Chapter 4

Chloe rushed into the room, her eyes filled with panic and heartbreak when she saw me.

She immediately knelt down, using her designer sleeve to gently wipe the blood from my face, completely ignoring the dirt and blood staining her expensive clothes.

She rushed me to the hospital. Throughout the entire ride and the medical exams, I didn't say a single word to her. She, on the other hand, kept asking me questions with frantic concern.

As I lay in the hospital bed with my eyes closed, she called her personal chef to prepare a gourmet meal and deliver it to my room. She even hired a team of private specialists to monitor my recovery.

Before leaving, the nurse looked at me with envy. She practically wanted to tell me how lucky I was to have such a caring wife.

Once the room was quiet, I calmly pulled out my phone. "Hello, 911? I'd like to report an assault. I was..."

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past, and my phone was snatched out of my hand. Chloe forcefully ended the call.

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

She bit her lip, trying to explain. "Ethan, Liam's apartment was broken into recently, and he felt unsafe. Since you've been staying at the hospital with David, I allowed his parents to temporarily stay in that apartment."

"As for them calling me their daughter-in-law, that's completely a misunderstanding. I made it clear to Liam a long time ago that my only husband is Ethan Hayes. Nobody can replace you. Liam is just a toy. My heart belongs to you, and I will always come back to you! What happened today was Liam's fault for not controlling his parents. I'll make him come here and apologize to you. But calling the police... there's really no need for that, right?"

Every word out of her mouth was protecting Liam.

I clenched my fists under the blanket and laughed bitterly. "Chloe, that was our home. But you let complete strangers barge in and take it over. What am I to you? Since you care about him so much, let's get a divorce. I'll step aside and make room for the two of you."

When my dad was run over, she told me to endure it.

When I was beaten in my own home, she still wanted me to endure it!

Her face went pale, and she rushed to hold my hand. "I won't divorce you! I love you so much, Ethan. How could I ever divorce you? I told you, he is just a plaything."

Bang.

The door was pushed open, cutting her off.

Liam rushed into the room, and the moment he saw me, he fell to his knees by my bed. "Ethan, it's all my fault! If you want to blame someone, blame me! Please don't punish my parents. I'm begging you!"

Seeing him on his knees, Chloe immediately went to pull him up.

"Liam, what are you doing? Get up! Don't worry, as long as I'm here, nobody is going to touch your parents!"

Liam hugged Chloe tightly, looking at me over her shoulder with a mocking, triumphant smirk.

Before they left, Liam pretended to have a panic attack again, forcing Chloe to leave with him.

Liam's endless provocations finally pushed me over the edge. I called out to Chloe just as she reached the door.

My eyes were red with hatred as I spat out every single word. "Chloe, I meant what I said. I want a divorce!"

Chloe froze, her expression exhausted, but she still didn't take my words seriously. She thought I was just using "divorce" as a tantrum to get her attention, just like before. "Ethan, Liam is still young and emotionally fragile. Don't take his words to heart. Let me take him home first, and I'll be back later tonight."

After she left, I buried my face in my hands, tears silently streaming down my cheeks.

In the middle of the night, I fell into a feverish sleep.

My body felt incredibly hot, and I kicked the blanket off.

Feeling a sudden cool touch beside me, I subconsciously reached toward it. The coolness slid closer, wrapping around my burning body.

I couldn't help but groan.

It was a night of pure, drug-induced madness.

When I finally opened my eyes the next morning, I saw a completely unfamiliar female face next to me. I gasped, freezing in shock.

But then, a familiar voice drifted from the sofa across the room.

"How are you feeling, Ethan? Any better? I told you, you just needed a physical release. It's such a shame I promised Liam that I wouldn't let any other man touch me for these six months, including you."