5.

Ethan’s eyes moved from Autumn’s hand around Lydia’s top to the bruise starting to form on her cheeks.

His jaw tightened as he turned to Autumn. “Let her go,” he ordered coldly.

Behind him, Naomi peeked around his shoulders and gasped dramatically when she saw Lydia. “Lydia, what happened to you?” She exclaimed.

Lydia took that opportunity to begin wailing hysterically. “This mad woman slapped me just because I lectured her on behaving properly”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at an unbothered Autumn. “Since when did you begin getting physical?”

“She has always been like this,” Lydia exclaimed loudly before Autumn could reply. She struggled against Autumn’s grip, but she didn’t let go. “Look at her! She doesn’t even care that you are here and still dares to bully me. Have you seen what we have been telling you? She is a vile person”

Ethan’s brows ticked with annoyance. Autumn had refused to let Lydia go, and she was staring at him head-on as though she was challenging him. It irked him how she could have the audacity to act out after forcing herself into his life with the help of her scheming father.

“Let her go,” he ordered again.

Autumn didn’t move at first, but eventually she unwrapped her hand and let Lydia go.

Lydia scrambled behind Ethan, where Naomi cupped her cheeks gently. “Oh my god, Lydia. Your cheek is so red,” she cried.

Lydia quickly brought out her phone from her bag to check her face. She let out a loud gasp when she saw her cheeks were swollen. She pointed angrily at Autumn. “My face is ruined. How do I attend the gala tomorrow?” she cried, then glared at Autumn. “I’ll never let you get away with this”

“And what do I do to you? Because I don’t intend to let this go.” She pointed at the wound on her shoulder, then turned to Ethan with a mocking expression. “When did I turn violent? Ask your sister who gave her the right to lay her hands on me”

That was when Ethan noticed the wound on Autumn’s shoulder.

He turned to Lydia with a sharp expression. “Did you do this?”

Lydia bit her lip but rushed to defend herself. “I was just so angry on your behalf. Have you seen the news on The Weston Chronicle? They claim you left her alone in a restaurant last week for five hours. They say she is a neglected wife”

Ethan froze.

He turned to Autumn and was met with a mocking expression. It made him uneasy to see her act like this. She was always docile.

James was the one who had suggested he take her out to dinner to celebrate their fifth anniversary. Ethan didn’t see it as something worth celebrating. Celebrate being tied in a marriage he didn’t want?

But he saw the uncomfortable look on James’s face and told him to tell Autumn to arrange it. He had actually planned to attend the dinner, but his cousin, Felix Grant, had sent him a message that Naomi was seen in Portmayne.

He had been searching for her for years after she disappeared, and this was the first time he had gotten info on her whereabouts, so he decided he couldn’t miss the opportunity to see her again.

At that moment, all he could think of was reconnecting with Naomi before she disappeared.

Ethan had not realised how long he had been lost in thought until Autumn spoke. “Cat got your tongue?”

Naomi stepped forward with a frown. “Autumn, Ethan is your husband. You shouldn’t talk to him like that”

But underneath her soft tone, there was a satisfied glint in her eyes. Of course, she had seen the article. She knew what that day was. She knew why Ethan wasn’t there.

Autumn let out a cold laugh. “Am I overreacting?”

“Yes,” Naomi answered without any hesitation. “Look at Lydia’s face. It will be bruised all week.”

Naomi turned to Ethan. “Tell her, Ethan. Hitting people like this is wrong and should not be accepted.” She reached out to Lydia, who was sniffing quietly, but the malicious glint in her eyes was unmistakable. There was no way she would let Autumn get away with hitting her.

At first, Ethan was going to let it go, but when he saw the hopeful look in Naomi’s eyes, his own grew colder.

“Naomi is right. Regardless of what Lydia did, getting physical with her is unacceptable”

Naomi moved away from Lydia and stepped closer to Autumn. “I understand you don’t like Lydia, but you can’t blame her. People are accusing Ethan of being a neglectful husband, and as his sister, she can’t stand there and say nothing,” She said gently with a placating tone.

“So, that gives her the right to hurt me?” Autumn argued.

Naomi put on a placating expression. “She was just angry and couldn’t control her emotions. Don’t try to hold it against her,” she said.

Naomi touched Ethan’s arm gently, stealing his attention. “It seems I’ve heard wrong about Autumn. I heard she was gentle, but ever since I arrived, her actions and words say otherwise”

Her expression turned solemn and her voice fragile. “Is it because of me? Maybe everywhere was peaceful before I arrived. I should call the Langs’ butler to arrange a car to take me back. I shouldn’t have come here in the first place”

Naomi cast her eyes down, pretending to cry as tears pooled in her eyes.

Lydian boiled with rage. “Nonsense. You are going nowhere. This is your house as well,” she declared. “If anyone has to leave, it’s …”

“Me?” Autumn scoffed and clapped mockingly. “And you said I was making a scene when I asked her to draft the divorce letters so I can sign”

“Autumn Grant,” Ethan thundered.

Autumn’s eyes flashed. “And I’ll say it again, don’t yell at me like I am a child, Ethan. If you can’t defend your wife when she gets hurt by your family members, then don’t open your mouth at all,” she snapped.

Autumn picked the tablet from the bed and, without warning, threw it towards Naomi.

Naomi’s eyes grew wide when pain hit her. She hadn’t expected Autumn to be so violent. Her gentle composure disappeared, and she grabbed her arm.

“Are you insane? What is wrong with you?” she snapped, shooting daggers at Autumn.

The room went silent, and a soft, humorless smile played on Autumn’s lips.

“And I’m the violent one for reacting the same way”

Naomi froze and realized she had been played and fell right into Autumn’s trap.

Ethan’s jaw ticked. “Is that why you hit her to prove a point?”

“Yes. I don’t like being labeled wrongly.” Autumn answered with a shrug.

“Autumn, you’ve gone too far.” Lydia was dizzy from the rage. “You even dared to hurt Naomi in front of Ethan?”

“And you dared to hit me in my house,” Autumn replied coldly.

Lydia was so angry that she was at a loss for words. It had barely happened that when she confronted Autumn, she was never at a loss, but this woman had changed overnight.

“I was…I was….” Naomi stuttered, trying to gain control of the situation, but it was too late. She had already proven that Autumn was right.

She couldn’t let herself wear the violent tag she was about to push onto Autumn.

“I guess Autumn was right” She clenched her hand around her skirt as she spoke gently. “Anyone who got hurt like that would react the same way. Lydia, you were wrong this time. You should apologize”

Lydia was stunned. Did Naomi just take Autumn’s side?

“Never” she refused immediately. “She is the one going around, parading like she was abandoned during that dinner when…”

“Apologize” Ethan’s cold voice cut through her words.

“What? Ethan you saw what…”

“Apologize to your sister in law now” he snapped, his eyes cold and Lydia shivered from the intensity.

Lydia wanted to scream out of frustration. She had come here to put Autumn in her place, not to be embarrassed.

Her jaws clenched but the cold look in Ethan’s eyes let her know she wasn’t getting away this time.

“Sorry,” she muttered angrily and stormed out of the room before anyone could stop her.

Naomi didn’t want to follow her and leave Autumn alone with Ethan but she had no other choice.

Ethan remained in the room. He watched as Autumn rolled her eyes and climbed back to the bed where Zara was still on the phone.

“Sorry about that” Autumn said, the previous tension in her voice disappearing like she hadn’t just put her in-law in her place.

“Autumn Grant, did you just slap that rotten toad, Lydia Grant?” Zara mused before cackling loudly. The phone was on speaker and Autumn didn’t bother to reduce it.

Her eyes met with Ethan’s. “Sometimes, you have to remind some people that keeping quiet doesn’t mean you are weak”

At her words, Ethan stilled. He flexed his jaws before he stormed out.