Chapter 5

After dragging my suitcase for twenty minutes, I checked into a cheap motel near our apartment.

About ten minutes later, my phone rang.

It was my mom.

I took a deep breath and answered.

"Hey, Mom."

"Did you get home safe?"

Her voice was calm, as if nothing had happened this afternoon.

"Yes, Mom. Don't worry."

I didn't tell her I was staying at a motel.

"Good,"

She paused.

"Chloe, about that money... don't stress too much. I’ll transfer you two thousand dollars tomorrow so you have some cash on hand."

"No need, Mom. I can handle it."

"Listen to me,"

My mom’s voice suddenly turned serious.

"You’re on your own out there, you need to have cash. That ten thousand was money you worked so hard to save. If he doesn't pay it back, you can't just let it go."

"I know, Mom. I gave him three days."

"Three days?" My mom was quiet for a moment. "What if he really doesn't pay?"

"Then I’m taking him to court."

Silence stretched over the line for a few seconds, and then my mom let out a soft laugh.

"Good. Do exactly that."

After hanging up, I took a hot shower.

When I got out, I saw six missed calls on my phone.

All of them were from Ethan.

After the sixth missed call, he had sent a Snapchat:

"Chloe, you absolutely terrified Lily. She’s been crying in the living room for two hours. Do you even have a conscience?"

I stared at the message for a long time.

Even now, all he cared about was his precious junior.

I didn't reply. I turned off my phone and went to sleep.

The next morning at 7 a.m., I was woken up by a loud knocking on my door.

"Room service," a man’s voice called out.

I froze. I hadn't ordered any room service.

I walked to the door and peered through the peephole.

It was Ethan.

I had no idea how he had tracked me down to this motel.

I didn't open the door.

"Chloe, I know you’re in there. Open the door."

I pulled my hand away from the doorknob and took a step back.

"If you don't open the door, I’ll just stand here all day."

"Suit yourself,"

I muttered, then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

By the time I finished washing my face and checked the peephole again, he was still there.

He was leaning against the hallway wall, typing furiously on his phone.

My phone vibrated.

It was a text from an unknown number.

"Chloe, let's talk. I can explain everything about Lily, and I’ll find a way to get the money back. Please don't shut me out like this, okay?"

I put my phone down and packed my things.

Ten minutes later, I dragged my suitcase and swung the door open.

He immediately straightened up.

"Chloe—"

"Move."

"Can you just listen to me for five minutes?"

"No."

I dragged my suitcase toward the elevator.

He caught up and grabbed the handle of my suitcase.

"Chloe! Just let me explain!"

I stopped and looked at him.

"Go ahead," I let go of the handle and crossed my arms. "I’m listening."

"I didn't handle the situation with Lily well,"

He took a deep breath.

"But Chloe, I swear I didn't mean anything else by it. She’s just a young girl who just graduated. She didn't know any better and got scammed out of nine thousand dollars."

"That money included the tuition fees her parents scraped together for her. She was so desperate she was having dark thoughts..."

"And?"

"So I couldn't just stand by and watch. If it were you, you wouldn't have ignored her either."

"Ethan, don't bring me into this."

I looked directly into his eyes.

"If it were me, I would have helped her file a police report. I would have helped her get free legal aid. I would have gone to the bank with her to freeze her accounts."

"But I would never have stolen our shared savings to pay off her debt, and I definitely wouldn't have done it without consulting my partner first."

He fell silent.

"Furthermore, you brought her into our apartment, let her stay in my room, and sleep in my bed. Did you even once consider how I would feel?"

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Ethan, save your breath."

I grabbed my suitcase handle again.

"You have two days left to return the money. Once you pay me back, we are completely done."