Chapter 2

That evening when Ethan got off work, I was packing my things.

Seeing the two large suitcases in front of me, he paused mid-step.

"Why did you come home early today without waiting for me?"

Here we go again.

He always had this ability to just turn the page on his own.

Then I was supposed to take the out he offered me and step down gracefully.

And pretend nothing happened while we played the part of a loving couple.

But now I didn't want to pretend anymore.

"Didn't your assistant tell you? We're done."

His brow immediately furrowed, like I'd touched a sore spot.

"I'm trying to have a decent conversation with you, and you just have to be passive-aggressive, don't you?"

"Lily grew up with you. You were the one who brought her to the company in the first place. What are you being so dramatic about now?"

He was right.

I was indeed the one who brought Lily to the company.

She and I grew up in the same village. The village chief told us to look out for each other away from home.

So when she graduated from college and couldn't find a job, I proactively brought her to our company.

She was obedient and sensible, and I was happy to mentor her.

Until I noticed her gazes at Ethan growing increasingly tender.

I was very familiar with that look.

Ethan had been a big shot back in school.

I'd seen countless girls look at him that way.

But Ethan's eyes had never lingered on them for even a moment.

So I dismissed it as a young girl's crush and didn't make an issue of it.

But she kept making more and more mistakes at the company.

I casually criticized her a few times.

She didn't talk back, just stood there crying while being reprimanded.

But Ethan wasn't having it.

For the first time, he yelled at me in front of the entire company.

"She's just a young girl. A few words would've been enough, wouldn't it?"

"Who do you think you are, pulling rank on your own sister like this?"

I laughed bitterly, but I wouldn't back down.

"Do you have any idea how many messes our colleagues have had to clean up because of her mistakes?"

He waved his hand dismissively.

"In that case, let Lily be my personal assistant!"

He looked around at the colleagues watching the drama unfold.

"From now on, if anyone has complaints, come straight to me! Stop gossiping behind people's backs!"

"If you can handle the work, stay! If you can't, get out!"

He strode ahead with large steps, like he'd won a battle.

Lily followed behind him, her back radiating worship for Ethan.

...

I looked up. Ethan was looking down at me from above.

I didn't know when it started, but he began making everything about winning or losing with me, always needing to come out on top.

He was no longer the man who told me in our rental apartment: "You're the only person I'll ever lose to in this life."

I glanced at my phone. The ticket confirmation was still on the screen.

I'd be going home soon.

I didn't feel like arguing with him.

"You're right. I was being dramatic."

"It won't happen again."

Seeing my reaction, his expression showed a moment of confusion.

I figured he must have been prepared for me to act like before—to demand to know when he'd actually marry me, to question him about his unclear relationship with Lily, but he never expected me to look so defeated.

After a few seconds of silence, he dropped a "whatever" and left.

He didn't come home all night.