Chapter 10
“Today is our fourth wedding anniversary. These are your favorite windmill jasmines-please take them.”
I let out a laugh of sheer exasperation.
“My wedding anniversary is in June. It already passed.”
He forced out a strained, bitter smile.
‘Claire, it’s our anniversary.”
My patience snapped, and I snapped right back.
‘What do you want from me? We’ve been divorced for years!”
‘Weren’t you the one who said I was boring, that I couldn’t help your career?”
Weren’t you the one who forced me to sacrifice a leg for Isabella, or else you’d divorce me?” And now you put on this pitiful act, as if I abandoned you-for whose benefit?”
My words pierced him like knives. He clutched at his chest, shaking his head violently.
I know what I said was cruel-I was making excuses for cheating, convincing myself that way could live with it.”
There was never anything between Isabella and me. At that concert, people egged us on, we issed-and that was it.”
As he spoke, he crawled forward on his knees and wrapped trembling hands around my leg
ripping at the hem of my clothes.
Claire, I never wanted a divorce. That day, seeing Isabella like that, I just lost control. I was urious-you didn’t talk to me, you were so ruthless, and you drove her to jump.”
Always circling back-always blaming me for being too harsh, for not treating his mistress with jentleness.
Did they ever give me the chance to speak calmly?
hadn’t wanted to reopen old wounds, but in that moment, he ignited all my fury.
kicked him away hard and let out a cold, furious laugh.
Talk? Did you ever give me the chance? Didn’t you insist it wasn’t cheating? Didn’t Isabella say with righteous conviction that you were only dating?”
His face turned pale, eyes bloodshot as he lurched forward again to clutch at my legs.
‘After the divorce, I developed severe anxiety and depression. I drowned myself in alcohol. My body shut down-I nearly died.”
‘And
you say you were looking for me? Back then, you were busy telling the world you were a widower. You would’ve loved for me to be dead already, wouldn’t you?”
I lowered my head, meeting his shocked and regretful gaze.
“Ethan, tell me-how am I supposed to face you?”
He shuddered, tears spilling like a flood.
“I-I only said I was a widower so other women wouldn’t come near me. And to force you to
show yourself.”
He buried his face in his hands, his features twisted with pain and regret.
“I didn’t know… I didn’t know you’d be so hurt. I thought you were just angry, like before-tha you’d come home when you cooled down. I thought you had nowhere else to go.”
“It’s all my fault.” He slapped himself across the face. “I let you-someone allergic to alcohol- drown yourself in it.”
“Claire.” He inched forward on his knees, voice breaking. “Forgive me. I’ll treat you right from
now on.”
I looked at him steadily, my voice calm.
‘I have a husband, a daughter, and a happy life. I don’t need you anymore.”
His anguished cry tore through the air behind me, but I didn’t look back.
A week later, our family moved to Bayshore City.
From classmates I heard he had spent a fortune hiring top lawyers, getting Isabella sentenced t
only two years.
He quit his job, drowning himself in alcohol.
Several times he was rushed to the hospital with alcohol poisoning, nearly dying.
He even changed the name on his social media account-to Ethan Walker Deserves to Die.
The once-proud financial prodigy classmates admired vanished without a trace.
Occasionally, an unknown number would call. The moment I answered, the line would cut off.
knew it was him.
quietly changed my number.
Between him and me, the best ending was never to cross paths again.
