Chapter 4

Lily's POV

I hurriedly grabbed Sophie before she could rush over. "Don't. There's no need to ask him."

"What do you mean, don't?" Sophie was angry and anxious, her chest heaving. "Lily, after everything you've done for him, how can he treat you like this?"

I couldn't answer her. I just smiled faintly. "Come have a drink with me."

Sophie looked at me, knowing that beneath my calm exterior, my heart was shattered. Her anger turned to heartache.

"Let's go! I'll drink as much as you want today!"

In the noisy bar, I drank one glass after another.

The harsh liquid burned down my throat, scorching my stomach, but it couldn't warm my gradually freezing heart.

After drinking for who knows how long, I got up to use the restroom.

Leaning against the sink, I looked at my disheveled reflection with reddened eyes in the mirror. I tried to smile but couldn't.

As I walked out of the restroom, a figure stumbled toward me, nearly knocking me over.

I frowned and stepped back, looking up at the person. It was Kevin, also a friend of Ethan's.

He'd clearly had quite a bit to drink too, his face flushed from alcohol.

"Isn't this Lily?" Kevin squinted, recognizing me, and slapped my shoulder hard. "Looking for Ethan? Come on, he's inside. I'll take you to him!"

Before I could refuse, Kevin pulled me around the corridor to a private room door.

"Ethan, look who I brought!" Kevin pushed open the door with a flourish.

The laughter inside stopped abruptly. Everyone's eyes turned toward us.

Seven or eight people sat inside, all Ethan's close friends. Marcus was there too.

Ethan sat in the middle of the sofa, and right beside him, pressed close, was Vivian in an elegant dress.

At that moment, Ethan's hand was still holding Vivian's. They looked very intimate.

Time seemed to freeze.

Ethan's smile stiffened. The others exchanged glances. The atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Kevin belatedly realized what he'd done. He slapped his forehead, the alcohol shock sobering him up. "Oh no, wait, that's not... Lily, I..."

Before he could finish, I turned and walked away without a word.

"Lily!"

Ethan's expression changed. He quickly stood and chased after me.

In the corridor, Ethan grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, forcing me to face him. "Lily, why are you here? And why did you leave as soon as you saw me?"

I looked up at him. "If I'd stayed, wouldn't it have been awkward for everyone?"

Ethan was silent for a moment before saying, "Did someone... tell you something?"

"Does someone need to tell me?" I smiled. "You proposed to Vivian. All your friends know. It's all over the company. You never planned to hide it. You're just waiting for me to leave on my own so you two can get married smoothly, right?"

"It's not what you think!" Ethan interrupted, urgently trying to explain. "Vivian is the heiress to the Lynn family empire. She saved my life before. These four years, she's used the Lynn family connections to help me secure many resources. She's made enemies because of it. I owe her too much."

"So what does that have to do with me?"

"Her only wish is to marry me. I'm marrying her to repay that debt." He gripped my shoulders with both hands. "Lily, don't you know who I've had in my heart all these years? As long as you don't mind her existence, nothing between us will change. We'll be just like before."

I froze, finding it unbelievable. "So you're saying you want me to be the mistress in your marriage to someone else?"

Ethan's expression stalled. He wanted to argue, but his words were interrupted by a sudden voice.

"Ethan, what are you doing here?"

Vivian walked gracefully toward us.