Chapter 4

He didn’t reply.

On the screen, the host was asking Ethan about my commitment to the mental facility.

The viewers in the chat seemed thrilled to see the "villain" who tried to ruin true love finally get her karma.

Ethan cleared his throat, speaking with a sigh of mock pity.

"After graduation, Chloe and I tried to distance ourselves from her."

"Normally, anyone with an ounce of self-respect would have taken the hint. But instead, she kept calling, demanding to know when we were coming home."

Chloe took the microphone, putting on a victim act.

"Yeah, she was shameless. She wouldn't leave Ethan alone. We didn't want to humiliate her publicly, so we just stopped visiting."

"But then she actually tracked us down near our campus. She started telling our classmates that she had been funding our lives for years and that we had abandoned her."

"She made us look like ungrateful monsters. For a long time, we couldn't even hold our heads up in front of our friends."

Chloe wiped away a stray tear.

Ethan wrapped an arm around her, patting her shoulder reassuringly.

"She wanted to use financial leverage to make us feel guilty, but I didn't give her the chance. I flat out told her that Chloe and I were together."

"I told her that we had already crossed that line, and we were officially a couple."

"I guess her fragile mind couldn't take it. She just... snapped."

Someone in the crowd yelled, "She went crazy because she couldn't have you!"

Ethan remained silent, but a faint, mocking smirk played at the corner of his lips.

I knew that smirk.

Back in high school, when he fought off three bullies at the school gate for me, wiping blood from his lip, he had warned them: "Touch Nora again, and I’ll end you." He had that exact same arrogant smirk on his face.

But back then, I thought he was my protector.

Tears were streaming down my face now.

In my memory, he had always been a good guy. In foster care, when other kids tried to take our food, he would always stand in front of Chloe and me, holding his arms out.

"Don’t be scared, Nora. I’ll protect you guys forever."

But now, his protection only extended to Chloe.

The grand proposal live stream finally ended.

I sat in the dark apartment for a long time, unable to move.

The two people I loved most in the world were going to betray me, gaslight me, and drive me into an asylum.

I refused to accept that ending.

I spent the rest of the night packing my bags. I needed to leave for London as soon as possible.

Around 3:00 AM, a frantic knocking echoed from my front door.

I crept up and looked through the peephole.

Ethan was standing outside, looking completely panicked.

The moment I opened the door, he practically threw himself inside, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

"Nora! Oh my god, I was so worried about you!"

I raised my hands and pushed him away.

His face froze.

"What... what's wrong?"

I shook my head, keeping my voice flat.

"Nothing. Why are you here?"

Ethan stammered, looking uneasy.

"I was so worried after your last message. I literally booked the earliest flight back."

"I'm just glad you're okay."

Before I could even process his sudden arrival, he added, "Since you're fine... could you please transfer Chloe's allowance? She's really stressed out."

I let out a cold, sharp laugh.

"When I got hit by a car and was hospitalized, you knew about it, but you didn't even bother to call, let alone fly back."

"But for her..."

The words choked in my throat. I swallowed down the bitterness.

"Never mind."

Ethan’s brow furrowed, and he grabbed my shoulders.

"Nora, I didn't have the money for a plane ticket back then! You know that!"

I didn't answer. I turned around and walked toward my bedroom.

His eyes scanned the apartment and fell on my packed suitcases.

"Nora? Where are you going?"

I kept my head down, wiping away my last tear.

"I'm leaving. I'm getting out of your and Chloe's way."