After I accidentally fell asleep during our third movie date, my boyfriend finally got angry. "Chloe, what is going on with you lately? Why are you always so checked out?" "I told you, once Mia’s baby is born, I will marry you." "When the time comes, I’ll give you the grandest wedding. We’ll invite all our friends and family. What more could you possibly want?!" Hearing these worn-out lines, I thought I would turn hysterical like I used to. But surprisingly, my heart felt completely calm. I gently bit down on the popping boba in my drink. On one hand, I realized my therapist was right—sweets really do improve your mood. On the other hand, I spoke softly, choosing my words carefully: "Ethan, the movie I wanted you to watch with me is over." "And us… we're over, too." 1. Ethan’s rising impatience and anger dissipated in an instant. He seemed unable to comprehend the meaning of my words, asking blankly: "What did you say?" "I said, let's break up." "You can finally marry Mia like you've always wanted." I curled my lips into a smile, wanting to make this goodbye somewhat dignified. But Ethan’s voice suddenly darkened. "Chloe, stop making a scene." "Mia is my best friend's woman. She and the baby in her belly are the last things he left behind in this world. How could I possibly betray my brother like that?" "As long as Mia’s baby is born safely, my mission is complete. After that, I’ll take you anywhere you want for our honeymoon." "Didn't you want to go to Aspen to see the snow? I'll take you... Just do it for me, can you compromise this one last time?" His voice softened. "Chloe, don't you love me the most?" Because of that one line—"Don't you love me the most?"—I had compromised countless times. Because of Mia, our wedding date had been continuously postponed. Because of her body image anxiety, I was forced to throw away all my makeup and smash all my mirrors. Even during her first pregnancy, she had the nerve to call my mother, provocatively asking her for parenting advice. Yet, when he first confessed his feelings to me, he clearly said: "Chloe, be with me. You are the person I love most, and I will never let you suffer any grievances." Just like right now, a call from Mia came in. "Ethan! The baby says he wants something sweet! Hurry up and buy a small cake from that bakery on the West Side and bring it over!" Seeing Ethan's brow furrow again, I knew he was trying to come up with a new excuse to persuade me. But I had heard too many; I didn't want to hear anymore. Behind every unique excuse was actually the exact same reason: Mia was more important than me. I tossed the popcorn bucket into the trash can and said: "Go. Don't keep her waiting." As soon as I stepped into the elevator, Mia’s messages started popping up one after another. Even through the text, I could feel her malice. [Sister, I'm so sorry! Did I interrupt your date? ~] [It's just that I haven't had a little cake in so long. Besides, Ethan has already kept you company for two whole hours, that's enough, right? His most important job right now is to take good care of me so I can deliver this baby safely!] She knew I could never withstand this kind of provocation. Every time she sent me a message like this, I would fight hysterically with Ethan. I would curse at him without a filter, yelling until he was exhausted, until he lost any desire to communicate with me. Cursing him until he went to Mia to complain. Then she could justifiably be "understanding" of Ethan’s hardships. But now, looking at that text, I felt very calm. I even had the mood to reply to her: [Have the baby safely, so it can call Ethan 'Daddy.'] Less than a minute after the message was sent, Ethan’s call came through. "What nonsense are you saying to Mia?!" Ethan sounded furious. "I promised I'd bring her dessert on my way back. If you have a problem, take it out on me! Mia is pregnant. If you say things like that to provoke her, what if she does something drastic?" "Can't you just be a little more understanding?" After saying that, he seemed to realize he had lost control and quickly softened his tone. "Chloe, I'm not taking my anger out on you. It's just that Mia has depression. After her husband died, she can't stand to hear the word 'Daddy.'" "I'm begging you, call Mia and apologize. Let's stabilize the pregnant woman's emotions first, and we can discuss the rest later, okay?" He thought my words were too harsh, but he never scrolled up to see what Mia had said to me. Without a shred of hesitation, I said: "I won't apologize." Perhaps noticing that my tone was different from usual, Ethan sighed. "I know you felt wronged today. How about I take you to try on wedding dresses tonight? I've already booked the whole boutique. You can try them on for as long as you want, and I'll stay with you the whole time, okay?" Listening to his increasingly confident tone, It was as if he was certain I would compromise yet again for this long-awaited wedding. I finally laughed out loud. "Ethan, do you have amnesia?" "I just said, we are already broken up." It wasn't spoken out of anger, nor was it sarcasm. I genuinely felt that he was no longer worth it. 2. I stayed outside by myself for a long time. I went to the psychiatrist and picked up some medication. Before I left, the doctor asked me: "Have you still been dreaming about your mother lately?" I lowered my eyes and nodded slightly. The doctor understood and said comfortingly: "Take it slowly. At least now, you won't be tortured by the past so painfully anymore." "Congratulations on successfully walking away from a relationship." I smiled and went home with my medication. But all along the way, I couldn't stop thinking about what my mother looked like. Her eyes that were always smiling, her heart that always thought of others, the agony of a healer who couldn't heal herself. When I pushed open the door to my house, I saw Ethan sitting on the sofa. I was a bit surprised. After all, Ethan and I had been separated for a long time, and he never visited me here without a reason. In Ethan’s own words: "It's good that you want to move out. Your condition lately has been terrible, causing the whole house to be on edge, especially Mia." "Go out and reflect on yourself. Once you've thought things through and figured it out, you can move back in." Ethan took a few quick steps towards me, his voice laced with lingering fear. "I called you so many times, but you never answered. I went out looking for you for a long time. I thought..." I knew what he wanted to say. He probably thought I would do something desperate like I did a month ago, trying to jump into the river to end my life. I turned, bypassed him, and walked straight inside. Ethan followed behind me, his tone somewhat downcast. "Why didn't you answer the phone? Chloe, you never used to be like this." "Do you know how anxious I was when I suddenly couldn't reach you? I was really worried about you." I didn't answer, treating his words like empty air. When I got up to head back to the bedroom, the long-ignored Ethan finally couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed my hand. "Chloe, you know I'm caught in the middle and it's hard for me too. Why won't you be a little more understanding?" "When Auntie passed away... you know what it feels like to lose someone important. How could you ask me to just abandon a mother and her child?!" Hearing this, I couldn't stand it any longer and fiercely swatted his hand away. I looked at him, my voice freezing cold. "Ethan, what right do you have to say that?" "What right do you have to bring up my mom?" If it weren't for my mother's kind-heartedness in taking him in, he would have frozen to death in the bitter snow years ago. Back then, he promised he would definitely repay my mother's kindness, promised he would definitely take good care of me. But his so-called repayment was helping Mia book an appointment with my mother, who was a top specialist. It was letting Mia smugly say right in front of her: "The baby's father passed away early, but luckily he has a good buddy who has been helping us out during this time." At that time, my mom didn't know anything. When she recounted this to me, she was even lamenting how hard it must be for Mia. "But that buddy of his is truly decent. To treat this girl so well, he must have some genuine feelings for her." The apple I was halfway through peeling suddenly dropped to the floor, and after that, I couldn't hear anything clearly. That night, Ethan and I had a massive fight. "Chloe, I just felt that Auntie is the most authoritative OB-GYN in the whole hospital. You can't strip Mia of her right to seek medical care, can you?!" Fighting the urge to cry, I said sternly: "Do you know what she told my mom?! If my mom knew that 'buddy' was you, what would she think?!" Ethan's body stiffened, and he fell silent. The next day, he transferred Mia to another specialist's roster and intentionally kept his distance from her. We silently agreed never to bring this up again. Later, when my mom fell ill and was hospitalized, he would also come over to help take care of her. Looking at Ethan then, her eyes were full of pride. "Ethan is a good kid. Handing you over to him, I feel at peace..." As she spoke, tears fell. I knew what the words she left unsaid were. She had handed me over to the person she trusted most. That way, I wouldn't follow in her footsteps. I wouldn't be betrayed by a man like she was, abandoned and left to raise a child alone and helpless. I gave a bitter smile, tucked her in, and said nothing. The next day, a sobbing sound came from my mom's hospital room. I pushed the door open and saw Mia kneeling on the floor, begging my mom to give her blessing to her and Ethan. "My husband is dead, I only have him left!" "You've been a doctor your whole life, do you have the heart to watch me and my child be left with no one to rely on?..." Tears slid from the corners of my mom's eyes. She couldn't say a single word; only the monitor beeped incessantly. Ethan rushed in and quickly called the doctors to resuscitate my mom. Mia was also locked away in a psychiatric hospital by him. He held me as I cried my eyes out, apologizing endlessly, slapping himself. But my mother could never be resuscitated again. The day I went to the hospital to collect my mom's belongings. I passed by a hospital room and saw a beaming Mia inside. And sitting next to her, meticulously peeling fruit for her, was Ethan. In that instant, I felt like I had been struck by lightning. It turned out Mia had never been committed to a psychiatric hospital. In fact, under Ethan's protection, she was living even more comfortably and happily. A sharp pain tore through my abdomen, and unable to bear it any longer, I fainted at the door of the hospital room. When I woke up, Ethan was holding my hands in a death grip, crying like a child: "Chloe, the doctor said... you have a threatened miscarriage..." I stared blankly at the ceiling. In that moment, I realized that the gamble I had placed entirely on Ethan was a complete loss. Between him and me, there was absolutely no possibility anymore. 3. The air seemed to freeze. Ethan and I stood in silence, neither of us speaking. After a long time, he slapped himself hard across the face. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I... I got too emotional... It's just that I'm so tired too. I thought you could understand me..." I twitched the corners of my mouth coldly. "Splitting your heart in two, of course you'd be tired." Ethan froze in place, his expression awkward and helpless. "Chloe, listen to me explain..." I didn't wait for him to finish. I shoved a box packed with all the things related to him into his arms and kicked him right out the door. The next day, I went to the hospital to pick up my medical report and happened to run into Ethan, who was there to pick up Mia’s prenatal checkup results. He blocked my path, insisting on giving me a ride. I looked at the dreary, rainy weather outside and didn't refuse. But when I arrived at my doorstep, I found the front door open. A bad feeling surged up, and I immediately pushed the door and went in. It was Mia! She was standing in front of my mother's shrine, holding my mother's portrait in her hands. Before I could even scream "No," the portrait was smashed to pieces right in front of me. I forgot about everything else, shoved Mia aside, and fell to my knees amidst the shattered glass. A massive scratch marred the kind smile on the photo, slicing my mother's face right down the middle. Mia spat in my direction, pointing at me and screaming: "Stop pretending! You already initiated the breakup but you're still stringing Ethan along. Playing the victim while acting like a slut, aren't you a cheap bitch!" "Mia, shut up!" Ethan rushed over. Seeing the scene, he slapped Mia across the face without asking any questions. "Who told you to come here! How dare you touch this photo!" Mia looked at him in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. "Ethan, you dare hit me?!" Ethan ignored her and hurried over to help me up. "Chloe, you're bleeding! Be a good girl, don't touch these..." I ignored the pain of the glass piercing my skin. All my grievances and resentment erupted in this instant, and I started hitting Ethan like a madwoman. "You bastards! Why don't you just go to hell!" With my bloodied fingers, I carefully scooped up the torn and battered photo. That was the last photo of my mother left in this world... Tears poured down my face, and I screamed hoarsely at Ethan: "I already agreed to break up with you! What more do you want?!" "Why! Why won't you even spare my mother?!" "Ethan, do you really have to torture me like this?!" With red-rimmed eyes, Ethan helped me pick the shards of glass out of my flesh. "Chloe, it's not like that... Please, don't say things like that..." Finally, my vision went black, and I lost all consciousness. 4. I had a very long dream. In the dream, my mom never brought Ethan home. It was just the two of us, supporting each other. Our life was ordinary but happy. But gradually, all the images started flipping and twisting, eventually freezing on the floor covered in shattered glass, and the torn portrait. I cried out "Mom," and woke up to find only a cold hospital bed. And by the bed, holding my hand but afraid to look at me, was Ethan. "Chloe, how are you feeling?..." I didn't have a shred of energy to answer. I just asked hoarsely: "Where is my mom's photo? Give it back to me." Ethan pressed his lips together, looking even guiltier than before. "Chloe, Auntie's photo... I'll figure out a way to restore a copy..." Looking at his face, I vaguely guessed what had happened. "What did Mia do to my mom's photo?" Ethan squeezed my hand: "Chloe..." "Tell me!" Ethan's voice was very quiet: "Chloe, Mia was just triggered. She didn't mean to destroy the photo on purpose..." "I promise you, I'll try every possible way to restore it..." "Ethan," I interrupted him. "Do you remember where this portrait came from?" Ethan's body trembled. He lowered his head, and besides endless "I'm sorry"s, he couldn't say another word. "My mom guessed the relationship between you and Mia, fell seriously ill, and was hospitalized." "That day, keeping it a secret from everyone, she left me a letter and a portrait. That was the last thing she gave me." "That letter was filled with how sorry she was to me, how she shouldn't have blindly entrusted me to you." "But Ethan, what did my mom do wrong?" "She just wanted her daughter to be happy..." Holding me, Ethan practically begged: "Chloe, don't be like this... I'm begging you..." The next second, the door to the hospital room suddenly burst open. A young nurse panicked: "This is bad! The pregnant woman in bed 23 ran up to the roof! She said if she doesn't see her boyfriend, she's going to jump!" Ethan's body jolted violently. He instinctively stood up, then seemed to realize something and looked back at me. "Chloe..." I completely lost the energy to respond to him. I closed my eyes and completely ignored him. Ethan froze for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "Chloe, wait for me. I'll be right back!" He turned and rushed out without looking back. I picked up my phone and called my psychiatrist. "Do me one last favor." ... By the time Ethan managed to calm Mia down, it was completely dark outside. He pushed open the door to my hospital room, but it was empty. A bad premonition washed over him, and he uncontrollably called out my name. Just then, a message from an unknown number popped up on his phone. Ethan quickly opened it. It was a medical diagnosis certificate. Seeing clearly what was written on it, Ethan could no longer maintain his composure and let out a devastating, anguished roar.
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