The Boundaries You Asked For

After we got back together, Sienna became unusually clingy.
She had to report everythingwhat she ate, what she drank, who she saw.
One day, she called, her tone testing the waters. Lindsays bringing some younger guys to the spa resort. She wants me to go.
Oh, I said. Have fun.
The line went dead.
Twenty minutes later, she was blocking my doorway, demanding in a hoarse voice, Youd really just let me go off with other people?
I took a step back under her gaze.
Isnt this the boundaries you wanted?
My words hung in the air, and she froze.

1
Are you done? If youre done, you can leave. I really dont mind.
Worried she might misunderstand, I added helpfully, Dont worry. Ill play along for your parents tomorrow.
Siennas face instantly darkened.
Caleb, youve got a real goddamn nerve.
She slammed the door and left.
The commotion had completely shattered my sleepiness. I curled back under the covers and scrolled through my phone.
At two in the morning, an unknown number sent me a few pictures.
A young guy, wearing nothing but swim trunks, his pale body pressed against Sienna from behind. The air was thick with steam. His arms were wrapped casually around her waist, only a thin layer of fabric separating them.
[Hey, man. Im scared of the water, so Sienna was just helping me out. Youre so lucky to have such a caring wife~]
I stared at the screen, considering my options.
Should I get up and go catch her in the act? No, it was too late. My driver was off for the night, and getting a ride would be a pain.
Well then maybe write a long, scathing text to tear her apart? The weather was too cold; my hands would freeze.
Maybe I could just copy and paste one of my old rants from our chat history.
As I scrolled back through our old fights, I actually fell asleep.
No wonder Sienna never bothered to read them. Once you stripped the emotion away, the words were just long-winded and tedious.
Excellent sleep aid, though.
The next day was New Years Day, and we went to the Vaughn family estate.
I was chatting with the elders when the doorbell rang.
I opened the door to find the same boy from last nights photo, standing there, looking shy.
He was clutching a bikini top.
This was left at my place yesterday.
The style was bold and youthful. In this house, there was only one person it could belong to.
The whole scene felt sickeningly familiar.
The year we got engaged, another boy had shown up just like this. Id lost it, grabbed him by the throat, and thrown him to the ground. Sienna had pushed me off, and without a backward glance, led the boy away, leaving me a pathetic mess on the floor. The estate was in chaos that night. No one had a happy new year.
The old folks say you shouldnt start the new year on a bad note. Sure enough, that was the year Sienna and I fought the most.
The living room was silent. Everyone was waiting for my reaction.
I immediately smoothed things over with a smile. Oh, thats my cousin. He grew up overseas. We were all together for the New Years countdown last night.
Siennas father breathed a sigh of relief, but her mothers eyes were filled with suspicion. Really?
Absolutely, I said, pulling the boy inside and shutting the door.
The last flicker of hope in Siennas eyes died out.

2
On the drive back, I pulled the bikini top from my pocket and tossed it to her.
She stammered out an explanation. Last night wasnt what you think. That guy is Lindsays brother, and I was drunk, nothing happened
I tore open an antiseptic wipe and meticulously cleaned my hands.
Just drop me off here. Leo invited me for a poker game.
Sienna swallowed hard, her voice softening. I can pick you up when youre done?
No need, I said, pushing the car door open. You do your thing.
I didnt want to know what that bikini had been through. I was just afraid of catching something vile.
A long, hot shower at Leos place and a change into the fresh clothes hed laid out for me finally cleared the suffocating feeling in my chest.
Leo watched Siennas car drive off, then raised an eyebrow at me. So, howd the battle go? What was the score? Why didnt you call for backup?
I sank into the couch. There was no battle. Scaring off the woman is one thing, but I cant afford to scare off the money.
That New Years Day, the Vaughn estate had been a war zone. Several of the elders had been so upset they ended up in the hospital. As I lay on the cold ground, it was Leo who finally showed up and bundled my mud-caked self into his sports car.
As he turned the key, he couldnt resist a jab. Living out your childhood dream at the Vaughns? Rolling around in a mud pit?
I opened my mouth to reply, but tears came out first. Leo, how did it get like this?
He panicked, fumbling to wipe my tears, but he had no answers.
No one could have imagined Sienna and I would end up in such a toxic mess. We were childhood sweethearts, practically knew each other since we were in diapers. Id worked my ass off to get into the same university as her, waking up before the sun and studying long after midnight, giving it everything I had.
The day I got my acceptance letter, my mom was amazed. If Id known youd kill yourself studying for Sienna, why would I have spent a fortune on tutors?
Everyone assumed that Caleb Reed and Sienna Vaughn were meant to be.
But just as we finally grew up, just as we no longer had to share a cheap slice of pizza from a food truck, she let go of my hand.
She despised her family for controlling her future, for forcing her to give up her dream of being a musician to inherit the family company. And that resentment peaked when I agreed to our engagement.
Back then, I was too blinded by my own happiness, too thrilled at the thought of finally marrying the girl of my dreams, to notice that the love in her eyes had long since vanished.
After the engagement, she was never home. Id wake up to my phone flooded with updates from well-meaning friends. Sienna just dropped a fortune on some new model. Sienna was surrounded by people at a yacht party. Sienna threw herself another wedding party somewhere else
Those messages were like mold in a damp season, impossible to wipe away completely.
I used to scream, chase her for answers, go insane, making a spectacle of myself for everyone to see.
All it earned me was Siennas deepening disgust.
Cant you have some boundaries? You dont like it? Fine, go tell my mother to call off the engagement!
Leo accurately described our relationship as less like a married couple and more like a rebellious teenager and their desperate mother. One was trying to escape, and the other was clinging on for dear life.
I thought I would be tangled up with her like this forever. But one day, in the middle of a fight, I just got tired.
Brothers dont need words; a single look is enough. Seeing my unusual calm, Leo asked softly, So, whats the plan?
I took the warm water he offered. The London project. My family and the Vaughns have invested a lot. Im going to oversee it myself.
For how long?
Three years, for now.
He slung an arm around my shoulders, reluctant to let me go. Well party hard before you leave. My treat.
I grinned and punched him lightly in the chest. Youre not getting off that easy.

3
I was woken late at night by the doorbell again.
Sienna was leaning against the doorframe, drunk, her tie hanging loosely around her neck.
I glanced at my phone. The Do Not Disturb mode had silenced over 99 unread messages from her. It seemed she couldnt reach me, so she came in person.
A year ago, I would have been ecstatic that shed even come home drunk. I would have stumbled over myself to help her inside, get her water, and fuss over her half the night.
But now, my hair was freshly washed and smelled great, my apartment was spotless, and I really didnt want the stench of alcohol ruining it.
Seeing I had no intention of letting her in, she asked in a raw voice, Youre just going to leave me standing out here?
Youre at the wrong place.
This is my apartment from before we were engaged. Not our marital home.
Ill call someone to pick you up.
As I looked down to find a number, she shamelessly pressed closer. Caleb, Im craving the congee you make.
I took a deep breath, pushing down the last lingering sting in my heart.
Really? Youll really leave after you have the congee?
She nodded eagerly.
I opened a food delivery app and handed it to her. Pick whatever you want.
She froze, the alcohol seemingly wearing off. Caleb, you never let me eat this stuff
She probably remembered how, right after we got engaged, I was determined to be a good husband. I hired a chef and learned step-by-step, starting from how to chop vegetables. But she never even glanced at the food, let alone tasted it. Id secretly post pictures of my elaborate meals on social media, hoping that if she saw the likes and comments from our mutual friends, she might come home to try it.
Instead, I only heard about her laughing with her friends at a bar. If you had a lapdog like Caleb, youd think my life was a tragedy too. Why would I eat his slop when I have gourmet food out here?
Amid their laughter, I went home and cried for three days straight.
Leo was furious and heartbroken for me. Dude, youre the kind of guy who would rather starve than cook! Why are you learning to cook for a woman like her? Shes out partying, and youre turning yourself into a ghost!
That was my wake-up call. I never cooked for her again.
My cooking isnt even that good, I said, pushing the phone towards her again. Just order something.
She sighed and took the phone. As her fingertips brushed my palm, her other hand instinctively tried to wrap around my shoulder.
I recoiled violently, my back hitting the door with a dull thud.
In the dead silence that followed, she lowered her head and lit a cigarette. The flame flickered in the darkness, illuminating the features I was once so lost in.
Caleb, Im your fiance. Not a virus.
Who can say for sure. I took another half-step back. Im going to bed. I have work tomorrow.
I dont know when she left. The next morning, when I opened the door, the ground was littered with cigarette butts.

4
On the way to work, while waiting at a red light, I suddenly remembered the night Id tried to break up with her.
Sienna had locked me out then, too.
But that was at our marital home. She was partying with a crowd inside, had me locked out, and even changed the passcode.
The deep winter wind cut like a knife.
I pounded on the door, my hand instinctively protecting my stomach, my voice cracking. Sienna, open the door my stomach hurts
It was the same boy from the spa, the one shed been with last night, who answered through the video intercom.
Hey, the person outside, he chirped. Sienna said its the Vaughns who want to marry you, not her.
You should go. She said you need to learn about boundaries.
I froze for a second, then started hammering on the door like a madman.
The people inside must have found it amusing. They recorded it on their phones through the security feed.
In the background, the boys syrupy voice asked, Sienna, he says he doesnt feel well?
Her drunken, impatient voice came through clearly: Ignore him. Hes just playing the victim.
In the video, I was a hysterical mess, crying and screaming. Finally, I stopped, dragged my suitcase away, and disappeared around the corner.
The video made the rounds in our circle. Sienna only found out after a full day of people looking at her with youre a real piece of shit expressions, and she finally, confused, clicked on the link.
Honestly, she didnt think it was a big deal. So what? She was having fun at home and didnt want me to ruin the mood.
But the Vaughn elders were furious. They said her actions were disgraceful and had brought shame upon both families.
So she found me, with the reluctant air of someone forced to bow their head. I didnt know you would leave alone so late. I saw the video.
She looked at me as if assessing whether Id learned my lesson.
There are rumors spreading that I, Sienna Vaughn, drove my fianc out onto the streets Caleb, thats enough. Come home with me.
She didnt know what happened in the darkness after that video ended.
And I had no desire to explain it to her.
Lying in a hospital bed, I wearily turned over. Its not your fault.
After that, we seemingly reconciled.
But from that day on, I stopped caring where she slept or if she ever came home. I quietly moved out of our marital house and back into my own small apartment.

5
Saying it wasnt her fault was a lie.
Im no saint.
Giving up on someone youve loved for so long is like tearing a part of yourself from your own flesh and bone.
When the withdrawal hit, Id lie awake all night, my chest feeling like a gaping hole, the bitter wind from that winter night howling through it.
Besides, my familys business and the Vaughns were already deeply intertwined. The consequences of a forceful separation were more than either side could bear. I knew better than anyone that our personal grievances were weightless in the face of family interests.
Maybe the pressure from her family scared her. Or maybe she belatedly realized shed gone too far.
Sienna toned it down a lot.
No more staying out all night. No more ignoring me completely.
Instead, she started reporting her every move to me, in excruciating detail.
One day, I was in the middle of a tense negotiation, finalizing the core terms of a multi-million dollar project, haggling over the last points of profit sharing. You could have heard a pin drop in the conference room. All eyes were on me, waiting for my response.
And her messages just kept popping up. Something about an appointment with a famous wedding planner, asking me what style I wanted.
When I didnt reply, she started calling. One call after another. The buzzing of my phone was deafening.
The other party said understandingly, Please, take care of that. It might be urgent.
I maintained a polite smile, nodded my apologies, and ducked into the restroom before finally answering, my voice a low hiss.
What the hell do you want? Why are you blowing up my phone over something so trivial?
Its so annoying!
Cant you have some goddamn boundaries?
After the barrage of insults, the other end of the line went dead silent.
I was the first to snap out of it, rubbing my temples tiredly. Im sorry. Ive been pulling all-nighters for this project, Im exhausted. The style you can decide.
On the other end, Sienna was silent for a long time before responding, her voice dry.
Okay.

6
I parked in front of the Vaughn Corporation building. I was here to integrate some resources before heading back to my own company.
In the breakroom, I overheard some colleagues gossiping.
Did you see? Ms. Vaughn came in with him again this morning.
I noticed! I heard she even left her bra at his place last time
Whats up with that? Isnt she engaged?
Everyone knows Ms. Vaughn cant stand that Caleb guy. Shes always saying she wishes he would just disappear.

Thanks to Sienna never publicly acknowledging our relationship at work, I, the aforementioned Caleb guy, was privy to all this gossip.
I sipped my coffee, my eyes downcast, feeling nothing. This little tidbit was nothing. These people were amateurs. Theyd never had a delivery guy show up late at night with a package containing a matching set of lacy lingerie. Theyd never had to deal with the mountains of explicit late-night texts on her phone. Theyd never been at a family banquet where some random guy toasted them and called them brother-in-law.
Sienna never said no to anyone out there. I was always the one left to clean up her messes. A bra left at someone elses house barely even registered on the scale.
I suppressed the urge to go out and say something. When I looked up, the subject of the gossip was standing right in front of me.
The boy from the spa, the one who was scared of water, was draped over Sienna like he had no bones.
Sienna saw me and frowned, telling him to stand up straight. I took a closer look. He had lasted longer by her side than most.
The boy pouted and handed me a file. Arent you the guy from Ms. Vaughns house?
I took the file and met his gaze. And youre the guy in the swim trunks from the spa who was clinging to her.
The breakroom went silent.
His face changed, and he bit his lip. Why cant you just leave Ms. Vaughn alone?
I held up my hands. Dont drag me into this, kid. Im just trying to get my work done and get out of the country.
In my haste, my voice rose an octave as I threw Siennas own words back at them. You call her Sienna, I call her Sienna. Whats this about leaving her alone?
Caleb.
Siennas warning tone came from behind me. What nonsense are you talking?
I waved the file in my hand and turned to press the elevator button. Sis, deal with your own private life. Dont involve me.
The elevator doors slowly closed, reflecting Siennas furious face and the hurt expression of the boy beside her.
Were they having another fight? Not my problem.
I glanced down at the flight confirmation email on my phone.
Twenty-four hours from now, Id be gone.

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