Chapter 5

When I said this, I could feel my heart bleeding in pain.

Perhaps my understanding attitude made him feel guilty.

Ethan rarely took the initiative to hail a cab for me.

He even pretended to write down the license plate number.

After seeing me off, he got into another car with Luna.

Back home, I cleaned the wound on my palm with hydrogen peroxide myself.

Looking in the mirror at how my features contorted in pain, the tears I'd been holding back couldn't be contained anymore and gushed from my eyes.

I cried until my whole body trembled and my throat lost its voice, my body collapsing weakly on the floor.

In the early morning, when I'd finished washing up and lay in bed, Ethan finally pushed the door open.

I closed my eyes pretending to be asleep.

I heard him hesitantly speak: "Don't overthink it. Today was just my classmate coming back for a reunion, nothing else."

As he spoke, he walked to the bed and realized my eyes were tightly shut.

Relieved, he tossed his phone on the bed. Turned and went into the bathroom to wash up.

The light turned on. I slowly opened my eyes.

His phone wasn't locked.

Possessed by some impulse, I picked it up and glanced at it.

The screen was still on the interface where he was replying to Luna's messages.

The last sentence was: [Sophia is my friend. My family pressured me into marriage. This time I had her play along with me. Didn't expect you'd actually believe it and come back specially for this. What, haven't gotten over me after five years? Want to consider getting back together?]

My heart was instantly gripped by an enormous force. Even my breathing trembled.

In front of me, Ethan had always been a perfect boyfriend.

Gifts for every anniversary. Little cakes on every ordinary day. Every new fashion item that appeared in my closet right after launch.

But only I knew he was loving another person through me.

What he did during our relationship was just what he considered a boyfriend's duty. It never had anything to do with me personally.

His heart and soul only beat wildly for Luna.

Even the wedding I'd anticipated for five years was a scheme to win Luna back.

With the facts laid before me, I could no longer deceive myself.

I covered my mouth with my hand so I wouldn't cry out loud.

When I put down the phone, I accidentally returned to the home screen.

His friend's chat showed an unread message.

[Bro, that's all I can help you with. When things work out with Luna, don't forget to treat me to dinner!]

I immediately locked the screen.

Taking several deep breaths, I opened the email I'd just received on my own phone.

It was a success notification from the overseas branch.

After reading it, I directly bought a flight abroad for the next morning.

After the payment succeeded, Ethan's phone suddenly rang.

He hurriedly walked out of the bathroom. I pretended I'd just woken up.

He hung up the call and glanced at a message.

Meeting my sleepy eyes, he spoke: "My friend's light at home broke. I'm going to take a look. You sleep first. I'll be right back."

Dropping that line, he leaned down and kissed my forehead. Then turned and strode out of the room.

The door closing sound echoed. The last teardrop rolled down my cheek.

I desperately wiped my forehead with my uninjured hand.

Ethan, oh Ethan, you weren't even willing to put effort into lying to me once.

I lay in bed with my eyes open until dawn.

I got up and simply washed up, then dragged my luggage to the airport.

On the way, Ethan finally deigned to send me a message.

[Sorry about last night. By the time we fixed the light it was almost dawn. I was afraid of disturbing your sleep, so I didn't come back. Luna's going today too. Save a seat for her. She wants to watch.]

I turned off my phone.

Only at the last moment before boarding did I reply to him.

[I saved a seat, but it's the bride's seat.]

[Ethan, let's break up.]