Chapter 3
Emma fucking Whitmore. And yeah, that emerald bracelet was sparkling on her wrist like a spotlight.
She looked me up and down like I was furniture, then completely ignored me and moved straight to Ethan’s side.
“It’s my friend’s birthday party upstairs. All the girls brought dates, and they’re giving me shit for being single and new in town…”
She pouted like a spoiled child, looking absolutely heartbroken.
Ethan couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. His voice went all soft and melted:
“Just give me five minutes to handle things here, then I’ll come find you.”
Emma’s face lit up as she grabbed Ethan’s hand, suddenly acting like she just noticed me sitting there.
“Oh, is this your friend? She should come hang out too! Don’t be shy – everyone’s really nice.”
Ethan turned to look at me, his expression slightly awkward for just a second.
“Maybe I should have the driver take you home. This crowd isn’t really your scene
you might not click with them.”
I stared right back at him. Even though he was trying to hide it, I could see the impatience in his eyes.
It was almost funny. Had he forgotten? All those business dinners I’d suffered through for him, for his company. All those awful people I’d charmed and schmoozed with fake smiles.
Now suddenly it’s not my scene?
I stood up and smiled at Emma:
“Let’s go. I’ll join you.”
Emma looked caught off guard, like she wasn’t expecting me to say yes. She awkwardly led the way.
The private room upstairs was all dim lighting and intimate vibes.
The two of them sat together, laughing and chatting while I got pushed to the side like an afterthought.
They started playing truth or dare with a bottle. It kept landing on Emma, and every single time, Ethan would drink for her without saying a word.
Finally, on the last spin, the bottle pointed straight at me.
Emma stared at me with this mocking look, her tone turning nasty:
“I don’t know how sensitive you are, so if you can’t handle it, we can just skip your turn.”
Ethan glanced at me, totally casual:
“Come on, we’re all friends here. Don’t kill the vibe.”
Emma looked down with this little smile, then looked back up at me, her voice turning cruel:
“So I heard both your parents are dead. Did playing the tragic orphan card…help you get close to Ethan?”
With a sharp crack, my palm landed on her face.
Chapter 3
Emma clutched her cheek, tears instantly welling up, her shoulders trembling like a wounded bird.
Before anyone could even process what happened, Ethan backhanded me twice, so hard I hit the floor.
“That’s for Emma.”
He dragged me outside and slammed the door shut. Through the walls, I could hear Emma’s innocent sobbing:
“I didn’t mean to upset her. I had no idea she was so fragile.”
Ethan’s voice was gentle as he comforted her:
“It’s not your fault. She’s completely unhinged. Just ignore her.”
I couldn’t stay another second. I stumbled toward the stairs, but my stomach suddenly cramped with vicious pain.
I’d just miscarried yesterday. Even though it was early, I’d been out in the rain all night. My body was already wrecked.
Right as I reached the hotel entrance, rain started pouring down without warning.
June storms–they always hit out of nowhere.
I reached for my mobile phone to hail a taxi, only to find that it had been turned off.
I was dizzy and could barely walk straight. Something warm was trickling down my legs. Desperate and helpless, my mind went to
Ethan.
He was right upstairs. All I needed was for him to get me to a hospital.
The pain was so intense I couldn’t think about anything else. I stumbled back up to the private room.
But I walked in at the worst possible moment.
