Chapter 4

After we filed the divorce application, Zoe tugged at Ethan's arm.

"Let's register ours too. You promised me."

Ethan kept glancing at my face. When he saw I stayed completely calm, something in his expression soured — though maybe I imagined it. He pulled Zoe along and left.

That evening, I went back to the hospital, and Grandpa woke up.

He was urgent to get answers.

"Did you actually cheat?"

I wiped his face with a damp cloth and set the record straight.

"No. We'd been separated for a long time. Neither of us cheated in the traditional sense."

Grandpa couldn't wrap his head around it.

"How is that possible? You two were so perfect together. Just a while ago you were talking about giving me a grandchild."

He picked up his cup and set it down hard on the table.

"Tell me the truth. How did two good people end up like this?"

My eyes stung. I admitted everything.

When Grandpa saw how hard I was holding myself together, something in his face shifted. He sighed again and again.

"All right. I rarely see you like this. You've grown up. This isn't something an old man can sort out for you anymore."

I finally let out a breath.

As long as Grandpa was at peace with it, I could move forward.

He had always placed so much hope in Ethan. Of everyone in the world, Grandpa had wanted most for us to stay together.

Ethan arrived too — he'd been standing in the doorway and heard those words. He stopped walking.

I didn't want him upsetting Grandpa, so I quickly steered him into the room next door.

He lowered his head.

"You know, you could have told your grandfather the truth. You didn't need to protect my reputation. Sophie, we were great partners — but that kind of love just wasn't there anymore. Your grandfather was right about you. You always led with your head."

I nodded at the second part. He wasn't wrong.

As for the first — I smiled, and said nothing. I hadn't told the truth to protect him. I'd done it because I didn't want Grandpa hurting himself with guilt.

Because Grandpa had always believed so strongly in Ethan. He'd been the one who pushed us together.

Just as we were talking, a sharp scream rang out from Grandpa's room.

"Don't hit me! I just came to see how you're doing!"

It was Zoe's voice — followed by the sound of Grandpa coughing violently.

"Who said you could come here —"

My heart leaped into my throat. I ran back to the room.

Grandpa had dropped something on the floor. He was coughing hard, one hand pointing at Zoe.

"Get out! You lying girl!"

Zoe pressed a hand to her face and collapsed into Ethan's arms.

Grandpa was already coughing up blood. He pointed at them both, then slowly lost consciousness.

I was terrified. I called for the nurses and they rushed Grandpa back into emergency care.

Outside the room, Ethan turned on me.

"Grandpa had no right to put his hands on her. Look at what he did to Zoe. No matter how angry he was, he can't just hit people — and she came here with good intentions —"

He kept going, and my patience snapped.

"Enough. I'm going to get to the bottom of this, and whatever she did, she's going to answer for it."

I stared at Zoe with a hatred I could barely contain.

Ethan stepped between us.

"Sophie, this is on Grandpa —"

He kept listing Grandpa's faults, not caring about the truth, until a doctor stepped out and cut him off.

"Is the family here?"

I stepped forward. The doctor handed me a critical condition notice. I felt something inside me give way completely.

I shoved past Ethan and went straight for Zoe.

"What did you say to him? What did you say to my grandfather?"

Ethan grabbed me and slammed me hard against the wall. My back hit the plaster with a crack.

"Sophie, stop trying to pin this on Zoe. She came here with good intentions. She didn't do anything."

Tears streamed down my face. Ethan's expression flickered.

Something inside me had gone cold and still.

I glared at them both.

"You'll regret this."