Chapter 4

I summoned every ounce of strength in my body to suppress the raging fury within me, fixing Ethan with a death stare to see how he’d react.

He was far too smart not to pick up on Vivian’s malice.

And yet he merely gave a nonchalant shrug:

“So what?

“If my uncle actually takes a liking to her, it’ll be her golden ticket into high society.

“Don’t worry, I won’t cling to you if such a thing happens. After all, if you succeed, you might end up as my respected aunt.”

The moment he finished, an explosion of laughter erupted around us.

It was as though they had already decided I’d be ruthlessly rejected and turned into the laughingstock of town.

Mortified, I wished the deck would swallow me whole, even as the rage burning inside my chest reached its boiling point.

Just as I was about to blow up, lines of live comments materialized out of thin air before my eyes:

“This scum’s having another episode. He cares so damn much it’s killing him, but he just has to put on this fake cool act!”

“Chloe, you have no idea—during these few days of your cold war, he was stalking your socials every single day! Once you soften up like you always did, he’ll come wagging his tail back to beg for forgiveness in a heartbeat!”

“Soften up my ass! What did our girl even do wrong? The idiot has zero sense of boundaries, helping that toxic bish trample his own girlfriend. He’s the one who needs to apologize!”

“Exactly! Drop him, my girl, check out the uncle instead! Sebastian Hayes is your true soulmate! He went to your university—years ago, and you saved his life when he passed out from low blood sugar. You’re the reason he dropped everything overseas to come back here!”

“Sebastian’s got legs for days, broodingly handsome and hopelessly devoted! You ditch this scum right now, and get ready to be spoilt to the moon and back!”

Staring at the shimmering words, my eyes widened in utter disbelief.

Ethan’s uncle... came back for me?

Before I could even process this massive bombshell, Vivian jabbed Ethan’s arm with her fingertip:

“Why isn’t Chloe saying anything? Is she backing out?

“Looks like the rumors are true—she really is so head over heels for you she can’t live a minute without you.

“Girls like her are the absolute worst. Once they latch onto you, you can’t shake them off. She’s like a piece of cheap gum—she’ll probably cling to you for the rest of her life.”

Ethan raised his chin in smug arrogance.

“Can’t help it. She was the one who chased me back in sophomore year.

“Honestly, of all the girls who pursued me back then, plenty had way better backgrounds. I only reluctantly said yes because she wouldn’t stop bugging me.

“Lately she’s getting way out of hand, throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat. I’m sick to death of it.

“Sending her to my uncle is the perfect way to open her eyes to what she’s really worth. That way she’ll stop making trouble all day long.”

The smirk on Vivian’s face deepened as she nudged Ethan’s shoulder.

“Well, in case Chloe succeeds, you can just date me instead. I’m the far more sensible one.”

Ethan chuckled, “Deal!”

He shot another meaningful glare at me, his tone loaded with insinuation. “Unless she has not the dignity to let go.”

I knew Ethan was using his twisted tactic to force me to yield.

I had always been the one to compromise.

Coming from a humble background, I had craved a stable, loving home for as long as I could remember.

Ethan had brought me to meet his parents, and they had always treated me with genuine warmth, constantly checking in on me.

I had wanted so desperately to marry him.

That would mean finally having a family to call my own.

Precisely because he had a stranglehold on this vulnerability of mine, he had pushed and tested my boundaries time and time again.

My own father acted the same way—flirting with women when he was out, only to come home and blame my mother for not being good enough a wife.