One week before Ethan's "one that got away," Chloe, was set to marry someone else, she came crying to him. She didn't want to go through with the wedding. Not only did Ethan plan to help her run away on her big day, but he also expected me to be the stand-in bride to cover their tracks. I refused. I demanded an explanation for this insanity. Ethan, usually so gentle, looked at me with rage I'd never seen before. "Hazel, how can you just watch Chloe marry a man she doesn't love? Do you have no heart?" Later, to vent his anger for Chloe, he kicked me down the stairs. My knee was shattered. I could never dance again. That was the moment my heart finally died. I stopped trapping myself in the name of love. I never expected Ethan to come crawling back. He looked miserable, begging me on his knees: "Hazel, please... save me. I was wrong. I really know I was wrong." Chapter 1 When I got back from the theater, it was drizzling outside. The moment I walked in, I saw Ethan sitting on the sofa with Chloe. She was sobbing, clinging to his arm. "Ethan, what do I do? I can't marry Brad. I don't love him at all! Take me away on the wedding day, please?" She looked at Ethan like he was her only savior. Ethan sat up straight, his jaw tense. After a long silence, he said, "Okay." "I object!" I walked over, staring coldly at Chloe. Chloe suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. She begged: "Hazel, I know you hate me because Ethan and I have a history. But you can't push me into a fire pit!" Seeing her on her knees, Ethan's gentle mask cracked. He glared at me. "Hazel, how can you be so cruel? Watching Chloe marry a man she hates? Do you have no heart?" He tenderly helped Chloe up from the floor. Chloe gave him a desperate look. "It's okay, Ethan. Maybe this is just my fate." She turned to leave, looking like a broken doll. Ethan stood up to chase her. I grabbed his arm. Before I could explain, he shoved me away. Hard. "Hazel, enough! How can you be so vicious?" He grabbed his keys and drove off to chase Chloe without looking back. After he left, I limped to the first aid kit to treat my knee. Ethan used to love me so much. A papercut would make him panic and rush to bandage me. But today, he threw me to the ground. The table edge gouged my knee, and he didn't even blink. His heart was full of his precious Chloe. I waited until late at night. Ethan didn't come home. Instead, I received a photo from Chloe. They were in a hotel room, tangled in sheets. I didn't sleep a wink. Chapter 2 Ethan came back the next morning. He brought my favorite Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery. He acted like nothing happened, laying out the desserts one by one, pushing them toward me like he was waiting for a reward. I looked at the pudding and spoke softly. "Ethan, I'm allergic to bananas. I hate anything banana flavored." He clicked his tongue, his gentleness evaporating. "Eat it or don't! I drove all the way to get this. I didn't do it to hear you complain!" His voice was full of irritation. I didn't smile and thank him like I usually did. I stood up and went to the kitchen to make myself a bowl of oatmeal. He was annoyed at my defiance. But since he was in the wrong for staying out all night, he swallowed his anger. "Sorry about yesterday. Is your knee okay?" When I nodded, he let out a sigh of relief. Seeing the gauze on my knee, he muttered: "You dancers are so dramatic. It's just a bump. Do you really need all that bandage?" He didn't care. I looked him in the eye and said calmly: "Ethan, I love ballet just as much as you love running your company. I never belittled your passion. Why do you belittle mine?" He touched his nose guiltily and changed the subject. "Forget it. Are you free tonight? I'm taking you to meet my friends." Chapter 3 It was raining lightly in the evening. Ethan took me to a private room at an upscale club. His friends started hooting when I walked in. "Yo, Ethan! Is this the ballerina sister-in-law?" Several pairs of eyes scanned me with ill intentions. Ethan led me further inside. Sitting in the center of the room was Chloe. She stared at Ethan without saying a word. "Hazel, let me toast to you! I hope you and Ethan live happily ever after!" Chloe suddenly stood up, staring right at me. Her eyes were brimming with tears. Ethan looked at her with heartbreak written all over his face. I didn't move. Everyone in the room was watching me. Ethan felt embarrassed. He frowned and whispered aggressively: "Hazel, don't embarrass me in front of my friends." I looked at Ethan quietly. He forgot I was allergic to alcohol. When we first started dating, he found out and held me tight. He promised he would never let me touch a drop of alcohol as long as he was around. Now, the knight had become the dragon. "Ethan, did you forget? I'm allergic to alcohol." I said softly. My voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the room. Ethan's friends tried to smooth things over. "Sorry, Hazel. Our bad. Just drink juice instead." Someone handed me a glass of orange juice. Chloe looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Hazel, do you look down on me? Is that why you won't drink with me?" Ethan frowned deeply. He snatched the juice from my hand and replaced it with wine. "Hazel, stop being dramatic. Since when are you allergic to alcohol?" His voice was unhappy. He shoved the glass in my face. "Hazel, are you drinking or not? If you don't, we're done." He was threatening me with a breakup. Chloe pretended to stop him. "Ethan, don't force Hazel. Maybe she was raised too delicately and isn't used to drinking." I refused to drink. My parents taught me one thing growing up: I can do what I want, and I can refuse what makes me uncomfortable. If the sky falls, they will hold it up for me. Ethan's eyes flashed with anger at my refusal. He grabbed my jaw, forcing my mouth open, and poured the wine down my throat. I choked, coughing violently. Ethan looked at me with a smug smirk. "Stop acting! See? Nothing happened!" Chloe let out a soft laugh. But soon, they wouldn't be laughing. Chapter 4 My vision started to go black. My throat closed up. Ethan didn't care. He thought I was acting. "Hazel, that's enough! Stop the drama! You're overdoing it!" Chloe fanned the flames. "Yeah, Hazel. You're so good at acting, you should be in movies, not ballet." My face turned pale. Thud. I collapsed on the floor. Someone finally realized something was wrong and checked my pulse. Their hands shaking, they called 911. When I woke up, Ethan was staring at me, his face pale. Seeing me awake, he looked guilty. "How do you feel? You okay?" I shook my head. Seeing I was alive, Chloe let out a sigh of relief. "Scared me to death. I thought something bad actually happened!" Ethan looked at me with annoyance now that the danger had passed. Chloe changed the subject. "Hazel, I'm getting married in two weeks. You have to keep my secret, okay? Don't tell anyone I'm planning to run away!" Seeing my blank expression, Ethan smiled at Chloe. "Don't worry. In my house, what I say goes. Hazel wouldn't dare disobey." After Chloe left, Ethan fed me the chicken soup he made. "Hazel, try this. I simmered it for hours." He was overly attentive. For the few days I was in the hospital, he took perfect care of me. It made me wonder if the alcohol incident was just a hallucination. The day I was discharged, Ethan took me home. He prepared a lavish candlelight dinner. After eating, I passed out on the table. Before I lost consciousness completely... I heard Ethan sigh in relief. He called Chloe, sounding like he wanted praise. "Chloe, I handled Hazel. Come over and take her to Brad's room." I was taken to a strange room. Inside, waiting for me, was Chloe's fiancé, Brad.
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