chapter 5

I listened quietly as he threw accusations at me. After a long pause, I said flatly, “Yeah, it’s all my fault. When she recovers, I’ll beg for her forgiveness. Happy now? If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. I’m busy. Bye.”

Before Ethan could say anything, I ended the call.

He definitely did not see that coming.

He used to scroll through Yvonne’s carefully curated posts on Facebook over and over again.

I once asked him, “Why do you keep looking at her stuff? Do you still miss her that much?”

He said she was just his “little sister.”

To Ethan, their closeness was perfectly normal. But the moment I showed even a little jealousy, I was the one being dramatic and unreasonable.

Naturally, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn took his side too, making me out to be a petty, nagging girlfriend.

Back then, I secretly hoped Yvonne would never come back.

Hoping she would just stay overseas forever, maybe even settle down and immigrate.

I did not know why, but now, when I think about it, that wish feels absurd. And somehow, there was even a trace of hate growing inside me.

Not long after, a message notification lit up my phone.

It was from Ethan, probably what he had been holding back before I hung up.

Let’s not make this into a big deal. Once she’s discharged, just apologize to Yvonne sincerely. If you cause any more trouble, then maybe we shouldn’t get married after all.

His message read like a warning, but honestly, I just felt numb. Maybe even a little relieved.

Either way, even if he still wanted to get married, I did not anymore.

I imagined Ethan was by Yvonne’s bedside right now, never leaving her side, bringing her water, watching over her every second.

Yvonne being in the hospital gave him the best excuse to take care of her.

As for my surgery? To him, it was just a minor thing. Not like I was dying or anything.

Childhood sweetheart. First love. The “little sister.”

She got every possible advantage in the book.

I let out a self-mocking laugh, turned off my phone without replying, and got back to coordinating with the new company on my laptop.