Chapter 3

The day he left the house, he'd wasted no time bringing Lauren home to live with us.

After that, he arranged for her to join the company, keeping her right by his side.

Afterward, he'd offered a hollow explanation: "Lauren just joined the company. She'll adapt faster if I show her the ropes."

Ethan was left speechless, his face cycling between shades of red and white. He took a deep breath, clearly too lazy to argue further, and stated bluntly:

"Lauren's waiting outside. I'm having her bring in an urgent document."

Without waiting for our response, he turned and opened the door.

Lauren timidly followed him inside, wearing a pure white dress that made her look pitifully fragile.

When she saw Grace, she reacted like a startled deer, instinctively hiding behind Ethan.

Ethan immediately shielded Lauren, addressing his mother. "She's just here to deliver documents. Don't look at her like you're going to eat her alive. You'll frighten her."

I looked at Ethan like he was an idiot.

Lauren spoke up from the side, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. Parker, this is a family dinner. It's not... appropriate for me to be here. I should go."

Yet her feet seemed rooted to the spot. She didn't move an inch.

"You're tired from delivering documents. Eat before you leave."

Without room for argument, Ethan seated her in the empty chair beside him-the seat that had been meant for me.

The atmosphere at the dinner table plummeted to freezing.

Grace watched Lauren's delicate, helpless act with cold eyes, a mocking smile curling her lips.

"Lauren, you don't need to put on a show for me."

Grace set down her fork, speaking without mercy. "I can see right through your little schemes."

Lauren's face turned deathly pale, tears pooling in her eyes. "Ma'am, I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't know?" Grace laughed lightly.

"Years ago, when you and Ethan were dating in college, the first time he brought you home-the moment you walked in, your eyes never left our décor."

"When you heard about our company's scale, the greed and calculation in your eyes might as well have been written on your face!"

Lauren's entire body trembled as if she were holding back something.

Ethan suddenly slammed the table and shot to his feet.

"Enough!"

He glared at his mother. "It's been so many years, and you're still like this! You're not doing this for my sake. You just want to control my life!"

"Back then, you forced us to break up, and it caused Lauren to develop depression. Don't you feel even a shred of guilt? Now that she's finally recovering, why do you still have to hurt her with such vicious words?"

"I'm controlling you?" Grace trembled with rage.

"If I really wanted to control you, I wouldn't have let Sophia suffer alongside you when you went bankrupt! You ungrateful creature, have you forgotten who crawled out of hell with you?"

"I haven't forgotten!"

Ethan shouted hoarsely, his eyes red. "I'll spend my entire life repaying Sophia's kindness! But that doesn't conflict with me compensating Lauren!"

With that, he grabbed the still-trembling Lauren and stormed toward the door without looking back.

"Where are you going?" Grace called after him.

"I can't stay in this house anymore!"

He pulled Lauren along and left in a fury.

From beginning to end, he never once looked at me, never once thought to take me with him.

"Sophia, don't mind him. Let him leave!" Grace's chest heaved with anger. She took my hand. "Stay here tonight. I'll keep you company."

I shook my head and stood up. "I should go back."

This was between Ethan and me.

I couldn't let her completely break with her son because of me.

In the courtyard, Ethan's car hadn't left yet.

He leaned against the car door, impatiently checking his phone. Clearly, he was waiting for me.

So he did remember-he'd left me behind.

I walked slowly toward him.

The streetlight stretched my shadow long, making it look lonely and desolate.

Hearing footsteps, Ethan looked up. When he saw it was me, the impatience on his face deepened.

"What took you so long? Let's go." He opened the car door and got into the driver's seat.

I walked to the passenger side. Before I could open the door, I heard Lauren's pained whimper from the back seat.