Chapter 2

2

Chloe, understanding what was happening, exploded. "That jerk! I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!"

I stopped her. Ethan was important to me. No matter what, I didn't want to humiliate him.

My mind was a mess. I don't even remember how I got home.

That evening, the "extremely busy" Ethan actually came home. It was a face I'd known since childhood, but tonight, it felt like a stranger's.

"Ethan, can we talk?" I asked, sitting on the sofa.

"Sorry, I have to work late tonight." He walked over, leaning in for a kiss. But as he got closer, the scent of another woman's perfume hit me, making my stomach churn.

I turned my head away. "How did you cut your lip?"

He froze, a flicker of panic in his eyes. "I bumped into something."

We'd met at an orphanage as kids and had come a long way together. Everything he had now, we'd built together. I didn't want to throw our life away… it would negate all those years of hardship.

"Ethan, remember our promise? We'd never lie to each other." No one was perfect. We'd known each other for almost thirty years, been together for ten. I was willing to give him a chance.

He sighed, pulling me close. "Of course. Sarah, I've just been busy with work. Don't overthink it. We'll get married after the company goes public."

I'd been waiting to hear those words for years. Now that he'd finally said them, all I felt was sadness. He still wasn't being honest.

Seeing my reaction, his face softened. He hesitated, then said gently, "Don't be upset. I won't work tonight. I'll stay with you."

"Okay. I'll ask Maria to make dinner." I forced a smile.

"Okay."

I planned to confront him during dinner. If he didn't love me anymore, fine. Just tell me the truth. All I wanted was my fair share.

But as dinner was served, his phone rang. His expression changed. "Sorry, Sarah, something came up at work. I have to go." He grabbed his jacket and hurried out.

I stared at the food, my appetite gone. Ethan, was he really taking me for a fool? I was trying to give him a chance to break up with me gracefully, and he wouldn't even give me that.

I'd heard a girl's tearful voice on the other end of the call.