Chapter 1

When Ethan and I went Instagram official, all my friends messaged me to ask if I was being scammed.

Ethan was the most notorious playboy in our circle, constantly surrounded by women.

But to everyone's surprise, after he got with me, he stopped seeing other girls.

He even replaced all his female assistants with men.

Everyone said Ethan and I were true love.

Until our fifth anniversary, when he lost a game of Truth or Dare with his friends. One of them asked him:

"You've been with Chloe for five years. Are you actually in love with her?"

He took a drag of his cigarette and casually replied:

"Out of all the girls I've had, she's the most obedient. She does whatever I tell her to do, and she's been doing it for years."

So, he was only with me because I was submissive.

I didn't storm in and make a scene. Instead, I sent a text to his third side-chick.

At 11 PM, Ethan finally called me.

"Come pick me up at the lounge downtown. I had a few drinks, can't drive."

In the past, if he called, I would drop everything to get him.

But now, I waited until I was in the middle of my skincare routine to reply, "Just call an Uber."

Half an hour later, Ethan called again, his voice irritated. "Are you coming or what? I've been waiting forever."

I sighed, changed my clothes, and went out anyway.

Twenty minutes later, I took a taxi to the lounge downtown.

Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard a burst of laughter from inside, mixed with guys cheering.

"Come on, Ethan! You lost the game, you gotta pay up! You promised to call your girl to pick you up. Don't back out now!"

"Yeah, man, you lost everything last round. Calling your girl is the least you can do!"

Then came Ethan's voice, sounding a bit drunk and arrogant. "What's the rush? I already called her. She'll be here. She always does whatever I say."

"Damn, she's that obedient? Lend her to us sometime then?"

"Screw off! But seriously, she's super sweet. She never makes a scene, no matter what I do."

I froze outside the door.

So that was it.

It wasn't because he was too drunk, or because of some emergency.

He had just lost a game of Truth or Dare and used me as a prop to show off.

With a blank expression, I pulled out my phone, found Sienna's Snapchat, and sent her a message: "Ethan is wasted at the downtown lounge. Come pick him up."

Then I turned around and walked back to the cab.

Once I got home, I finished my skincare and opened my closet to pack my bags.

My phone buzzed a few times. It was Ethan on Snapchat:

"Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?"

"Never mind, don't come. Sienna happened to be passing by, she's driving me home."

I didn't reply.

A moment later, he sent another one: "Are you seriously mad? It was just a game. Don't be dramatic."

Still no reply from me.

The last message had a softer tone: "Fine, I'm sorry, okay? I'll bring you a gift."

Looking at the message, I found it hilarious.

If he had coaxed me like this before, my heart would have melted. I would have thought he at least cared.

But now, I just wondered if he was laughing at how gullible I was while typing those words.

I put my phone on silent, rolled over, and closed my eyes.