Chapter 3

When Ethan woke up, he reached out to the empty, cold space beside him, looking a bit dazed.

Usually, I would be right there, eagerly waiting for him to wake up. But not today.

He washed up and came downstairs. I was sitting on the couch, watching our engagement video.

"Chloe, you look really pale. Did my sleep-talking wake you up?"

I could hear the subtle questioning in Ethan's voice. My face remained blank. "No."

He let out a quiet sigh of relief and sat down beside me.

"What are you watching? I'll watch with you."

I paused the video. "Hold on. Someone else is coming."

Before Ethan could ask, the doorbell rang. I got up to open it.

Rachel had completely changed her style today. She was wearing a simple white sundress, with barely-there makeup.

I looked her up and down, a cold smile playing on my lips.

"Rachel, this isn't like you. What's the occasion? Did you find a new guy to impress?"

I didn't miss the flicker of expression on Rachel's face. Her smile stiffened, and she avoided my gaze.

"No, I just... wanted to try out the style you like."

I said nothing. I knew exactly who she was trying to impress.

Ethan loved the "innocent, pure girl" look, which was why I had spent years dressing up in white dresses just to please him.

I stepped aside to let her in. When Ethan looked up, his eyes practically locked onto her.

Realizing he was staring, he cleared his throat and started putting on his usual act.

"Rachel? What are the odds of you showing up this early? Great, now I've lost my appetite for breakfast."

Rachel shot back, matching his energy:

"Oh, please, Ethan. You think I want to see your face? If it weren't for Chloe, I wouldn't even step foot in your house."

I watched them trade barbs. How had I never noticed how fake their acting was?

If I hadn't known the truth, I would have stepped in to play peacemaker.

But now, I just stood there, watching the show, finding it almost laughable.

Seeing that I wasn't reacting, Ethan gave a cold huff, wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and sat down.

As we turned, I caught a fleeting glimpse of jealousy and hurt in Rachel's eyes.

Probably to avoid suspicion, she chose to sit on the armchair furthest from us.

Now that everyone was here, I pressed play on the video.

The screen showed a close-up. It was Ethan and Rachel, whispering intimately in a corner, completely ignoring me.

"Ethan, since when did you and Rachel get so close? I had no idea."

"Seeing how you two were practically at each other's throats just now, one might think you're just putting on a show for me."

I threw the question out casually. Rachel, already on edge, looked at me in pure panic.

"Chloe, you're overthinking it. It must be the camera angle. You know how much I can't stand him."

Ethan took a sip of his coffee, chiming in, "Yeah, definitely a bad camera angle."

I kept my eyes on the TV screen, but Ethan and Rachel were clearly squirming.

"Chloe, I'm going to use the restroom," Rachel said.

A few minutes later, Ethan's phone vibrated. Though he quickly flipped the screen over, I caught the name on the lock screen: "Rachel."

"Chloe, I need to take this work call."

I stared at his back as he walked toward the hallway bathroom, and then I silently got up to follow him.

Hiding around the corner, I watched Rachel open the bathroom door, reach out, and pull Ethan inside.

When we remodeled the house, Ethan had insisted on using lightweight doors so he could hear me if I ever slipped or needed help. Because of that, the bathroom door had zero soundproofing.

"Ethan, you touched her just now. I'm jealous. Did you guys do anything behind my back this morning?"