I Broke up with my boyfriend after he loyalty tested me

The night my boyfriend stood up in a crowded restaurant and called me a cheater, my parents smiled. Not wide, because they are not wide people, but it was the smile of two people who had just watched a door open that they had been praying for. I had spent three years keeping Ethan and my family from ever sharing a room without a fight, and in ten seconds he handed them the one thing they wanted most. What I didn't know yet was that the stain on our old couch, the green velvet one that replaced it, and the man who sold it to me had all been part of the same plan. From this story we get to know: Hiding small things to avoid fights builds a wall. Love and control can look alike. You don't owe an apology for protecting yourself.