NOTHING BREAKS LIKE A HEART (2)

IVY’S POV

My hands dropped from Ethan’s cheeks and I spun around, my eyes darting toward the dining table. My breath hitched when I realized we weren't alone. Three women were sitting there, watching our entire exchange.

Seated at the head of the table was Helen Carter, Ethan’s mother. Her spine was perfectly straight, highlighting her silvering hair she pulled back into a flawless bun. Helen had never liked me but she usually masked it with fake smiles and backhanded compliments. Tonight, though, the mask was completely off. If looks could kill, I would have dropped dead right there from the glare she threw my way.

To her right was Chloe, Ethan’s teenage sister, who was staring at me like I was covered in vomit.

And on the left sat a girl I had never seen before in my life. She looked like she had just stepped off a New York Fashion Week runway. Her skin was airbrushed-perfect and she wore a tailored, cream-colored blazer that practically screamed old money. In fact, everything about her radiated luxury, especially the designer Chanel handbag sitting on the table in front of her.

"Thank God, you’re here. Your timing is perfect. We were just about to call you. Come and sit down. We need to talk," Helen ordered as she slowly rose from her chair.

My legs felt like jelly as I walked over to the dining area with my heart hammering against my chest.

I sank into the chair and bent my head to avoid the intimidating gaze of the wealthy looking stranger sitting across from me. When I glanced back at Ethan, he was still standing in the living room with his back completely turned to us.

Confusion turned into a cold dread in my chest. This was so unlike him. What on earth was happening?

Helen reached into her handbag and threw a document in front of me, diverting my attention from Ethan.

"You need to face reality, Ivy," her voice was sharp enough to draw blood. "You are completely beneath my son, and honestly, you've been nothing but a distraction. I understand that he felt sorry for you while he was still struggling but now that he has a real career, we don't need a charity case hanging around. Things have changed. Ethan now has a bright future and a status to maintain."

She gestured toward the brunette across from me. "This is Clara. Her father is one of the top corporate attorneys in the state. Now that Ethan is moving up in his career, he needs a partner who reflects his success and can actually support him in his social circles. Not a broke waitress who will drag him back down to the gutter. If you really love him like you claim you do, you’ll understand what I’m trying to say.”

A snicker escaped Chloe’s lips but she quickly masked it with a fake cough and gave me an insulting wave of mock sympathy that made the humiliation burn even hotter in my throat.

I looked away from her and sent my eyes down to the document on the table. The bold, capitalized letters stamped across the top pierced straight through my chest: FORMAL RESTRAINING ORDER. Helen was legally prohibiting me from coming within a hundred yards of Ethan, his apartment, or his new office.

But the humiliation didn't stop there. Clipped to the back of the legal paperwork was a thick, banded stack of hundred-dollar bills.

"Yes, I also added a cash settlement," Helen added, her eyes tracking my gaze. "I’m sure it’s more than enough to reimburse you for every dollar you spent on him while he was establishing himself. Consider your little investment fully paid off. Now, I want you to take that money, sign the document, and disappear permanently from my son’s life."

The sheer humiliation felt like a physical chokehold. Hot tears spilled over my lashes, instantly blurring my vision. I bolted up from the chair and rushed back into the living room where Ethan stood. I grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn around and face me.

"Ethan, baby, I know you don't want this," I sobbed, my voice cracking. "Your mother is trying to pressure you, right? Don’t listen to her. Don’t let her ruin what we have. Remember all the plans we have, even our wedding next month. Please don’t—"

With a violent jerk, Ethan yanked his arm out of my grip. The force of his movement sent me stumbling backward, my thighs hitting the hard edge of the sofa.

"Don't touch me," he spat in a venomous tone he had never, ever used on me.

Every muscle in my body froze.

The sound of his mother and sister’s laughter filled the room but I was too hyper-focused on the man standing in front of me to care.

Did he just push me? Ethan?

"Ethan...?" I whispered, staring at him in disbelief.

"My mother is absolutely right," he blurted out, looking down his nose at me like I was a piece of gum he’d stepped on. "I can't be with you anymore. I mean, just look at yourself, Ivy. You're nothing but a college dropout and a pathetic waitress. Did you honestly believe that a man on my level was actually going to marry someone like you?"

The words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the wind right out of my lungs. I could only gape at the man before me as my lips trembled and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

He took a step closer, pointing a finger toward Clara, who was now smirking at me. "I need a woman like Clara!” He practically barked out the words. “She’s someone who can fit into the rooms I’m about to enter. So do yourself a favor and sign the paperwork, take the money and get your clingy ass out of my apartment."

The tears were pouring freely now but they didn’t mean anything to him. His gaze just dropped to my left hand, where the engagement ring he had given me twinkled weakly under his living room lamp and a look of pure disgust crossed his features.

"And do me a favor," he sneered, turning his back on me. "Throw that cheap piece of shit in the trash on your way out."