Chapter 2

Ethan and Chloe had gotten together in high school.

They were each other’s first love.

From high school to their PhD years, their relationship lasted a full ten years.

It was so long that the other person had already grown into their flesh and blood.

If Ethan hadn’t caught Chloe and his best friend Ryan Cole lying in the same bed, the two of them might have already been married by now.

After the breakup, Ethan took a year to recover from the darkness.

He was my father’s favorite student.

With my father’s matchmaking, the two of us officially started dating.

After Chloe found out about it, she even attempted suicide.

She posted online, condemning me as the other woman in their relationship.

All of their mutual friends treated me like an intruder in their circle.

They refused to accept me, and some were even hostile toward me.

It was Ethan who had always stood firmly on my side.

I thought that at least there was no problem with our relationship.

But I never expected that after so much time had passed, he and Chloe were still entangled.

If a mutual friend hadn’t sent me the social media posts he had hidden from me, I would still be kept in the dark.

My heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly, twisted until it hurt.

Chloe’s choking sobs pulled me back to reality again.

Looking at the mess in front of me, I didn’t want to stay there for even one more minute.

I turned and left directly.

“Ava!”

Ethan chased after me and left with me.

When he left, he still didn’t forget to toss Chloe a few bandages so she could treat the burns on her wrist.

It looked heartless, but it was actually awkward concern.

“Ava, Ava… slow down and listen to me explain.”

“I really never meant to let her move into our marital home, but she’s insane. If I ignore her, she screams that she’s going to die…”

“She was already this extreme back in school. She was hurt by her original family. Her dad was abusive, and her mom ran off with someone else… She wasn’t born lucky like you, and she doesn’t have anyone backing her up. She’s kind of pitiful.”

I almost laughed from anger again.

“So it’s my fault that I was born lucky?”

Ethan scratched his hair in frustration.

“No, that’s not what I meant… I’ll handle this immediately, I swear. Please forgive me.”

His eyes were red with anxiety, as if he might cry in the next second.

Just then, his phone began vibrating nonstop again.

One call came after another.

Ethan hung up every single one.

He answered the last one and roared into the phone, “Chloe Bennett, you lunatic! Stop calling me!”

Then, as if proving his loyalty, he blocked Chloe.

“Ava, you’re the only one I love… Really, don’t leave me, okay?”

I admit that in that moment, my heart softened.

We had been together for three years, and it would be a lie to say there were no feelings.

Besides, our families were well matched, and marrying him was my best option.

I said nothing.

Silently, I drove back to the old apartment.

Until that night, Ethan was especially attentive toward me.

“Ava, from now on, I’ll fix my attitude and draw a clear line with that lunatic… Before the wedding, I’ll definitely lose weight and get back to a healthy weight!”

“If I ever go to her again, may I die a horrible death!”

He made his promises with absolute conviction.

But when I woke up in the middle of the night, I found that he was gone.

When I called him, he said something had come up at the company and he had to work overtime at the last minute.

But I clearly heard the faint sound of a woman crying on the other end of the phone.

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of my mouth.

He really did take me for a fool.

I hung up and sent him two words: break up.

The call came back immediately, one after another.

The messages followed one after another.

[Ava, answer the phone! Are you trying to make me lose my mind?]

[Baby, please don’t do this, okay?]

[I’m begging you, answer the phone…]

But even by dawn, he still had not come home.