Chapter 3

As soon as I entered, I saw River wearing my pajamas, sitting on the living room sofa like the lady of the house watching TV.

Ethan was right beside her.

Seeing me return, Ethan immediately stood up and questioned me.

"Where the hell have you been these past few days? I've been waiting for you to record an apology video. My fans are asking me every day to give them an explanation!"

I handed my daughter to the nanny. After she went upstairs, I turned to look at Ethan.

"Why should I apologize to your fans? Do you know they blocked Sophie's school gate and cursed at her?"

Ethan's eyes flickered.

"How could they curse at Sophie? Besides, even if they did, couldn't you just tell the child to endure it? Fans are my bread and butter!"

That phrase again.

Every time his and River's fans bullied me, he told me to endure it.

"Ethan, Sophie was so frightened she developed psychological issues, and I was beaten by your fans until my spine fractured. Not only will I not apologize, I'm going to hold them accountable!"

Ethan suddenly stood up.

"Vivian, what crazy talk is this? If you dare sue my fans, I'll cut off your mother's medical expenses!"

This sentence instantly extinguished all my emotions.

Right.

My mother is still lying in the hospital. Every month's medical expenses all depend on Ethan.

I smiled bitterly.

"You're threatening me with this? But you've forgotten why my mother became like this, haven't you?"

Back then, it was Ethan's fanatical fans who exposed our home address. Several people secretly broke into our house wanting to teach me a lesson but accidentally encountered my mother.

My mother bore this senseless disaster in my place. She had a heart attack, and because rescue came too late, she became a vegetable.

Afterward, I cried until my eyes nearly went blind, clutching Ethan's hand and begging him to find the culprits and send them to prison to get justice for my mother.

But just like now, he only told me to endure it and not make things difficult for him.

Now, he's actually using my mother's life to threaten me.

Ethan frowned, too guilty to speak.

River spoke up from the side, her words twisting the knife.

"Vivian, you can't blame Ethan for this. It was your mother who couldn't withstand the shock. Our fans didn't know she had a heart condition. Besides, Ethan works so hard to earn money — isn't it all for your family?"

This sentence immediately gave Ethan an out.

"Right, I'm doing all this for you, aren't I?"

I didn't respond. Step by step, I walked to River and slapped her across the face.

"You leaked my daughter's school address to those fans, didn't you?"

River covered her face, staring at me blankly. After recovering, she immediately denied it.

"Of course it wasn't me!"

Ethan immediately rushed over to shield her.

"Vivian, what are you doing? How can you hit people?"

My gaze moved past him to River behind him.

"If not you, then who? Only Ethan and I know Sophie's school address. We didn't even tell the nanny."

River defended herself guiltily.

"Maybe the fans found out themselves, or you accidentally exposed it. Don't frame me!"

Ethan warned me again.

"Vivian, stop causing trouble, or I'll cut off your mother's medical expenses right now!"

Thinking of my mother in the hospital bed, I took a deep breath and stepped back.

Seeing me yield, Ethan quickly struck while the iron was hot.

"Wait here. I'll get the phone stand. You're recording the apology video right now."

With that, he turned and went upstairs.