“Relax, Ethan,” I said, my voice calm but laced with steel. “Not everyone is as desperate as you. And if we’re talking about moving on quickly, who could possibly beat you? You practically dove headfirst into Summer’s arms the second you had the chance.”
The smug laughter at the table came to an abrupt halt.
Ethan’s friends stared at me, stunned. They weren’t used to seeing me stand up to him–back when we were married, I’d been nothing but accommodating, bending over backward to please him.
Even Ethan seemed taken aback, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to contain his anger.
Summer, ever the picture of innocence, dabbed at her eyes with a napkin, her voice trembling. “Annie, it’s my fault. Please don’t blame Ethan. Blame me instead.”
1:01 PM d
<
“Oh, I do,” I said with a cold smile, my gaze locking on hers. “You’re absolutely to blame.”
The room fell silent as I took a step closer to her.
“You ran back here and pulled Ethan away, playing the victim the entire time. You act so pure and innocent, but everyone knows the truth. Outside of this little circle of sycophants, no one’s buying your act.”
Her face paled, the fake tears vanishing in an instant.
D
The laughter and whispers around the table died out, replaced by awkward silence. Even Ethan looked furious, though whether it was at me or
himself, I couldn’t tell.
I let out a sharp laugh, the sound cutting through the tension like a knife. “Enjoy your happily–ever–after, Summer. You’ve certainly worked hard enough to get it.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked out, Simon following close behind.
Summer could have Ethan. I didn’t care. He’d been hers all along, no matter how hard I had tried to hold onto him.
But if she thought I’d let her humiliate me while playing the part of the innocent saint, she was mistaken.
9
Behind me, I could hear Summer’s shrill cries and pleading, but I didn’t care.
When I returned to the private room, Mr. Lee was already gone.
Simon, however, was still there, slumped in his chair, his usual composed demeanor replaced by a drunken haze. I steadied him as he swayed, wondering how he had managed to sound so confident and resolute earlier.
Of course, drunk words shouldn’t be taken seriously.
“Annie…”
Simon leaned back in his chair, his amber eyes half–clear, half–clouded.
I nodded reflexively, keeping my tone light. “I’ll get you some coffee or something to sober you up.”
“No need.” Simon shook his head, his gaze fixed on me. There was something in his eyes–something I couldn’t quite decipher. “Annie, what I said earlier wasn’t because I was drunk.”
I froze.
“What?”
“The words ‘I want you. They weren’t drunk words.”
His eyes were incredibly striking, clear despite the alcohol that lingered in his system. I panicked, stumbling to my feet.
“You’re drunk. I’ll get you some soup to sober up.”
“You’re running away!”
His voice rose sharply, but I didn’t stop. I fled the room like my life depended on it, the door clicking shut behind me.
Ethan had already left me with wounds I worked so hard to heal, scars I couldn’t erase. I wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.
Simon’s love wasn’t something I could handle.
I rushed through the hallway, my head down, not paying attention to where I was going.
And then I collided with someone.
1:01 PM J
<
The familiar scent of cologne hit me before I even looked up. My body reacted instinctively–I shoved him away with all my strength.
Ethan stumbled back, hitting the wall with a dull thud. He let out a low grunt, and his tone was sharp when he spoke. “Annie, what the hell are you doing?”
“Sorry. My bad,” I said curtly, brushing past him without another glance.
But Ethan grabbed the sleeve of my jacket, yanking me to a stop. “Annie,” he hissed, his voice low and tense. “Are you really with Simon now?”
“What does it matter to you?”
I slapped his hand away and turned to face him, my expression cold. “Ethan, a good ex should stay dead. Don’t you think?”
His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing with frustration. “But you once said I was the love of your life!”
I couldn’t help it–I laughed.
“Are you serious?” I asked, incredulous. “Let’s not rewrite history, Ethan. You knew Summer was coming back, and you handed me divorce papers like I was a piece of trash you’d been meaning to throw out. Don’t act like I betrayed you.”
I wasn’t the one who ended things, so what was he so angry about?
Ethan’s lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out. For a moment, it seemed like he was at a loss.
Finally, he muttered bitterly, “You’ve changed, Annie. You never used to be this cold.”
“And you never used to care,” I shot back, my voice sharp.
He flinched, but I wasn’t done.
“You’re the one who made the rules, Ethan. You’re the one who decided love was conditional, disposable.” I took a step back, putting more
distance between us. “You chose Summer–your perfect, innocent little angel. So go back to her. Worship her. Don’t waste your time on me.”
“She’s not what you think,” he muttered under his breath, his tone laced with frustration. “She’s not helping with my business. She doesn’t even know the first thing about the industry. All the money she brought back is barely enough to support herself.”
I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “And why are you telling me this? What, you expect me to feel sorry for you?”
Ethan scowled, his hand raking through his hair. “Come back, Annie. Your place is still waiting for you. You know I need you.”
I stared at him, stunned for a moment. Then I let out a short, humorless laugh.
“Go back? To what, exactly? To watch you and Summer play house? I’m not a masochist, Ethan.”
“It’s not like that-”
“Don’t bother explaining,” I interrupted, cutting him off with a wave of my hand. “I don’t care anymore.”
The truth was, there was nothing he could say that I hadn’t already heard a thousand times in my own head. All his excuses, all his justifications–they had played on repeat in my mind until they became nothing but noise.
“You’re not the same person anymore,” Ethan said quietly, his voice strained.
I smiled faintly, meeting his gaze one last time. “No, Ethan. I’m not.”
And with that, I turned and walked away.
Who says I had to stay the same?
Who says I had to wait in the same place, hoping for someone who never cared enough to stay?
