Chapter 3

He had probably forgotten. Back when I used to suppress my emotions to please everyone, he would hold me tight and say:

*“You don't have to be perfect, Serena. With me, you have the right to be as spoiled and wild as you want.”*

He was the one who raised me to be a princess.

Why was it suddenly all my fault?

I couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears finally spilled over.

"Ethan, how can you do this to me? We have twenty years of history. How can you throw it all away?"

"Stop using our past as a weapon. Because I don't care about it anymore."

Losing control, I swung my arm and slapped him across the face.

*Slap!* It was incredibly loud.

But he didn't even look angry. He just looked exhausted, as if even arguing with me was a waste of his breath.

"Since we despise each other this much, let's stop talking. Don't call me, don't see me. If we cross paths, just pretend we're strangers."

I suddenly wanted to laugh.

"Ethan, who do you think you are, acting like I'm the one stalking you? You're the one who made promises to me. You're the one who said you loved me. You were the one who proposed to me first!"

He just sighed, his expression filled with utter annoyance.

"Then just pretend I'm the bad guy."

Ethan walked away, and this time, he didn't look back.

I collapsed onto the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees, and sobbed.

I couldn't hold it back anymore.

Years ago, Ethan forbade me from drinking.

Back then, my depression was at its worst, and I often forgot my medication schedule. Once, I made the mistake of drinking wine to help me sleep after taking my pills. I ended up in the ER getting my stomach pumped.

When I woke up, he was holding my hand, crying like a baby.

*“Don't ever do that again. Do you have any idea how terrified I was of losing you?”*

That was the first time in his life he had yelled at me.

Since that day, I never touched alcohol again. But now, he wasn't here to care. I could drink as much as I wanted.

But why didn't I feel happy?

"Serena."

A familiar, gentle voice called out behind me.

I spun around in hope. A beautiful bouquet of flowers appeared in front of my eyes. Ethan was smiling at me softly, just like he used to.

"I'm sorry about today, Serena. I'll never hurt you again. I love you."

Tears of joy ran down my face. "Really?"

"Yes."

I reached out with trembling hands to take the flowers. "They're beautiful..."

I wanted to find a vase to put them in, but my foot caught on the edge of the rug. I fell.

The flower vase shattered into a million pieces. The bouquet was crushed.

"My flowers... where are they?"

I looked up to find Ethan, but the spot where he had been standing was completely empty.

The night breeze blew in from the balcony, taking his ghost with it.

I let out a painful scream, curling myself into a ball in the corner. "Why? Why does everyone I care about leave me?"

My mother did. And now, him.

"Serena!"

I didn't even realize Logan had entered the room.

"What happened? Why are you bleeding?"

He frantically scooped me up into his arms. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

I had no strength left to fight. I let him carry me away.

When I finally regained some consciousness, I heard Ethan's voice echoing in the hallway outside my hospital room.

"The Serena Vance I knew is gone. She’s selfish, manipulative, and cruel. She's probably faking this entire hospital stay. Her depression was cured years ago. How could she suddenly be having hallucinations?"

I didn't even have the energy to argue anymore.

But Logan couldn't take it. He roared in fury, "You're the one who betrayed her! How dare you talk about her like that? Do you have any idea how much she's suffered because of you?"

"That's her problem," Ethan’s voice was cold and detached. "I never asked for her love. To me, her constant affection is suffocating. Don't call me for her drama ever again. My girlfriend gets jealous."