The Calm Before Ruin

Ethan Carter flung Yvette Jenkins's bra in my face before slamming the door shut behind him.

The flimsy door did little to muffle Yvette's moans.

The sting on my face lingered.

A fellow hiker, with a sneer, gave me a once-over and quipped, "Never pegged Mr. White as the sharing type, giving away his fiancée's first time like that.

"Maybe you'll let us have a go, too..."

At those words, my pent-up rage exploded.

I lunged and landed a solid punch on the mocker's face.

Before I could unleash more of my fury, Yvette intervened.

She grabbed my hand and rushed into the room, her eyes filled with worry for Ethan.

"Ethan said you could have me first, just until it's done. After that, I'll go take care of his 'illness.'

"That settles it, right? We're not breaking any promises this way."

I could not help but snort in disbelief.

Yvette stopped in her tracks, shot me a fierce look, her annoyance plain to see.

"Jayden! Would I have even come up with this if you hadn't made such a big deal about the first night?

"Ethan's too kind, considering your ego! You're clueless!"

Ethan's voice was laced with feigned regret, but his eyes twinkled with triumph as he said, "Sorry, Jayden, I... I didn't want it this way, but there's no other option now...

"I'm reacting to the meds, my apologies..."

With that, he deliberately caressed Yvette's chin and leaned in for a kiss, right in front of me.

They were like a spark to kindling, their passion igniting unabashedly as I stood there.

Amid their breathy exchanges, I turned numbly and walked away.

The crowd's gazes, some sympathetic, some scornful, followed me as I left.

My fist was clenched so tight that my nails dug into the soft skin of my palm, but I did not even feel the pain that should have been shooting through me.

It was not until half an hour later that Yvette emerged. She was wearing Ethan's bulky jacket, and her pale thighs were smeared with streaks of drying blood. I had steeled myself for that moment, but the sight of her, marked by another man, still sent a sharp pang through my chest.

She towered over me, her voice raspy with emotion, "Jayden, Ethan's out of oxygen. He needs your tank now!

"Ethan's still woozy from the drugs, and I need to help him out. You get it, don't you?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on me, and the room erupted in snickers. Yvette's cheeks flamed with embarrassment, and she hung her head low. The ache in my heart twisted like a knife, churning with betrayal.

I managed to croak out, "Yvette, does this count as one of the things I've done for you?"

She massaged her temples, clearly annoyed and reluctant to acknowledge it. However, Ethan's labored breathing behind her seemed to throw her into a panic. "Yes, it counts," she blurted.

A bitter smile touched my lips as I handed her the last of my oxygen.

As she turned and rushed back to Ethan, I was hit by a wave of memories.

There was a time when Yvette would always put me first. However, that was when I, the mafia heir with a heart defect, had to hide in her house to escape my enemies.

She saved my life with a blood transfusion, and I vowed to repay her by doing 100 favors.

Before Ethan came back into her life, she had only asked for two: to be her boyfriend, and to marry her.

However, Ethan came into the picture, and the game changed.

She started tossing her rules out the window for Ethan, wounding me without a second thought, shaming me.

However, what she did not realize was that there were just two more 'favors' left, and we would be square.