Chapter 2

I walked quickly toward the main gate. Ethan suddenly grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it made me stumble.

He squeezed my wrist, and the pain shot up to my bones.

"Can you give me some face in front of my family? Stop acting so crazy!"

"Whatever you want to eat, I'll have the driver go buy it after dinner. And I'll go shopping with you later, okay?"

His tone softened, as if he was making the ultimate compromise.

I laughed. Everything came after his sister. What was I to him?

I yanked my hand away, looking at my bruised red wrist.

I let out a cold laugh. "No thanks, Mr. Miller."

Without hesitation, I turned and left. This time, Ethan didn't chase after me.

Behind me, I heard Lily's smug, mocking voice.

"Ethan, is she crazy? We’re siblings, and she’s out here imagining we’re hooking up. Talk about paranoia!"

Ethan's mother sighed too. "Ethan, is this really the kind of girl you like? She has a terrible temper. She’ll only cause trouble for you in the future."

Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, then threw his arm around Lily's shoulder, walking her toward the dining room.

"Mom, stop it. I'm sick of it. Just leave her. If she wants to leave, let her."

"Come on, Lily. Let’s go get that lobster pasta you love."

Tears finally spilled over. I held them back until I got into a cab, and then I completely broke down.

For this man, I had turned down a stable job my parents arranged for me, moving to his city all by myself.

We had been dating for three years. I thought our love was unbreakable.

I was such a fool!

The moment I got back to our shared apartment, I started packing my things.

For two whole days, Ethan didn't call or text me once.

I resisted the urge to be weak and reach out to him. I started planning my life again.

I messaged an HR manager at a company I had previously rejected, asking if the Director's Assistant position was still open.

They replied quickly, saying the position was still open, and asked when I could start.

I set the date for next Monday.

Just when I thought this chapter was closed and I was ready to start anew, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door. Ethan stood there holding a massive bouquet of blue roses, though his face showed very little genuine remorse.

"Surprise!" He forced a stiff smile, thrusting the flowers forward as if completing a chore.

"Babe, I'm here to apologize. Forgive me, okay?" As he spoke, his eyes peered over my shoulder into the apartment, as if checking for something.

Before I could even say a word, Lily suddenly popped out from behind him.

She shoved an elegant gift box into my hands and smiled sweetly. "Hazel, don't be mad anymore. If a woman is always angry, she gets wrinkles."

With that, she slipped on a pair of slippers as if she owned the place and walked right in.

Those were the favorite fluffy slippers Ethan had bought for me.

Ethan immediately followed her in, not even glancing at me, his focus entirely on Lily. "Slow down, don't trip."

He pulled me to the couch. "Babe, look, Lily came all this way just to apologize to you."

He opened the gift box, revealing a necklace with a massive, blinding diamond.

"You stared at the 'Heart of the Ocean' at the auction last time, so I bought it for you. Do you like it?"

My heart skipped a beat. Before I could process it, he stepped behind me and draped the cold necklace around my neck.

"So beautiful," he murmured, his warm breath brushing against my ear. "It suits you perfectly."

Lily, who had been standing aside silently, suddenly spoke up, her voice laced with a perfect touch of envy. "Hazel is so lucky. Ethan is so good to you. I’m almost jealous."

She stepped closer, staring intently at the necklace on my neck. She pouted, her eyes welling with tears. "Ethan, I've grown up with you, and you’ve never bought me such an expensive gift. At the auction, I told you I loved the 'Heart of the Ocean', but you pretended not to hear..."

The tenderness on Ethan's face instantly froze, replaced by guilt and indulgence for his sister.

He coaxed, "Be good, Lily. Next time there's something nice, I'll buy it for you first."

"I don't want a next time. I want this one," Lily whined, reaching out to pull my arm. "Hazel, you have the kindest heart. Can I just borrow this necklace for a bit? Just for a second, to see how it looks on me... please?"

"I—"

Before I could finish, Ethan frowned impatiently and said to me, "Just let her try it on. It’s just a necklace. Lily likes it so much, why are you being so petty?"