother, it darkened with hatred.
She shot me a venomous look before pulling Felix toward the car. As he climbed inside, he glanced back at me—tears glistened in his eyes, and his expression was filled with unbearable sadness.
He was suffering deeply, locked inside himself.
The car drove away. I ran my hand through my hair and looked around, feeling lost.
Eventually, I flagged down a passing cab, not bothering to search for a bus stop.
Right now, I didn't have the strength to wander any further.
*
When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was check my phone, worried about Felix. But there was no message from him. I had been texting him the night before, asking if he was okay, if he could talk to me—but so far, no response.
I thought about waiting longer, but when the clock struck ten, I finally dialed his number, hoping he was already awake and would pick up.
After a few beeps, I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard his voice.
"I'm sorry I didn't write back. I needed some silence," he said quietly.
"Are you all right? Do you feel okay? I've been so worried about you, Felix."
He sighed deeply, and my eyes welled with tears as I remembered how his mother had treated him the day before.
"Sorry you had to witness that. The last thing I expected was to run into that witch while we were spending time together. She ruined everything," he said, his voice heavy with sadness.
"Don't apologize. You have no reason to. It's not your fault she doesn't like me."
"She's a possessive mother. A horrible woman who poisoned my life from childhood. Honestly, I blame her for locking me inside myself in elementary school. I couldn't connect with the other kids. There was something about me that pushed them away—and it wasn't just that I was fat or wore glasses." He paused briefly; I stayed silent, letting him speak freely. I wanted to hear everything weighing on his heart.
"The kids ignored me, left me on the sidelines. Then the other day, when I met you, I saw a small light of hope. You stood up for me—you were the first kind person I met. That's why I wanted to be friends with you. But I lacked courage. At home, my mother told me every day I didn't need friends—that only studying mattered, that I was supposed to climb the career ladder, just like the rest of our family. She tried to drill it into my head that it was enough that I had her. She said no one would ever love me as much as my mother, that she had to be my priority. And I had to listen to her, follow her example, be like her…" He took a deep breath and continued.
"Elementary and middle school were a nightmare. After you disappeared, that little light faded, and only darkness remained. I didn't lose weight or gain courage because I wanted to—it was something wrong inside me. The problem started my first year of junior high. I lost my appetite, stopped feeling hungry, and dropped weight dramatically. My mother thought I was just taking control of myself and was proud. She never saw the dark feelings inside me. My shy nature faded, replaced by nervousness. It's strange, but I started to gain confidence—not in a good way, though. I wasn't assertive; I had bursts of aggression. I couldn't trust anyone. People kept me on the sidelines, and I felt like everyone wanted to hurt me. My mother kept telling me if I didn't study well, I'd be nobody. I became terrified of failing, overly sensitive to criticism. It was a nightmare."
He paused, and I swallowed hard, tears threatening to spill as I imagined what he'd endured so young.
"In my third year of junior high, I became unbearable. Not my mother, but my father noticed something was wrong. He took me to a psychiatrist, but at the time, I thought he was the one with the problem, trying to pass it to me. One day, I flew into a rage and smashed the mirror in my room. That's when they forced me to see the doctor. That's when they found out I had paranoid personality disorder. At first, I didn't trust my therapist. It took a long time for her to convince me, because I thought she was conspiring with my mother. Treatment took two years. My last appointment was last year. I'm grateful to that woman—she helped me a lot, just after a few months."
I wiped tears from my cheeks, stunned that Felix had endured so much at such a young age.
"In high school, I was a different person. I changed completely. I made friends, joined the basketball team, even became captain. But the greatest happiness was meeting you again."
The sob inside me broke free, and he heard it.
"I'm sorry you had to go through so much so young. I feel guilty. Maybe if I had befriended you earlier and not transferred schools, none of this would have happened."
"No, Selena. This was going to happen. The doctor told me the disorder can be genetic, but it also comes from neglect and mistakes in childhood. I'm glad you didn't see me at my worst. Now, I'm healthy and not a threat to you. Back then, in middle school, I couldn't control myself—I was terrible."
"You weren't terrible. You just needed the right help."
"I'm glad you understand. People at school point fingers, calling me psycho because they don't know my story. It hurts. Criticism is hard for me."
A warning bell went off in my head at his words.
"You can't let it get to you, Felix."
"I know. This could be the start of a relapse," he whispered. "But as long as I have you, I'll be fine. You're my medicine, Selena. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Felix. So much."
"Sorry, I have to hang up. The witch is calling me from downstairs. Sunday's going to be a nightmare. I'll call you this afternoon, okay?"
"I'll be waiting for your call. To hear your voice."
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at one spot, lost in thought. Felix's confession stirred ugly memories from my own past—the time I was touched by an art teacher.
Should I share my painful past with him, too?
Secrets don't belong in a relationship. He should know why I suddenly disappeared from school that day.