Chapter 2

The next morning, the full deposit was wired back into my bank account.

That evening, our parents set up their usual FaceTime call to go over the renovation plans for next month.

"Ethan, the interior designer is asking for the final blueprints. How are you two doing with the down payment?"

My mom asked through the screen with a warm smile.

Ethan didn't look at me. He looked straight into the camera.

"Actually, Chloe and I talked it over. We decided to push the purchase to next year."

His tone was firm and decisive, leaving zero room for discussion.

The smile on my mom's face froze.

"Postpone it? But all our friends and family know you two are buying a place to get married. Why the sudden delay?"

My dad frowned, his displeasure obvious.

I turned to look at Ethan.

Prior to this call, he hadn't given me a single heads-up.

"We have a massive project rolling out at the end of the quarter, and capital is tight," Ethan lied smoothly. "On top of that, the new team Hailey is leading is at a critical stage. I need to keep my focus entirely on the company."

He dropped Hailey's name without a second thought.

"If we miss this growth window, the startup could go under. Waiting a few months to buy a house won't hurt."

I watched him, every shred of hope draining from my chest.

He couldn't bear to let Hailey miss a team party, yet he felt that the home I had waited five years for could simply be shoved aside.

"How can you say that? Real estate prices fluctuate every week. If you back out now, aren't all our efforts wasted?"

My dad's voice rose sharply.

Ethan's brow twitched.

He turned to me. "Chloe, explain it to your parents. We really don't need to rush this right now."

He made the unilateral decision, yet he expected me to do the damage control.

On the screen, my parents looked anxious and upset, while Ethan sat there, completely self-righteous.

"Mom, Dad, let's just push it back," I said calmly. "We'll talk about buying a house later."

Ethan's mother jumped in to smooth things over.

"Oh, you know how Ethan is—he's always been so career-driven. The company is in its early stages, so he has to take full responsibility. Chloe has always been so sensible; I knew she'd understand."

The FaceTime call ended in awkward silence.

The living room fell so quiet you could hear the soft hum of the robotic vacuum.

Ethan leaned back against the couch, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"You took a hit for me today," he said, turning to look at me with a tone of condescending warmth. "But you've always been right by my side. Buying a house sooner or later doesn't change anything. There was no need to make a scene and ruin everyone's mood during such a critical time for the company."

I looked at him and almost laughed out loud.

Three years ago, I had been accepted into a prestigious culinary program, and that was also when Claire first reached out to offer me the job.

It was an opportunity I had poured my heart and soul into.

Back then, Ethan told me he was quitting his job to launch a startup and desperately needed someone he trusted to handle operations and logistics.

For the sake of our future, I gave up my dream and spent countless sleepless, unpaid nights grinding alongside him.

I thought sacrifice was a two-way street. Only now did I realize that I was the only one stepping aside.

My phone buzzed.

It was an official digital contract from Claire.

[Chloe, the position is yours. But tourist season is starting, so you'd need to report in two days.]

[I can hold this offer until 6:00 PM tonight. If you're in, sign it and send it back.]

I stared at the screen, the cool glow illuminating my face.

Ethan stood up.

"I need to check out the venue for Hailey's team party tomorrow, so I'm going to bed."

He didn't ask what I was looking at. He took it for granted that, like always, I would quietly swallow my feelings.

I didn't say a word. I simply typed a single word into the message box—[Yes]—and signed my name on the dotted line.