Chapter 2

"I don't care what your relationship is anymore."

His tone softened a bit. "Emily, let's go home and talk. My parents are still waiting for you at home."

Thinking of his parents, I felt somewhat guilty.

Ethan's parents were completely different from him.

Uncle Richard was kind and pleasant to talk to, and Aunt Claire was gentle and beautiful.

They'd always been good to me, never mistreated me, sometimes even treating me better than they treated Ethan.

With something like this happening, they must be feeling awful too.

Fine. This matter needed to be settled anyway.

I didn't object. I let him take my suitcase and walk into the elevator.

I followed him to his parents' house.

Before we even entered, I heard his mom saying, "Go buy some mangoes quickly. Emily likes mangoes."

"Sure thing, I'll go right now," Richard replied.

Richard came to the door and paused when he saw us, then his face broke into a kind smile. "You're back. I'm going to buy some fruit. I'll be right back."

I smiled awkwardly, unable to say what I'd come to say.

Claire was still busy in the kitchen. Hearing our voices, she rushed out. "Emily's back! Rest on the sofa for a bit. Dinner will be ready soon."

Her face was full of smiles, as if my runaway bride act had never happened.

My guilt deepened.

But that wouldn't shake my determination to break up.

I responded and sat on the sofa, stiffly staring at the blank TV screen.

Ethan poured a glass of water and placed it in front of me. "It's not your first time here. Why so nervous?"

I kept my eyes straight ahead and said blandly, "Because this isn't my home."

Then I added coolly, "Not the first time, but it will be the last."

Ethan gripped the glass tightly, his fingertips turning white, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, as if deliberately restraining something.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Ethan got up to answer it. His childhood sweetheart Leah's cheerful voice came from outside.

"Ethan, what's cooking at your place? It smells amazing."

As she finished speaking, she changed shoes and walked in with practiced ease.

She clearly froze when she saw me, her lips stretching into a strained smile. "Oh, Emily's here too."

My cold gaze swept over her, pausing when I noticed the slippers she was wearing.

Her slippers were cute pink house shoes with little bears.

What a coincidence—they matched the blue bear slippers on Ethan's feet that didn't suit his image at all. They were a pair.

I smiled mockingly to myself and swallowed all the words I wanted to say.