Ethan Vance’s first love was a lunatic. She’d follow us when we ate, and threaten to jump from a building when we dated. Several times I suggested calling the police, but Ethan always urged me to endure it. He’d say Serena Bellwether was young and naive, telling me not to bother with a crazy person. Until the day of our engagement party, Serena snuck in past security. She tore my wedding dress and smashed my champagne tower. Then she pushed me, three months pregnant, down the stairs. This time, Ethan finally exploded. Ignoring all explanations, he sent her directly to a psychiatric hospital. I thought our days of trouble were finally over. But that very night, Serena, who should have been in the hospital, appeared downstairs at my house. Under the cherry blossom trees, their petals flying everywhere. The girl who had abandoned him years ago asked him with tear-filled eyes. “Ethan, you still love me, don’t you?” “Your engagement party played my favorite music.” “Your fiancée wore the wedding dress I designed, and you went to my favorite restaurant for dates.” “Even near your house, my favorite cherry blossoms are planted.” “Ethan, open your eyes and look at me! I refuse to believe you’ve truly moved on!” Ethan hadn’t moved on. He fell silent for only three seconds before lowering his head and kissing her. He kissed her with a desperate, almost savage intensity, as if to vent all his pent-up frustrations. Only after completely releasing the resentment in his heart did he let go, his eyes still red. “Yes, I can’t let go.” “But Serena, what makes you think I, Ethan, a man of my standing, would marry someone who abandoned me like discarded goods?” Serena didn’t answer. She simply rose on her toes and kissed him. Ethan’s body stiffened for a moment. Just when I thought he would push her away, He, his eyes red, pulled her into his car. Under the night sky, the car rocked violently. What the two did was obvious. And I was so disgusted I couldn’t speak. Dating for ten years, I always knew Ethan had a crazy first love. That person was obsessive, willful, and unreasonable. She left him when he was at his lowest, then relentlessly hounded him to come back after he’d rebuilt his life. Every time Serena appeared, Ethan would tell me with an impatient look, “She’s just a lunatic, why bother with her?” But now, he was entangled with that lunatic. My stomach churned violently. I stumbled to the bathroom and threw up until I saw stars. I don’t know how long I was sick before Ethan finally returned. He was straightening his rumpled clothes, creased from Serena’s embrace. Seeing me, he immediately rushed to my side. “What’s wrong, Chloe? Is it a lingering effect from what happened earlier today?” “Don’t be scared, I’ll take you to the hospital right now.” He draped his jacket over me and helped me walk out. But the scent of his cologne, mingling with hers, only made me more nauseous. I roughly pushed Ethan’s hand away, unable to bear his touch. Ethan thought I was still angry about the day’s events. His expression grew impatient. “Chloe, you’ve always been so understanding, haven’t you?” “Why are you still angry with me about what happened today? Serena is just crazy, don’t stoop to her level. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, okay?” Make it up to me how? By punishing her in the car again? Or by making her his mistress, to humiliate her? I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Ethan stood beside me for a while. Feeling bored, he quietly walked out. Sleep was impossible. I stared blankly at the ceiling.
My mind was filled with images of them kissing. I thought and thought, still feeling a deep sense of injustice. I wanted to confront Ethan and get to the bottom of it. As I reached the study door, Ethan was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. His eyes were fixed on the direction Serena had left. In his hand was the ring Serena had given him years ago. I suddenly recalled Serena’s words. I turned and looked around. Pink curtains, juvenile decor, cherry blossoms everywhere. This was supposed to be our marital home, paid for and decorated by me, yet there wasn’t a single thing that suited my taste. It was like how I disliked light music and Western food. Yet Ethan would still, without fail, take me to that high-end Western restaurant. At first, I thought Ethan simply didn’t understand these things. Now, looking back, he wasn’t ignorant. He had simply woven all his love and longing for Serena into the fabric of our shared life. The answer was painfully clear, no need to ask further. I wiped away my tears, a bitter understanding settling in my heart. Just as I was about to turn back, I accidentally knocked over a nearby vase, shattering it. The sharp crash of the vase startled Ethan, making him turn around abruptly. The ring in his hand rolled to my feet. I instinctively bent down to pick it up. The man, who had just been full of melancholy, suddenly rushed over. Roughly, he snatched the ring from my hand. “Why are you touching my things!” The edge of the ring cut a deep gash into my palm. The wound was deep, but I didn’t feel the pain. Perhaps, I had grown accustomed to it. When we first started dating, Ethan had also lost his temper with me over this ring. I thought the ring was ugly. I felt that its cheap, childish craftsmanship didn’t suit his businessman’s demeanor. But he insisted it was his lucky charm, and no one was allowed to touch it. A lucky charm? No, it was plainly a memento of his longing. I glanced at Ethan’s bare finger, a bitter smile touching my lips. “Ethan, where’s our wedding ring?” As if remembering something, Ethan’s angry expression softened a little, and he lowered his voice. “I forgot. Maybe I left it at the engagement party.” He didn’t forget. Serena threw it away. I saw it with my own eyes tonight. He had carefully cherished the ring Serena gave him for ten years. Yet, he casually tossed my wedding ring by the roadside. “Forget it then, it’s not important anyway.” Ethan sighed. Just as I was about to turn away, he suddenly gripped my hand. I thought he had noticed the cut on my hand. The next second, I heard him say casually, “Chloe, let’s just cancel our wedding. We can just sign the papers.” “You’ve seen Serena’s condition.” “She has mental health issues and can’t handle any kind of stress.” It was the same excuse again. The first time, Ethan and I were on a date. Serena followed us to the restaurant and put something in my food. I was sick with severe vomiting and diarrhea for days, almost ending up in the hospital with dehydration. Ethan said she was just young and naive, telling me not to bother with her. The second time, on our anniversary. Serena threatened to commit suicide by jumping off a building if he didn’t return to her. Ethan said she just couldn’t accept us being together. The third, fourth, fifth time… She killed my pet kitten, threw away my competition entry. Every time, Ethan would tell me, “She’s just a lunatic, why bother arguing with a crazy person?” “We just need to be more careful in the future not to provoke her.”
Back then, I didn’t realize the indulgence hidden in his words. Looking back now, he must have been enjoying all of it. Enjoyment led to indulgence. His affection made him willing. My efforts and presence were just a cruel game in their twisted relationship. My heart ached intensely, and I recoiled from Ethan’s touch. The fresh blood from my palm dripped onto the floor with my movements. Ethan finally noticed my injury, and his expression instantly became tense. “How did this happen?” “Honestly, you’re impossible. Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” I had told him, but no one cared. Once, I was attacked by one of Ethan’s enemies, and the situation was critical. I called him dozens of times, but he never answered. It wasn’t until I was in the hospital that I found out: Serena had deliberately led them to me. She even faked being sick to take Ethan’s phone and block all my messages. Because of that incident, I lost our first child. Ethan felt deeply guilty after learning the truth. But when I truly demanded he punish Serena, His guilt turned into impatience. I should have understood then. The person he truly loved was never me. And those who aren’t loved never get the luxury of being willful. Thankfully, I understood now, and it wasn’t too late. I pulled my hand away and, under Ethan’s gaze, tended to my own wound. Ethan watched me for a long time. His eyes held tenderness, guilt. And a hint of something I couldn’t quite decipher. But I no longer wanted to be entangled with him. Before Ethan could speak again, I turned away first. “It’s nothing serious. Get some sleep.” “Tomorrow, we still have to clean up the mess Serena left behind.” Ethan, feeling guilty and unsure how to comfort me, Hesitated for a long time, then only sighed softly. “Alright, get some rest.” “Since you don’t want to see me, I’ll sleep in the study tonight.” “If you need anything from me, remember to let me know anytime.” No need. From now on, I wouldn’t need him anymore. Back in my room, I cancelled our planned honeymoon trip and called my mom, who was overseas. After listening to my story, Mom sighed deeply. “I told you from the start that Ethan wasn’t reliable, but you wouldn’t believe me.” “Now look, you’ve suffered, haven’t you?” “Forget it, come back when you’ve had enough. Your father and I miss you terribly.” “Don’t be too sad, wounds always heal.” Yes, wounds always heal. Just as my feelings for him would eventually subside. I looked at the plane ticket Mom had sent me. My heart ached, and tears fell uncontrollably. For myself, and for the past ten years. I spent a sleepless night. By the time I woke up, Ethan had already left. On the living room coffee table lay a brand-new diamond ring. He was always like this. Every time Serena caused trouble, he would offer me some form of compensation. Flowers, bags, diamond rings. But he would never send Serena away. If they truly couldn’t let go of each other, then I’d grant them their wish. I packed my things and headed to the hospital alone. Halfway there, a red sports car suddenly swerved and hit me. I couldn’t react in time and was thrown hard to the ground. In an instant, the world spun. Excruciating pain radiated from all over my body, spreading to my very core.
I struggled to lift my head and look. The driver was Serena Bellwether. She emerged from the driver’s seat, her face impassive, and stomped hard on my lower abdomen. “You wretched bitch, using your pregnancy to steal my Ethan!” “Today, I’ll kill this bastard, and Ethan will be mine again!” Large gushes of blood poured from between my legs. The pain made my tears stream down. I wanted to tell her that I didn’t want Ethan anymore. In a few hours, I would leave and never return. I wanted to beg her to call the hospital. My body was too fragile to endure any more hardship. But the intense pain made me unable to speak. Serena’s face grew increasingly twisted. Just as I thought I was about to pass out, Ethan suddenly rushed over and pushed her away. They started arguing. But I couldn’t hear anything anymore. My world blurred into a hazy illusion. Love, Ethan, the child. Along with the scattered cherry blossoms on the ground. Everything vanished without a trace. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital. The baby was gone. Though I had prepared myself for the possibility of losing him, I never imagined it would happen in such a brutal way. Ethan displayed the same remorse as before. He held my hand, offering soft words of comfort. “I never thought Serena would be so impulsive.” “This time, I promise I’ll teach her a lesson.” A lesson? Forget it. Without Ethan’s indulgence, how would Serena dare to go this far? He could never bring himself to truly punish Serena. Just as he never truly cared about me. My heart was already numb from the pain. I closed my eyes, touching my flat abdomen. “This is the second one.” “What?” Ethan had forgotten. This was our second child, lost at Serena’s hands. He always habitually ignored everything related to me. Ignoring the love I had for him, which was slowly withering away. This time, I refused to endure it any longer. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at Ethan. “I’m calling the police.” “I want Serena to face the consequences of her actions!” “That’s impossible!” Ethan quickly pulled his hand away. “You’ll ruin her life if you do that!” “Then who will be responsible for mine?!” The pain in my body spread to my heart. I was trembling all over. “The doctors said my body has been so severely damaged that I might never be able to have children again!” “Who can give back everything I’ve lost?!” Serena couldn’t, and neither could Ethan. He couldn’t even answer the question. He could only, after a long silence, slowly say, “Serena only did this because she loves me too much.” “You’re about to become Mrs. Vance, so don’t stoop to her level over these issues.” I didn’t argue then because of love. I loved him so much that I didn’t want to make things difficult for him. But now, that love was gone. All my devotion and love for Ethan had died under the cherry blossoms that night. I refused to cling to the empty title of Mrs. Vance, trading it for a pitiful scrap of sympathy. After Ethan left, I called the police. At 4 PM, Serena was arrested by the police. At 5 PM, Ethan had her bailed out. At 5:10 PM, Ethan sent me a message. “Why did you call the police? Do you know how much this has hurt Serena?” “She was so traumatized at the police station, crying non-stop. You need to come over and apologize to her immediately!” I didn’t reply. At 5:20 PM, Ethan sent another message. “If you don’t come, I’ll have to comfort her physically.”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “417031”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster
Leave a Reply