Chapter 1

When I was choosing a husband, my criteria were simple. Aside from being decent and gentle, there were two non-negotiable rules: he couldn't smoke, and he couldn't drink.

So, I married Ethan Miller, a guy I met on a blind date who claimed to be severely allergic to alcohol.

We had been married for three years. While we were trying for a baby, I accompanied him to his high school reunion.

At the dinner table, everyone was rowdy, pressuring Chloe Carter, the former high school prom queen, to drink.

Only Ethan and I sat quietly, keeping out of the drama.

But then, she looked at us, her eyes pleading for help.

I hesitated for a second, about to say something, when Ethan’s voice rang out beside me.

He, a man who had never touched a drop of alcohol since I met him, suddenly spoke up.

"Alright, guys, stop making things hard for Chloe. I'll drink it for her."

My face froze, and my fork hovered in mid-air.

But within a second, I forced my expression back to normal.

I tried to tell myself he was just being a gentleman, stepping in to save Chloe from an awkward situation.

Even though I didn't want him to drink, I didn't think there was anything wrong with being polite.

But knowing his allergy, I was just about to warn him when a sly laugh erupted from the crowd.

"Wow, ten years have passed, and Ethan still can't stand seeing anyone pick on Chloe."

"Right? I still remember graduation night. After Chloe rejected his confession, Ethan got so wasted!"

"Now that you mention it, I remember too! He ended up in the ER and almost died. He scared the hell out of us!"

Listening to their nostalgic chatter, my mind drifted back.

When I first met Ethan on that blind date, he told me he was allergic to alcohol. I had casually asked him how he found out.

What had Ethan said back then?

He said that when he was a kid, he accidentally mistook his dad’s straight whiskey for water.

He was rushed to the hospital immediately.

Since then, he had never touched alcohol again.

I had laughed at the story back then, thinking it was kind of cute.

I didn't realize that from the very beginning, he had lied to me.

When I snapped back to reality, someone finally noticed my existence.

One of his classmates smiled apologetically at me. "Hey, Valerie, don't be mad. We haven't seen each other in forever. We're just joking around to liven up the mood."

"Right, Ethan? Chloe?"

Hearing this, I turned my head to look at Ethan.

He didn't dare to look me in the eye. He just quickly chimed in.

"Yeah, guys, don't take it too far. Let's forget about the drink."

But before he could put the glass down, Chloe stood up and raised hers.

"Stop talking nonsense, guys. Ethan is married now. I'll drink this myself."

"Consider this a toast to Ethan. I couldn't make it to your wedding, and I've always regretted that."

"To be honest, I only came to this reunion because of Ethan. I didn't know he was already married."

"I was thinking... if you were still single, Ethan, this time, I would be the one pursuing you."

The room fell dead silent.

I gripped my fork tightly, meeting Chloe's eyes.

I instantly caught the fleeting flash of provocation in her gaze.

Right then, Ethan’s awkward voice sounded next to me.

"I’ve been married for three years. Stop joking around!"

He didn't sound like he was explaining. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

I was sensitive enough to catch the slight tremor of emotion in his tone.

So, Chloe's words had actually touched his heart?

The others also picked up on Chloe’s obvious hint. Yet, not a single person in that room cared about my feelings.

Seeing my cold face, they tried to smooth things over.

"Valerie, Chloe is just talking. Don't take it seriously."

"You and Ethan have such a great relationship. You won't get mad over a little joke, right?"

Those words felt like a trap.

It was as if if I got angry, I would be the bad guy.

But why on earth should I tolerate this?

Before I could speak, Ethan, nudged by his classmates, finally realized I was upset.

He turned to face me.

In a gentle, pleading voice, he said, "Valerie, I know you don't like drinking, but could you please help me drink this glass? You sometimes drink for work anyway. One glass is nothing to you."

I didn't like alcohol, but indeed, my job sometimes required me to have a drink or two.

He was right. One glass was nothing to me.

In fact, I had briefly thought about stepping in to help him.

But the moment he tried to push his self-proclaimed heroism onto me, I wanted to laugh.

He wanted to play the hero, but when he got scared, he tried to throw me under the bus.

There was no way in hell I was going to let him have it both ways.

I smiled and stood up.

At the exact same time, one of his classmates spoke up.

The classmate said, "I knew Valerie was cool!"

But I said, "How is one glass enough? Ethan, since you want to drink for her so badly, why don't you drink ten?"

The room fell dead silent again.