Crupter 2
Ethan Carter’s yearning poured out like a torrential rain.
His earnest gaze momentarily disoriented me, but I wouldn’t fall for it again.
I looked at him with a cold smile.
‘Ethan Carter, do you even know what you’re saying?”
“Your bride is Chloe Davies, not me.”
Ethan’s brows furrowed, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
He had hidden it so well, why did I still know?
But love is a battlefield, how could it ever be truly hidden?
“Moon, it’s not what you think!”
20 28 W
“Chloe and I are getting married just to fulfill a promise we made. Chloe is sick, and her husband abandoned her. Having a wedding was her bigg-
est wish.”
promised her I would make that jerk pay and that I would give her a perfect wedding.”
Ethan Carter’s explanation made me laugh out loud.
How incredibly selfless, really.
“Ethan Carter, you’re ridiculous! What kind of promise requires you to get married to fulfill it?”
“So, next, if Chloe says she wants you to give her a child, would you agree to that too?”
“And if her wish is to die with you, would you just go and end your life with her?”
“Ethan Carter, are you trying to put on a TV drama here? You’re using all the most cliché tropes! You’ve been a divorce lawyer for so many years,
you’ve seen enough to know better!”
Ethan Carter’s lie was exposed, and he stumbled backward, knocking over a row of wine glasses.
The glass shattered on the floor, irrevocably broken, just like my part in his life.
Yes, if he didn’t love her, why would he announce it to friends and family, why would he hold a wedding?
“Moon, ! was wrong. I won’t be such a people–pleaser anymore.”
I’ve found the best doctor/for Chloe, and I won’t contact her anymore, okay?”
“Let’s go back and get married. Let’s make things right, okay?”
Ethan Carter had always been the type to admit his mistakes and correct them.
Whenever I got angry, he would readily admit his fault and offer solutions.
But I wasn’t a company boss; I didn’t care about the quality of his solutions.
I just knew that things you didn’t love should be discarded.
And people you didn’t love should be kept at a distance.
“Ethan Carter, I don’t love you anymore. We broke up. I’m not coming back.”
Seeing me speak so calmly, Ethan’s voice choked.
He cried, simultaneously questioning.
“Why, Jenna Miller, why don’t you love me anymore?”
“We said we’d be together forever!”
‘We said we’d drink wine all over the world!”
His helplessness was painfully familiar, for in my nightmares, he was just like this.
In the long nights, he too had begged, over and over.
Begging the person in his dream to return, begging them to love him just one more time.
At the time, I foolishly stayed by his side, reassuring him again and again.
“Ethan Carter, I’m here. I’ve always been here.”
Now, thinking back, I was just a fool who misunderstood.
My eyes narrowed with disgust as I looked at him.
“Ethan Carter, please stop putting on an innocent act in front of me.”
“You’re nothing but an emotional swindler! Chloe Davies abandoning you has nothing to do with me, so why did you come mess with me?”
“Now she’s come crawling back to you, so why are you acting so pathetic?”
hurled every vile thought I could think of at him.
As if that would make Ethan Carter stop loving me.
As if that would make him leave me alone.
Ethan Carter stood rooted to the spot.
He listened intently, without rebuttal, without interruption.
As if by doing so, I would forgive him.
As if by doing so, I would go with him.
Finally, after my barrage of harsh words, Ethan let out a sigh of relief and slowly began to speak.
‘Moon, if you don’t like going back, then let’s get married here, okay?”
Before ! could reply, Ethan ran out.
I was so furious I gulped down a whole glass of cold water.
He and ! were alike in our stubbornness, yet so far apart.
I paid no mind to his words.
My good mood for the day was completely ruined by Ethan Carter.
I told Alex to close the shop early.
Before leaving, Alex said he wanted to take me for a walk.
Alex and I were college classmates.
We had opened the winery together in Evergreen Valley.
He was always cheerful to everyone, but three years ago, when I told him I was leaving with Ethan Carter, we had our first argument.
After that, we rarely contacted each other.
Every month, he’d send me the wine he needed, and I’d send it back on time.
Seeing him again, he had become much quieter.
When he saw me return alone, he wisely stayed in the background.
Our conversations were limited to basic greetings and winemaking.
But today, he was unusually proactive.
“Moon, want to get your favorite warm cider?”
