7.

Ethan stormed out of the house with a lot on his mind. He thought that Autumn had changed so much in the last few days.

Was she so upset about the dinner? It wasn’t like they were in love or something for her to get hurt that he didn’t show up.

He didn’t want to judge her based on her upbringing, but he couldn’t help but compare her to Naomi.

Naomi was always put together even when she was upset. She didn’t lash out when things didn’t go her way.

His mood turned sour when he thought of the slap she had given Lydia earlier today.

He brought out his phone and sent a text message to his friend group chat, asking his friends to meet up.

The car stopped in front of the house, and Ethan got in. James was sitting at the front seat with the driver.

“Where to, Mr Grant?” James asked, turning to the back as Ethan settled in.

“The Meridian Club,” he answered, rubbing two fingers against his forehead.

Ethan closed his eyes briefly before he remembered something. “James, didn’t you give Autumn the card I sent that day?” he asked, because he believed that if she had at least gotten the card, she shouldn’t have been so pissed.

James scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I did, but…” he trailed off, unable to speak.

Ethan saw the hesitation and got irritated. “What is it?”

“It was your fifth anniversary, sir, not Mrs Grant’s birthday”

The words sliced through Ethan, and he froze. “What?”

“I didn’t dare to open the card after you handed it to me. If I had known, I would have changed it to a suitable one,” James explained, lowering his eyes.

Ethan clenched his hands and closed his eyes briefly.

“It was just a card. Does she have to be so dramatic about it?” he muttered under his breath.

James bit his lip before he would say something above his pay grade. “Mrs Grant sounded very happy when I told her you agreed to dinner,” he said instead.

Ethan opened his mouth to reply, but whatever he had to say was buried after James’s words.

Maybe he messed up this time. But did that mean she had to go around making life difficult for everyone else?

He leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Anything that had to do with Autumn was draining.

Within the hour, they arrived at The Meridian Club, and Ethan was escorted to the private booth where his friends were waiting.

Felix Grant, Rourke Sinclair, and Marcus Hale have all been friends with Ethan since they were young. Felix was Ethan’s cousin and closest friend, and had never liked Autumn.

They all became quiet when they noticed Ethan’s foul mood as he took a seat beside them. “Is this about the restaurant?” Marcus asked, and Ethan’s expression darkened.

“How do you know about that?”

Rourke scoffed, taking a sip of his drink. “It’s all over the internet. My wife showed me earlier”

Felix remained quiet. The moment he saw the news, he knew what that day had been. After all, he had been the one to send Ethan the information about Naomi.

“So? Are you worried?” Marcus asked with concern all over his face.

“I’m not worried about the article. It’s Autumn. Since that night, she has become something else.” He sighed, downing the drink the waitress had poured in one go. “It’s like she is a different person now”

Rourke frowned. “Autumn? Hasn’t she always been docile?”

At the mention of Autumn’s name, Felix’s expression turned sour. “Docile? She is nothing but a pretentious bitch who trapped Ethan in a marriage he never wanted,” he sneered. “I’m relieved that Naomi is back, and she now knows Ethan’s heart belongs to someone else”

Rourke shifted uncomfortably, looking at Ethan to see if there was any reaction from him. “Felix, maybe you should control your tone. That’s Ethan’s wife you are talking about”

Felix’s expression shifted into an ugly sneer. “Ask Ethan if he even wants to be in the same room with her. Wasn’t that why he chose to go after Naomi on their anniversary instead of sharing a miserable dinner with her?”

Marcus let out a chuckle. “With the way you are talking, one would think you asked her out, and she rejected you”

Felix spat on the floor. “If her father didn’t scheme his way into making Grandpa Gerald force her to marry Ethan, she would not be able to lick the floors we walk on”

Ethan should have defended his wife. The words coming out of his cousin’s mouth were brutal, but he was still pissed about Autumn’s behavior. Besides, she was not here to hear them.

“How exactly has she changed?” Marcus asked.

Ethan lit a cigarette and took a deep drag before replying. “She keeps stirring up trouble with Naomi and my family.”

Felix downed a glass of vodka. “This is exactly why I helped you search for Naomi. She was born into a reputable family and would never behave like this”

Rourke nodded in agreement.

Naomi and Ethan had been together for so long that everyone believed they were endgame. Ethan spoilt her, and Naomi cared about him.

“Naomi is living with you?” He asked, and Ethan’s frustration rose.

“Yes. My mother wants her to spend the month with us”

“Maybe that’s why Autumn has changed. She can’t bear to see you happy with Naomi,” Felix commented.

“Of course,” Marcus agreed. “Wives need to remember their places and learn to respect their husband’s decisions. What do they know?” he said with the confidence of a man who never has issues in his house, but his phone buzzed with a text message, and his hand clenched around the device before he turned it off.

Ethan was lost in his thoughts until Rourke clasped his shoulders. “Don’t think too much about it.”

“Exactly” Felix agreed. “I’m happy that she is finally showing her true colours and people would stop thinking I hate her for nothing”

Rourke hesitated before he spoke. “But she did look like she has been sitting there for a while in those photos”

The room went quiet and Felix turned a deathly glare towards Rourke while Ethan’s expression grew cold.

Rourke smiled awkwardly. “I was not trying to take her side. I was just pointing out what I saw” he muttered.

Rourke’s family was not as influential as the other three so he had to depend on the other three for business connections.

Felix sent him a nasty look. “You better control your words more carefully” he warned, then turned to his cousin. “Cuz, you should be happy. Now, you can finally see who she is. She has been pretending all this time”

Ethan didn’t say anything after that, but his expression didn’t improve. Instead, it had gotten worse.

By the time Ethan returned home, it was almost morning. The house had quieted down and everyone had gone to sleep.

At least that’s what he thought until he approached the guest room occupied by Autumn and saw the lights were still on.

He paused and something in him stirred. He had to admit, he had gotten used to sleeping in the same bed with her even though it was stifling.

He shook his head and continued to his bedroom. “This is all for the best” he mumbled.