A read receipt can turn a technical event into an emotional theory.

A read receipt reports a technical fact and gets interpreted as a statement about the relationship. Seen and not answered becomes a whole theory about how you are regarded, built from a timestamp that could equally mean the person opened it while walking and got distracted.

If you find yourself constructing meaning from these, name what you are doing and consider asking directly instead. And if the ambiguity is costing you, turning receipts off is a legitimate choice. There is very little information in them and a great deal of room for invention.