Chapter 3

I was about to return to the guest room when the bedroom door suddenly opened.

Claire jumped when she saw me standing there. “Ethan? Why are you still awake?”

My gaze dropped to the lingerie she was wearing.

“You and Noah were being loud. I came out to see what was going on.”

Embarrassment flashed across her face, and her voice sounded strained when she answered.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Noah was just giving me a massage. Work has been exhausting, and my back has been killing me. He learned how to do it because he was worried about me. He’s actually far more thoughtful than you are.”

Then she planted a hand on her hip and ordered, “Since you’re already up, get Noah a glass of water.”

“He knows where the kitchen is. I’m not your servant.”

With that, I turned and went back to my room.

Claire shouted after me, “What is that supposed to mean, Ethan? I’m getting really tired of this attitude.”

I ignored her.

There was no reason to let anything she said hurt me anymore.

I lay stiffly on the bed, feeling nothing but emptiness as I counted down the days until I could leave.

The next morning, I got up early, made breakfast for myself, and sat down at the table to eat.

Before long, Claire and Noah got out of the primary bedroom.

“Ethan,” Claire called, “Noah stayed late helping me with work. It got too late for him to go home, so I let him sleep on the floor in the bedroom. Don’t overthinkt.”

I didn’t even look at her. “Whatever makes you happy. You don’t need to explain it to me.”

Claire looked at the table and frowned. “You only made breakfast for yourself?”

I took a bite of my sandwich. “If you want something, make it yourselves.”

“What is your problem?” Claire demanded. “You’ve been acting like this since last night. You live in my apartment and benefit from everything I provide. Is making me breakfast really too much to ask?”

I swallowed, then took my time drinking some juice.

“I’m moving out.”

“Ethan!” Her voice rose sharply. “Is this about Noah, or are you threatening to leave because you think it’ll force me to marry you?”

“Neither.”

“Every time you bring up marriage and I say no, you act as if I’ve wronged you.” She folded her arms. “You live in my apartment. You use my connections. You’re a junior employee at some tiny firm. Do you honestly think you’ll have a better life without me?”

Noah leaned against the wall behind her and gave me a mocking look.

“You really have no idea how good you have it, do you?”

Claire was right about one thing: the apartment belonged to her.

But when she started her company, I had given her every dollar I had saved. I worked my own job while helping her meet investors and secure her first clients.

She would never have become the successful founder she was without everything I had done for her.

Yet somehow, in her mind, I was the one who couldn’t survive without her.

I was too drained to defend myself anymore.

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

I finished the last bite of my sandwich, stood up, and left.