Chapter 2

I sat paralyzed on the cold floor for a long time until one of the hotel staff rushed over to help me up.

"Ma'am, are you okay? We have some soothing medicated liniment at the front desk. Let me get you cleaned up."

I nodded numbly and booked a separate room under my own name.

The second this storm cleared, I was leaving.

While the staff member was helping me up to my new room, Ethan called.

I declined it.

Almost immediately, text messages began bombarding my screen.

[Where the hell are you? Get back to the suite and apologize to Sadie.]

[We're literally about to sign our marriage papers in a few days. Can you stop this childish paranoia?]

[I got you some pain relief balm from the desk. Come back, say you're sorry, and I'll rub it on your knee.]

...

I didn't reply.

I just stared blankly at the massive, ugly purple bruises spreading across my kneecap.

A frantic pounding on the door snapped me out of my trance.

I pulled it open. It was Ethan.

He held a small bottle of liniment in his hand. The moment our eyes met, his tone was sharp and impatient.

"Hiding by yourself again? Chloe, can you grow up for once?"

"Every single time you get upset, you run off and hide. I'm exhausted. I don't have the energy to keep chasing you down."

My mind drifted.

I remembered the year I failed my college entrance exams. I had hidden in a park, crying my eyes out alone in the dark.

Back then, Ethan searched half the city until well past midnight to find me. He had smiled, reaching out his hand:

"Chloe, no matter where you hide, I'll always find you."

I shook my head and started to pull the door shut.

"You don't have to look for me anymore."

Ethan's face darkened. He shoved his foot into the doorframe and forced his way inside.

But when his eyes fell on the massive bruise blooming across my leg, his harsh expression softened. He knelt down in front of me, popping the cap off the liniment.

"Why is it bruised this badly?"

"Stop being stubborn. Let me put some ointment on it. After this, cancel this room and come back to the suite. We're on our honeymoon, Chloe. You staying in a separate room looks ridiculous."

Looking down at the crown of his head, I heard his thoughts drift into my mind again.

*[This must hurt like hell. I need to be gentle.]*

A lump formed in my throat. My heart almost softened.

Then, his next thought shattered everything.

*[Still, Chloe needs to learn a lesson. She can't keep walking all over Sadie just because Sadie's too sweet to fight back.]*

*[Ugh, next time I hang out with Sadie alone, I'll have to come up with a better excuse.]*

My entire body went rigid. I yanked my leg back.

Ethan looked up, startled. "What's wrong?"

Before I could answer, the door swung open.

Sadie was leaning weakly against the doorframe, clutching her stomach, offering me a fragile, saintly smile.

"So this is where you guys are! I was looking everywhere for you!"

"Ethan, did you smooth things over with Chloe? See, I told you the three of us don't have any real secrets. As long as you two are happy, it doesn't matter if I took a little hit."

Ethan immediately dropped the bottle of liniment, jumped up, and rushed over to support her.

He frowned deeply. "Why are you out of bed? Didn't I tell you to rest in the room?"

"What do you mean 'took a hit'? You think I'd let Chloe treat you like that? Don't worry, Chloe and I already talked. She's going to apologize to you right now."

With that, Ethan turned to glare at me.

"Chloe, hurry up and say you're sorry to Sadie."

I looked at the half-rubbed liniment drying on my knee, my voice flat and hollow.

"I didn't push her. She tripped herself. And we never agreed on an apology."

"Also, Ethan... I'm your fiancée. If anyone deserves your loyalty, it's me."

Ethan froze, choked by my words. His inner voice buzzed with uncomfortable conflict.

*[She's not wrong about that...]*

*[But Sadie and I... Ugh, why is it so damn hard for her to just swallow her pride and apologize once?!]*

Hearing that, I looked up, staring straight into his eyes.

"It's not hard for me to admit when I'm wrong. But you two were the ones who lied. We're supposed to get legally married in days, and you're sneaking around behind my back on private dates with another woman."

"Ethan, do you honestly think that's acceptable?"