Chapter 4

His voice was barely a whisper.

"I came back to get a few things."

He added, "Chloe's emotionally unstable, I went to stay with her."

Seeing I wouldn't engage, he looked down and said helplessly,

"Sarah, you saw it. I had no choice today."

My voice was absent from the room; only the sounds of my movements broke the silence.

Ethan's brow instantly furrowed.

He leaned against the half-open closet, gripping my wrist.

But all his anger seemed to dissipate when he saw that I was holding his clothes.

"Just take a few items."

"You'll be back in a few days, you don't need so much."

I was calm.

"Please move your things out as soon as possible. I'm selling this house."

The clothes, unclaimed, fell to the floor in a crumpled mess, softly, yet heavily.

Ethan grabbed me, his words forced out between clenched teeth.

"Sarah, what crazy talk is this?"

"Didn't I explain it to you? Teenagers are very sensitive. I was just humoring her, it didn't mean anything!"

I met his gaze, like he wanted to devour me.

"Ethan, when we first got together, it was also on my eighteenth birthday."

He didn't understand, or he didn't want to.

"So what? Was I supposed to let her die?"

"Why are you being so dramatic?"

I didn't say another word.

Ethan was busy fulfilling his promise.

He and Chloe acted as if they needed to cram all their future together into those few days.

I was busy packing and selling the house.

Occasionally, I'd still receive photos of Ethan and Chloe from unknown numbers.

I thought Ethan and I were done for good.

But there are always surprises.

The day the 'for sale' sign went up, I found out I was pregnant.

It wasn't a good day; the rain hadn't fallen yet, and the air was heavy, and my heart felt just as suffocated.

"I was injured before, I had an injection."

"I fell once that day. My lower abdomen hurt terribly then, but I didn't think anything of it."

"Later, I cried a few times, and once, after crying, I bled. I thought it was just from being too emotional."

I looked at the doctor helplessly, my eyes wet with tears.

My ability to speak seemed to regress; I spoke very, very slowly.

The doctor sighed. "Try to relax for now. I've scheduled you for an examination tomorrow."

"We'll see the baby's condition then."

I don't know how Ethan had found me.

"Sarah, you actually sold the house?"

Just looking at him made my whole body feel a wrenching pain.

"Sarah, I'm talking to you!"

The ultrasound report fell to the floor. Ethan saw it, then reread it, disbelieving.

His voice trembled at the end.

"Sarah, you're pregnant?"

"We're having a baby?"

As if desperately trying to compose himself, his hand reached out to touch me, then hesitated.

"I'll come back tonight to take care of you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"Aren't you in a relationship?"

His smile was forced. "Sarah, none of that was real."

"Besides, I promised her seven days, and today is already the sixth."

"Wait for me. Chloe's here too; I'll go clarify things with her right now."

Could he really make it clear?

When Chloe rushed over with a knife and stabbed me in the stomach,

I really wanted to ask Ethan.

Her face was contorted.

"I won't let you take him from me! He's mine! He's mine!"

"I'm telling you, we've done everything!"

"You have a baby? I can have one too!"

The wound was cold at first, then came a searing, gut-wrenching pain.

Blood flowed ceaselessly.

Ethan initially stood still.

He'd listened to Chloe, who said she wanted to apologize to me alone.

Until the knife's blade reflected a dazzling light.

The rain that had been brewing all day finally fell.

The pouring rain diluted the puddles of blood, washing them everywhere.

I watched Ethan scramble and stumble, more disheveled than I'd ever seen him, running towards me.

I never imagined rain could make me tremble and shiver so much.

My consciousness slowly blurred.

I felt as if I had truly become the most insignificant thing in the world.

"Sarah—"

"Don't you dare close your eyes! Look at me, please, just look at me!"

Ethan screamed, heartbroken.

Rain, tears, and blood mingled together.

Ethan had just looked at me, full of conviction.

"From now on, it'll just be the three of us."

But Ethan,

Look at us now. How can there be a "future" for us anymore?