After submitting my resignation, I figured that since I was leaving Ethan anyway, I had to make things clear to his parents. Ethan drove Julia to a music festival.
She had emptied my pockets again, leaving me nearly broke, so I took the bus to his house.
When I arrived, the brightly lit gate bore the words “Reed Family.”
It was absurd; I had paid for this villa in full, planning to live there with Ethan.
But he secretly moved his parents in and replaced the lock with a digital one, registering all his family members’ faces except mine.
After work, he retreated to this villa to relax. I, meanwhile, had to stay in the company dormitory.
I rang the bell five times before Ethan’s parents reluctantly came and opened the door.
“Vivian? Why are you here?”
Ethan’s mother scowled. “Shouldn’t you be working overtime at the company? Leaving all the burden on Ethan alone?”
“Ethan’s out, so I came to check on him.” Hearing this, I only wanted to sneer.
“You come to check on him, yet arrive empty-handed?”
Ethan’s father’s voice rang out from the living room. He tossed the tea leaves from his cup, nearly splashing hot water onto my shoes.
“I don’t know who sent me this lousy tea,” he scoffed.
“Look, the oolong Julia gave me is much better.”
“Premium tea is worth ten thousand dollars a pound. Vivian, take a look!”
I walked over and saw the box of tea he had tossed aside and the box of premium tea Julia Snow had supposedly sent.
“Dad, I ordered this Yunshan Oolong from overseas for you, didn’t you know?” I asked, confused.
I had given this fine tea to Ethan Reed and asked him to pass it to his father. How could it be Julia’s gift?
At that, Ethan’s father’s face suddenly stiffened.
“Ethan said it himself—Julia sent it. How dare you claim that?”
“This is what you brought. Five dollars a pound of cheap street-stall stuff. Take it back!” He threw another tin of tea at me.
“Spending so little and pretending it’s a grand gift!”
I picked up the tin of green tea, trembling all over. This must have been what Julia had given me.
“Vivian, it’s late, and as you can see, we haven’t prepared dinner.”
Ethan’s mother opened the door, clearly intent on sending me away.
Ethan’s father didn’t even speak further.
To the Reed family, I was always an outsider.
“Mom, Dad, we’re back!”
Just then, the door opened. Ethan walked in, holding Julia’s arm.
At the sight of them, his parents beamed.