Everyone in our social circle knew how much Ethan Hayes adored me. For five years, he was considerate, gentle, incredibly attentive. He ditched all his bad habits for me, transforming himself from a notorious playboy into the perfect boyfriend. But he didn't know I’d already seen his chat history. "I'm just messing around with her. Are you jealous?" "You're the only one I've ever really loved." 1. Hearing the bedroom door softly pushed open, I closed my eyes. His footsteps were light, as if afraid to wake me. Ethan was back. He approached cautiously, pulling the comforter higher to cover my exposed shoulder. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel his heavy gaze on my face. I didn’t know what he was thinking right then, but I could smell the faint hint of perfume in the air. It wasn't strong, yet it made me feel sick to my stomach. I lazily rolled over, burying my face in the blankets, and mumbled sleepily, "You're back?" "Yeah, did I wake you?" He rubbed his palms together to warm them, then slipped a hand under the covers to check the temperature. His warm fingertips accidentally brushed against my cold calf, and I flinched back. Ethan immediately grasped my leg, his brow furrowing. "You know you get cold easily, why isn't the heat on?" He grabbed the thermostat remote and adjusted the temperature. Looking back at me, curled up and shivering, he sounded a bit exasperated. "What would you do without me, honestly?" It was a question, but it sounded like he was absolutely convinced I couldn't live without him. Back in college, Ethan pursued me relentlessly, completely changing his wild ways to focus solely on me. It’s been five years, and supposedly, his love hadn’t faded. His actions had silenced all those who initially doubted and mocked me. Yeah, what would I do without him? Even I had never considered that possibility. So why make me so dependent on him, only to throw me away so cruelly? 2. It took us five years to go from being the couple nobody believed in to the universally acknowledged model pair. I was an orphan with no money or connections; he was the heir to a well-known, wealthy family. Everyone objected to us being together back then, but he insisted, clearing every obstacle in our path before making me his fiancée. He even risked falling out with his family for me, giving up his privileged life to start over from scratch. Even when the Hayes family pushed us into the tightest corner, he never let me suffer in the slightest. He was hitting roadblocks everywhere back then but still refused to listen to his parents and break up with me. So, the Hayes family turned their attention to me. They found me, wanting me to give up voluntarily. Ethan had already shouldered so much; how could I possibly give up? As long as I could be with the man I loved, I figured we could get through anything, even if it meant living like that forever. That's what I thought at the time. The Hayes family got desperate. If Ethan hadn't found me in time that afternoon, I might not be alive today. The blows landed on him with dull thuds, like relentless rain. He gritted his teeth and smiled at me. "It's okay, doesn't hurt at all... Don't cry." He held me securely in his arms, shielding me with his own body, creating a safe space for me. Later, he succeeded, and was accepted back into the family fold. Even though his schedule filled up with endless social obligations and frequent business trips lasting ten days to half a month, he’d thoughtfully bring back gifts and handwritten letters for me. All his social media profiles were filled with pictures of me, loudly and proudly declaring our relationship to the world. That’s when people started to change their tune, started to look at me with respect. They realized Ethan wasn't just playing around; he genuinely wanted to marry me. I had wondered, too, why Ethan Hayes would single me out. "When you like someone, you just do. Does there have to be a reason?" He had just washed his hair, and beneath the damp strands, his eyes were full of laughter. Later, things got heated in bed, and I forgot about the fleeting hesitation on his face when he answered. Actually, the signs were all there, I just instinctively ignored them. There aren't that many real-life Cinderella stories. I was just a replacement. The pillowcase wiped away the tear stains from my face. My nose tingled. "Hurry up and shower, let's get some sleep." "Yes, ma'am!" 3. The next morning, Ethan was home, which was rare. He was wearing grey loungewear, his long legs stretched out casually, holding a magazine. When I saw the name of the magazine, my expression dimmed slightly. Usually, when we traveled, I was the one who planned everything – time, place, itinerary. He wasn't the type to leisurely browse through travel guides. Seeing me, he casually flipped the magazine face down. "Why not sleep in a bit longer?" He had an indulgent smile on his face as he sighed and pulled me into his arms. "Have you been unhappy because I haven't spent much time with you lately? I sensed it last night." "It's been really busy. How about I take you on vacation when things calm down?" After five years together, Ethan was still very perceptive about my moods. "No, not at all." I pretended to be casual, picking up the magazine and pointing to the page he'd been staring at the longest. "Let's go here then. The scenery looks nice." It was a quiet island abroad, the picture dominated by shades of blue. It certainly looked like the perfect place for a couple's getaway. His expression didn't change as he smiled and ruffled my hair. "Of course, we can. But not right now, it's just too busy." Just as he finished speaking, a message alert came through on his phone. Ethan glanced at me before opening it. I gripped the corner of the magazine tightly, my voice almost pleading. "Work will never end. Just spend the next few days with me." Whatever the news was, he couldn't suppress the grin spreading across his face as he looked at his phone. "Hmm? What did you say?" It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. I let go of the magazine, my voice calm now. "I said, let's wait until you're done with work then." Ethan stood up and kissed me, his eyes filled with barely restrained joy. "We landed the Waterfront deal. I have to step out for a bit." He knew me well, and I knew him just as well. When it came to company business, he usually kept his emotions in check. Landing a property deal wouldn't make him this happy. I was sure his joy wasn't about the deal. I watched his retreating back, lost in thought. It turns out you can tell someone's mood just by looking at their back. Ethan must be really happy right now. Watching him turn out of the villa's garden, I grabbed my car keys and followed him. I'd never done anything like tailing someone before; I wasn't exactly skilled at it. But he, usually so cautious, didn't notice a thing. The destination wasn't far: a high-end gourmet grocery store. Standing near the entrance was a girl, constantly looking around, holding two large bags of groceries. Through my car window, I saw Ethan quickly get out of his car and expertly take the bags from her hands. The girl pouted, giving him a playful "what took you so long?" look. That expression… it felt strangely familiar. I stared intently at them, a bitter taste in my mouth. I watched as Ethan freed one hand to hold hers, being incredibly attentive as they crossed the street. In short, he treated her exactly the way he treated me. Their figures disappeared from sight long before I finally drove away. It was only on the way back that it dawned on me: the girl looked so much like I used to. No, it should be: I look like her. 4. In five years together, I could count the times I'd looked at his phone on one hand. Because we loved each other, we gave each other complete trust. But that one time, it felt like even fate couldn't stand it anymore and decided to give me a hint. He came home very late that night, reeking of alcohol, but unable to hide the excitement in his eyes. Infected by his mood, I smiled and asked him what was up. Ethan froze for a second, then hastily muttered, "Nothing." While he was showering, his phone, left on the nightstand, buzzed a few times. I hadn't intended to pay attention, but listening to the running water in the bathroom, possessed by some impulse, I unlocked it. After all these years, the password was still my birthday. The sweetness of that realization hadn't even settled in before irony slapped me in the face. The sender was listed in his contacts as "Sophia." "Are you getting serious about that Chloe?" "I'm just messing around with her. Are you jealous?" Then Ethan sent an emoji: a little bunny asking for a hug. It was one I often sent to him. Now he was sending it to another woman. "I'm just worried, you know." "Don't worry. You're the only one I've ever really loved." … Reading that last sentence, I felt like I'd been struck by lightning, completely frozen. They were all words I knew, but put together, they looked like blurry black dots. Fighting the sharp pain in my chest, my hand rapidly scrolled up the screen. Their chat history started a month ago. Ethan's first message was: "You finally decided to unblock me?" "Yeah. Giving you one chance to come see me now. Offer expires soon." June 8th, 5:45 PM. I remembered that time. I was just about to leave work. A nepo hire in my department had publicly mocked me, saying I was only with Ethan for his money, her words dripping with contempt. I was feeling down and wanted to ask him if he had plans that evening, if he could come home and be with me. But Ethan said he had an emergency business trip and wouldn't be back until the next morning. When he returned, he brought a huge bouquet of yellow roses and a diamond bracelet, and then spent the next three whole days with me. For the following half-month, he became incredibly busy again; I barely saw him except late at night. Ethan held me close, apologizing over and over. He said it was company dinners, heavy workload, and blamed himself for not being able to spend time with me. I comforted him, understood him, tried to be his calm harbor. But now I know, I wasn't the harbor; I was part of the "business" that needed entertaining. My fingers ached from scrolling. Over that month, they chatted far more frequently than I'd imagined. From 'good morning' to 'good night,' detailing every meal, interspersed with memories unique to their past. They were like a couple madly in love, sharing every little detail of their lives. From their chats, I pieced together their history. They were high school sweethearts; Sophia was Ethan's first love. The Hayes family wouldn't allow a girl with no beneficial family connections to marry in, so they used some tactics to send Sophia abroad. Without outstanding skills, Sophia struggled overseas and ended up marrying quickly. And the time she got married coincided exactly with when Ethan began his intense pursuit of me. Later, Sophia came back. Ethan specifically chose a condo for her, very close to that gourmet grocery store. They even got a cat and a dog together. He would deliberately make time to take them for vaccinations. Even though he was allergic to cat and dog fur. Matching the dates, my heart sank like a stone. The sound of the shower stopped. I marked the messages as unread and put the phone back where it was. The last message from Sophia was about having period cramps and asking if Ethan could come over and keep her company. I wanted to see what he would do.
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