He Kept Me a Secret for Four Years

At our college graduation party, we were playing Truth or Dare. Three times, I got to pick who would answer. Each time, I picked my secret boyfriend. The first time, I asked him: "Would you dare to move to the same city as me?" The second time, I asked him: "Would you dare to do long-distance with me?" The third time, I asked him: "Would you dare to go public with our relationship?" All three times, he just chose to drink instead. But when my best friend asked him, "Do you dare to kiss me?" he didn't reach for his drink. He nodded as the room erupted in cheers. I watched as they embraced and kissed right in front of everyone, surrounded by cheers and applause. Gripping my glass, I gave a bitter smile. If he wouldn't come to my city, then I had no reason to wait for him any longer. After all, I had already landed an offer from the top firm in the industry. I sent a message to the HR manager: "I can start in a week." Truth was, I had received the offer two days ago. I just wanted to see if he would choose me in front of everyone, even just once. While I was lost in thought, my best friend, Mia, drew a dare: "Kiss someone of the opposite sex in the room." The crowd went wild. Everyone looked straight at Mia and Lucas, who were sitting next to each other. Cheering and chanting echoed around us. "Kiss! Just make it official already!" "Come on! Don't be shy!" Mia's ears instantly flushed red. While telling everyone to stop teasing, she looked over at Lucas. "Lucas, are you down?" My chest tightened as I sat in the corner. I looked up, staring straight at Lucas, praying he would say no. The next second, his arm wrapped around Mia's waist, pulling her in for a kiss. They kissed like two people who were already in love. As if that wasn't enough, Mia climbed straight onto his lap. The room got even louder. "Get together!" everyone chanted. Everyone was celebrating their romance, completely oblivious that Lucas's actual girlfriend was me. We'd kept our relationship secret for four years. He'd never told anyone we were together. In front of others, Mia was the girl who looked perfect by his side. And I was just the invisible tagalong who shouldn't have been there. A sharp cramp twisted through my stomach, and the room began to spin. Stumbling to my feet, I slipped out of the private room in total humiliation. Everyone was still cheering for the two of them. Not a single soul looked my way. I splashed cold water on my face in the restroom, forcing myself to calm down. I didn't want to go back. Just as I turned to leave, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me into an empty corner of the hallway. Before I could cry out, I saw Lucas. His face was dark, his tone guarded and cold. "You didn't do anything weird back there, did you?" "Nobody noticed anything between us, right?" I froze completely. He didn't ask why I had walked out. He didn't ask if I was hurting. All he cared about was whether our secret relationship would embarrass him. "No. Nobody noticed me," I said, my voice hoarse. "Good. I'm driving Mia home, so head back by yourself." With that, he turned on his heel and walked straight back into the room filled with laughter. I watched him walk away and gave a bitter little smile. "Lucas," I called after him. "Let's break up." His steps paused for a fraction of a second, but then he kept walking. It wasn't until I got back to my apartment that his text finally came through. "I ordered you a mango milk tea. Remember to pick it up. Don't throw another tantrum next time." "It's embarrassing." I'm allergic to mango. Mia is the one who loves it. Without hesitation, I tossed the unopened drink straight into the trash. My roommate, Megan, teased, "Chloe, who's the secret admirer this time?" "Still doesn't compare to Lucas, your golden boy?" She had seen my phone wallpaper before—it was a photo of Lucas. "Forget it. He's nothing special," I replied, shaking my head as I switched the wallpaper back to default. Scrolling through Instagram, I unexpectedly saw Mia's latest story. It was packed with photos of her and Lucas—making finger hearts together, their cheeks pressed close. I had asked Lucas about pictures like that before, but he brushed it off, saying it was just promotional material for the department. I couldn't understand why a department promo needed photos of them with their cheeks pressed together. Because I loved him, I swallowed my doubts. Her newest post was a selfie. She was wearing an oversized button-down shirt—the exact designer shirt I had saved up for months to buy Lucas as a gift. The caption read: "Boyfriend shirts just hit different. Someone's shirt fits me like a glove." Over four years in college, Lucas and I were in the same major, crossing paths thousands of times. Yet not once was I ever allowed to stand next to him like Mia did. Even in lecture halls, he deliberately sat far away from me. I had asked him countless times to take our relationship public. I even offered to switch tracks just to be with him openly. He shut me down every single time with high-and-mighty excuses. "Chloe, we need to keep our distance in public so people don't start rumors." "Mia is our professor's niece. I need to look out for her." The comment section was flooded with people shipping them. I typed out a reply of my own: "Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness." Just as I locked my phone, my mom called. "Sweetheart, have you decided? Are you moving to New York, or coming back home?" Holding back my tears, my voice cracked. "Mom... I want to come home."My mom's voice dropped, laced with disbelief. "You're not going to New York? Didn't you say it was your dream?" I fell silent. I had wanted to go to New York because that was where Lucas was heading. I wanted a chance to finally be with him in the light. I worked myself to the bone for it, winning scholarships every semester and leading teams in research competitions. In other people's eyes, he and I were the department's top two stars. Even so, Lucas always pushed me away. "You should learn from Mia. Look how vibrant and outgoing she is." "All you ever do is keep a straight face and bury your nose in books." I was supposed to be his girlfriend, but he never let me stand beside him in public. Just like in that party game, I didn't even have the right to be teased as his romantic interest. "I'm not going anymore. There's no point," I told my mom softly. Suddenly, loud, frantic banging rattled my apartment door. "Chloe, open up! It's me!" I hadn't expected him to come looking for me, but I opened the door anyway. "Lucas? What do you want?" He grabbed my arm with bruising force, his face frosty. "What was with that passive-aggressive comment on Mia's post?" "Do you have any idea how upset she got? She ran off, and I can't find her anywhere!" He shoved me back, slamming my shoulder against the wall. A sharp pain shot down my arm. "Why didn't you just tell her you already have a girlfriend?" His voice spiked. "I told you, we have to keep our distance!" "Nobody can know we're dating! Absolutely nobody!" "Is throwing this childish fit fun for you? Come help me look for Mia right now." "If anything happens to her, you're the one to blame!" I took a breath, trying to steady myself. "Fine. I'll help you look. But the second we find her, we are completely over." His eyes flickered with unease, but he said nothing. We split up, searching in two different directions, calling out her name through the dimly lit alleyways. I called Mia's phone over and over, sending dozens of texts. No answer. Turning the corner of a dark alley, I heard rustling noises. I called Mia's name as I stepped closer. Out of nowhere, a filthy, foul-smelling hand dragged me into the shadows. A homeless man with bloodshot, clouded eyes pinned me against the wall, spewing vile slurs as his hands tore at my jacket. I fought back frantically, grabbing a jagged rock from the ground and smashing it against his face. The moment he staggered back, I bolted. I ran and dialed Lucas's number. The line was busy. Refusing to give up, I dialed Mia. The ringing went on and on, but nobody picked up. I burst onto the main street and called the police with trembling hands. I sat in the precinct wrapped in a blanket an officer had given me, shivering as I finished giving my statement. At dawn, Mia posted an Instagram Story set to close friends—visible only to me. The photo showed rumpled hotel sheets and two tangled hands. Lucas's arm was wrapped securely around Mia's back, her cheek nestled against his bare shoulder. A second later, she deleted it and sent me a direct message: "Oops, Chloe! I sent that by mistake. Please don't get the wrong idea about Lucas!" It was a blatant, calculated slap in the face. So when the two of them walked up to me later that morning, hand-in-hand, a fury I had never felt before roared through my veins. Without a second thought, I raised my hand and swung for her face. Lucas caught my wrist before I could hit her and stepped between us. "Enough, Chloe! I've already asked Mia to be my girlfriend." "Stop harassing me." Hearing those words, my legs gave out, and I sank onto the concrete. The entire scene was caught on camera by passing students.The video was grainy, but it clearly showed Lucas shielding Mia while I looked aggressive and bitter, like a jealous home-wrecker. The caption read: "Take a hint and leave Lucas alone. Can't you see he has a girlfriend?" Within hours, it was uploaded to the campus forum and hit hundreds of thousands of views across social media. Everyone was convinced I was obsessively stalking Lucas. Vicious comments flooded my Instagram: "If you can't have him, you try to ruin him? They're happy together. Why are you so desperate?" "Shameless side chick. Trying to break up a couple?" "With an attitude like that, who knows whose research papers she copied to get top marks?" Every cruel word felt like a poisoned needle piercing my heart. Megan was furious, threatening to track down whoever filmed the clip. "They have no idea what you went through last night. They're just piling on." Yeah. They knew nothing. They didn't know Lucas was the one who chased me first, promising he'd do anything just to be with me. They didn't know Lucas was the one who begged to keep our relationship secret, claiming our advisor banned dating within the lab and that we would go public right after graduation. Without a moment's hesitation, I grabbed the matching toothbrushes, couple's mugs, and every single pair of items I had bought over the years and threw them into the trash. The milk tea was still in the bin. I tied the bag shut and took it out. Suddenly, a FaceTime request from Lucas popped up. I didn't rush to the bathroom to answer it like I used to. I let it ring for a long time before finally picking up. "Lucas. What do you want?" On the screen, he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking exasperated. "Chloe, I know it sucks being misunderstood. I already called someone to get the forum posts taken down." "There's nothing going on between Mia and me. Last night was just part of the game. I didn't want to make her feel bad." I crossed my arms and let out a cold laugh. "Nothing going on? You slept in the same bed with her, and you're telling me it was nothing?" His tone instantly turned impatient. "Chloe, stop acting like this." "I spend over twelve hours in the lab every day. You know how stressed I am." "I can't control what people post online, but can't you be a little understanding for once? I'm exhausted." "Just clear things up during your speech tomorrow." Megan could hear him through the half-open door. She scoffed loudly from the living room. "Wow. Masterclass in playing the victim." Lucas's expression darkened, though he held back his temper. "Chloe, didn't I tell you our private business stays between us? Why is someone else listening?" "Since you don't have the guts to claim me anyway, what difference does it make who hears?" I sneered. "I'll give the speech. But clearing your name? Not a chance." Megan snatched the phone from my hand. "Are you even a man, Lucas? Chloe's been getting cyberbullied all day, and all you can do is tell her to wait?" "You and Mia act like saints while dumping all the garbage on Chloe? You two deserve each other. Leave us the hell alone!" She ended the call. My eyes stung with unshed tears as I set the phone facedown on the table. All it would have taken was one sentence from him—She's my girlfriend—to silence every single rumor. Yet Lucas refused. Since the party, he'd barely come near me unless he needed something. It was always like this. Whenever I got upset about people trying to set him up with Mia, he'd dismiss my feelings, claiming that shutting them down too harshly would raise suspicion, and then he'd give me the cold shoulder. And every single time, I was the one who caved, apologizing and begging for peace. Not this time. Every drop of mud they threw at me, I was going to fling right back.The air conditioning in the auditorium was freezing. I smoothed out the edges of my graduation speech notes, only to crumple them again. Suddenly, an email notification popped up on my phone. The attachments contained everything needed to destroy my academic career. Four years' worth of private chat logs between Lucas and me. Grainy security footage screenshots of us entering and leaving the research lab together late at night. The body of the email was razor-sharp: "Chloe, if you don't step down from the graduation speech voluntarily, what will people think when they see these?" "They'll think you used an inappropriate relationship to steal lab resources. They'll think your boyfriend ghostwrote all your research." My fingers trembled as I checked the sender. It was Lucas. Looking up, I saw him standing in the shadows by the side exit of the auditorium, dressed in a sleek black suit. The cufflinks he wore were bought with six months of my part-time tutoring money. Seeing me look over, he walked toward me, still keeping a careful distance. "You sent this." There wasn't an ounce of guilt on his face. He didn't even blink. "You forced my hand." "Chloe, if you just stay in the background and don't get in Mia's way, nothing bad will happen to you." "I'm just asking you to give her what belongs to her. Including this speech." I clenched my jaw until my teeth ached. "Why her?" Why should she get to sit back and steal the fruits of my sleepless nights? Why should she get to stand on my stage, bask in my spotlight, and claim my graduation honor? My name and bio were gone from the big screen. Mia's had taken their place. Wearing an elegant beige dress, she stood at the podium, smiling gracefully. Every eye in the room was fixed on her. Resentment and agony flooded every inch of my chest. Instinctively, I moved to rush the stage and rip the microphone from her hands. A hard grip locked around my wrist. He dragged me backward into the shadows. "Stop causing a scene. Let her have it." I looked up, staring into his eyes, my voice shaking. "Why?" "Because I'm worried people will pick on you and tear your speech apart if you go up there. I'm doing this for your own good." He sounded so sincere, as if he genuinely cared about my well-being. He didn't. Mia wanted it, so my hard work was discarded like trash. It had been this way for four years. Co-author credits on papers, scholarship nominations, research opportunities—I was always expected to step aside for her. Mia's sweet voice echoed across the auditorium, reciting every single word I had spent weeks perfecting. A thunderous round of applause erupted, hitting my ears like a stinging slap across the face. I couldn't stand another second. I ripped my arm out of Lucas's grip. In that instant, my heart turned to ash, burying the very last ember of hope I had held for him. I turned around and walked out of the graduation hall without looking back. Lucas stayed where he was. He looked irritated, but he made no move to stop me. He assumed I was just throwing another dramatic tantrum. He thought that like the dozens of times before, I would crawl back the moment I cooled off. Not this time. Outside the campus gate, I hailed a cab. "Where to?" the driver asked. "The airport." I opened the campus forum on my phone one last time. "Four years of chat logs showing Lucas chasing me are in the Drive link below." "Link expires in 24 hours. Happy graduation, everyone."