Chapter 4

The moment I heard the noise outside, I knew Ethan was back.

I pulled him into our bedroom and told him flat-out: “You need to find them somewhere else to stay. I don’t care where, but they can’t stay here.”

But instead of agreeing, Ethan took my hand and said softly, “My mom is getting older, and Tiffany is pregnant, with a little kid. We can’t just throw them out onto the street, can we? Just give it a little time. If you don’t want to see them, we can stay in our room. I’ll find them a place soon, I promise.”

The more he spoke, the more I realized something was off.

Why wasn’t Tiffany’s husband taking care of her? And why hadn’t Ethan even mentioned they were coming over in the first place?

I snapped, “I don’t care! This house was a gift from my mom. Why should I be the one hiding in my own room? You’re my husband because I love you, but if you’re going to take their side and not care about how I feel, then maybe we don’t need to get that marriage certificate after all. You can move out with them.”

Seeing me so upset, Ethan pulled me into a hug and started apologizing, his voice gentle.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll fix this. We’ve been together for eight years — we can’t let something small like this come between us, right?”

“And besides, we’ve already had the wedding. We just need the certificate. If we call things off now, how will we explain it to our friends and family?”

I pushed him away. “I don’t owe anyone an explanation about my marriage. You decide. If your mom and sister are still here tomorrow, you can pack your bags and leave with them.”

Before we got married, I had made it very clear to him that each of us would be responsible for our own parents.

I never believed in the idea that marrying into a family meant becoming part of that family. I was looking for a partner to walk through life with, not to take on the burden of an entire household.

If this situation could be solved, fine.

But if not, I wasn’t about to sacrifice my boundaries for his family.

Ethan, realizing how serious I was, finally agreed. He stroked my hair and said, “Okay, okay, don’t be mad. I’ll talk to them and make sure they’re gone by tomorrow, okay?”

I saw the sincerity in his eyes and nodded.

“Make sure they understand they can stay in a hotel for a few days. I’ll even help pay for it if we need to.”

Ethan smiled, leaning down to kiss my forehead.

“I know you’re doing this for us,” he said softly.

“Good. I’m glad you understand,” I replied, lightly punching his chest.

Ethan chuckled and left the room.

Feeling curious, I quietly followed him and pressed my ear to the door to eavesdrop.

But strangely enough, after several minutes, there was no sound at all.

Even with the good soundproofing, I should’ve heard something.

So I decided to crack the door open just a bit to get a better listen.

But when I tried to turn the handle, it wouldn’t budge.

Ethan had locked me in.