Chapter 2

Standing in the doorway, I suddenly found this scene laughable.

The same door, the same woman, the same bed. Only the man standing by the bed had changed, while the woman standing at the door was still me.

Leah, you really know how to pick them.

I let out a mocking laugh and said coldly:

"Move."

He didn't budge. In fact, he defensively took half a step forward.

"Leah..."

"I said move."

My voice was calm. "I'm not going to hit her."

Ethan hesitated for two seconds. Perhaps my crazed reaction when I caught Victor cheating four years ago had left him traumatized, because he didn't quite trust me.

Even as he stepped aside, his entire body still leaned protectively toward that woman.

I took two steps closer. My father's illegitimate daughter, Claire, was huddled at the head of the bed with the blanket pulled up to her chin, revealing a face I knew so well it made me sick. She looked exactly as she had four years ago, even her panicked expression hadn't changed.

Her eyes were red as she looked at me pitifully, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.

I didn't give her the chance:

"Your mother stole my father, and you slept with my husband. Is scavenging trash the only trick you two know?"

Tears immediately spilled down her cheeks.

Ethan stepped between us, bent down to pick up some clothes, handed them to Claire, and patted her gently:

"Get dressed first, don't catch a cold."

Then he ushered her out the door:

"Go home first. Don't be scared, I'm here. I'll come find you once I'm done here."

He even leaned down and kissed Claire on the forehead.

Only after all this did Ethan turn back to me, frowning with irritation:

"Leah, you're being too aggressive. Claire is younger than you. Your words are too harsh."

He'd been so busy protecting Claire that he hadn't even had time to put on his shirt.

As he bent down to pour water, the tattoo on his waist stretched taut—

"Leah"

When he confessed to me back then, he said he'd gotten it tattooed a long time ago but hadn't had a chance to tell me before I got together with Victor.

So he hid his feelings, just wanting to stay by my side forever.

But this "forever" turned out to be short-lived after all.

Ethan added two lemon slices to the water, stirred it, and brought it over to me. His tone was calm, as if nothing had happened:

"I noticed you've been nauseous lately, so I did some research. It said drinking lemon water might help."

That was before my business trip.

I'd been unable to eat for several days, constantly nauseous, but I was too busy with the company's merger case to spare the time. Ethan had been busy too during that period, saying the law firm had taken on a major case. He left earlier than me every day and came home later. I'd thought he was too busy to notice, but I never expected he'd still seen it.

"Have you been to the hospital? I happen to have time today. Let me take you to get it checked out."

The lemon water in my hand was the perfect temperature, yet it sent a bitter chill from the deepest part of my heart, making my voice tremble:

"When did it start?"