You do everything right.

You do everything right.

You show up. You listen.
You say exactly what they need to hear.

You make yourself indispensable.

Not out of generosity.
Because if they need you, they can't leave.

Then one day, you start keeping score.

Not because they did something wrong.

Because something shifted.
And you know what comes next.
You've been here before.

The resentment builds quietly.
Then the reasons appear.

Small things that never bothered you before.
Evidence you were already looking for.

The whole trial happens in your head.

No confrontation.
No explanation.
Just a silent verdict.

So you leave first.

You call it boundaries.
You call it protecting yourself.
But it's something else.

You were afraid of being seen as not enough and being rejected.

Leaving first just meant they never got the chance to prove you wrong.

What would staying have required you to show them?