As I fell into the sea, Ethan was still on the shore, indulging in sweet moments with his secretary.
I drifted further away, and despite the many people jumping in to rescue me, he merely coldly remarked, "Don't bother; she loves to put on a show."
Then he took his secretary out for a candlelit dinner.
When I returned home, still shaken, I saw the secretary emerging from the bedroom in my pajamas.
Ethan explained, "She's so clumsy that she got her clothes dirty at dinner. I figured you wouldn't mind her borrowing your sleepwear."
I smiled and nodded, genuinely not caring this time.
--
"Thank you, Emma. You have great taste in clothes," Sophie said sweetly, like a charming neighbor.
Ethan shot me a disdainful glance and replied, "She's just a tomboy; how could she have any taste? She doesn't even wear skirts."
My heart tightened at his words; did he really not know why I stopped wearing skirts?
Back when Ethan was starting his business, I used to pick him up late at night after his meetings because I worried about him.
It was during one of those nights that a car accident happened.
My leg got trapped in the wreckage while he lay unconscious, drunk and unaware of the danger.
In my panic for his safety, I forced my leg free, tearing away a chunk of flesh and leaving a scar that would never fully heal.
Since then, I adopted a more androgynous style and wore long pants.
When Ethan woke up in the hospital and saw me injured, he cried for what felt like ages and promised to get me the best treatments to erase my scar.
But as his company grew successful, those promises faded from his mind.
Sophie innocently suggested, "Maybe Emma just doesn't like wearing skirts. Let me recommend some for you; you'd look great in them!"
Ethan sighed and pulled her away, saying, "Please spare my eyes; how could she possibly look good in a dress?"
"Having one skirt-wearer at home is enough," he teased as they flirted without a care.
Meanwhile, I walked straight into the guest room to make a phone call.
"Teacher, do you need anyone over there?" I asked.
"Yes, I've thought it through; dating will only distract me from my career."
The next morning, the house was empty.
After making myself a simple breakfast, I scrolled through Instagram and saw Ethan's secretary's latest post.
[Having breakfast with my affectionate boss! He took the long way just for me because he knows I'm picky.]
Ethan commented, [You're already clumsy enough; if she can't handle your food choices too, you'll be hopeless.]
I bit my lip and liked the post but immediately received a call from Ethan.
His voice was icy, "You scared her."
"If you think it's taking too long, go do something meaningful instead of spying on others' lives."
"Spying?"
I paused for a moment before letting out a self-deprecating laugh.
"I'm sorry; who knew checking on my boyfriend's whereabouts was considered spying?"
"It won't happen again," I said before hanging up.
I returned to my room to pack my things.
After graduating from college, I had been by Ethan's side as he built his business from scratch.
Our lives were chaotic—work consumed us daily as we strategized our next steps together.
I had once been quite particular about my tastes but changed all my habits for him so he could progress faster.
Yet now he could take the time to indulge another person with breakfast detours.
A nagging voice in my heart questioned me.
"Why should someone new take precedence?"
"Why must it be me who struggles while they thrive?"
Chapter 2I thought for a moment and could only comfort myself with one phrase, "Maybe it's just not enough love."
I took a half-day off from work, planning to pack some things to send out.
Yet, not ten minutes later, I received a call asking me to come back.
"Emma, come back! We have a big client today, and Ethan is also taking leave. The company can't be without any management."
Reluctantly, I took a taxi back.
When I arrived, Ethan was already deep in conversation with the client.
Sophie was nearby, refilling water, occasionally exchanging flirtatious glances with him—there was an almost palpable chemistry between them.
My colleague Jane, who was closer to me, pulled me aside and expressed her outrage.
"Emma, how can Ethan do this? Isn't he just slapping you in the face?"
"Look at how brazen they are; it's disgusting to watch them flirt like that!"
I shook my head at Jane, urging her to stop speaking for fear of being overheard and causing her trouble.
But it was too late; Sophie emerged from the office, dropping the kettle she was holding and shattering it on the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Emma! I didn't mean for you to misunderstand; Ethan and I really don't have anything going on," she sobbed, covering her mouth as if she couldn't bear the weight of the accusation.
"He just sees me as a friend. I never thought you would think that..."
Ethan, hearing the commotion, rushed out to see what was happening.
His anger flared instantly upon seeing Sophie in tears, "Emma, what did you just say?"
Unfortunately, he didn't give me a chance to explain before rushing after Sophie as she ran away crying, completely disregarding the client waiting in the meeting room.
I was left standing there awkwardly with the client.
In the end, I had no choice but to push through the meeting.
Thankfully, it was an old client we knew well; a little drama wouldn't ruin our deal.
I managed to finalize everything by eleven o'clock that night and returned home well past midnight.
As soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted by chaos in the living room—designer packaging scattered everywhere.
There were clothes and jewelry among the mess.
Ethan lounged on the sofa with a peaceful-looking young woman resting on his lap.
Upon seeing me return, he shot me a warning glance and whispered harshly, "Keep it down; I finally got Sophie to sleep."
"I heard you closed the deal today. There's a little gift on the table for you as a reward," he added casually.
It was a bottle of mid-range perfume—pathetically cheap compared to all the luxury items surrounding us.
I didn't bother reaching for it and shook my head at him. "No thanks; this tomboy doesn't need that kind of thing."
With that, I headed straight to the guest room.
It wasn't that I couldn't appreciate such things; no girl would dislike them entirely.
But when Ethan's company stabilized, I had once bought myself a bottle of perfume.
The first time I wore it, he criticized me, "Even if my company is doing well now, you can't just splurge like this! It's easier to fall into luxury than to return from it; we mustn't forget our struggles."
Since then, I hadn't purchased any luxury items again.
The few things I owned were gifts from him during his free time—none of which added up to what he had brought home today.
Ethan lingered at the guest room door for a while as if he wanted to say something more but ultimately held his tongue out of consideration for the sleeping girl in his lap.
Chapter 3The next day, the secretary's Instagram post featured Ethan's silhouette once again.
This time, it was a sarcastic rant.
[Got gossiped about yesterday. So annoyed. Ethan and I have a perfectly normal boss-employee relationship, but some people just can't seem to understand that. Whatever.]
[My amazing boss took me shopping. No one has ever cared for me like this before. So happy! I'm definitely going to cling to him forever, no matter what!]
I exited the page without leaving a trace. As I prepared to take more leave, I received a message from Jane.
[Emma, thanks for looking out for me all this time. I'm leaving.]
A sinking feeling hit me. The work group chat then lit up with a message announcing Jane's termination.
I called Ethan.
The background noise on his end was chaotic as he snapped at me impatiently.
"My company doesn't tolerate gossipy employees. Besides, I gave her severance pay when I fired her. What more does she want?!"
He hung up.
Jane was an old colleague we'd built the company with over the years, but she couldn't compete with a few words from the secretary.
I couldn't help feeling disappointed, though I'd grown accustomed to his letdowns.
I called a familiar company and recommended Jane.
After a brief text exchange with her, I returned to packing my things.
I hung the branded clothes I had to sell as secondhand. The ones that wouldn't sell, I just tossed.
The pajamas Sophie had worn went straight into the trash.
When I was done, I had only one suitcase left.
As soon as I wheeled it out, Ethan returned, eyeing the luggage with surprise.
"You're leaving?"
I went along with his assumption, "Going on a business trip in a couple of days."
He nodded, unsuspecting.
"Good timing. Sophie's old rental is up soon. I'll have her stay here for a few days."
"She's stayed before, so you shouldn't mind, right?"
This man was truly fake. He'd already made his decision but still pretended to ask for my permission.
If I disagreed, he'd use that word against me again to put me down.
"Sure, let her stay," I said flatly.
"But the guest room is dark, not ideal for her. She can take the master bedroom. I'll tidy it up for her."
He seemed taken aback that I agreed so readily, his tone losing its self-righteousness.
"Okay, I'll stay in the guest room then."
"When are you leaving? I'll drive you."
I shook my head.
"It's fine. I already arranged a ride. Canceling would be a hassle. I'll go by myself."
Ethan's eyes narrowed with puzzlement, as if he was thinking of something. His puzzlement then morphed into irritation.
"Are you sulking at me because of Jane?"
"Don't you know a company's core is unity?"
"I fired her for my own reasons, not just because of Sophie..."
I looked at him in bewilderment.
"Why are you explaining to me?"
"I don't mind. The company is yours to run. You decide who stays and who goes. You said you gave her severance."
I stifled a yawn and wheeled my suitcase towards the door.
I'd go to the office today, tie up loose ends, and make a clean break.
He got up and grabbed my arm.
I was getting impatient. "What now?"
"Emma, I remember giving you a key to the ocean-view apartment. Sophie has a classmates' reunion coming up. I've decided to let her stay there..."