Chapter 4

Vivian's POV

I took a deep breath and turned to face Sabrina.

"I'm sorry, Miss Moore. Please forgive me."

A flash of triumph crossed Sabrina's face, but she quickly replaced it with a pitiful expression.

She wiped the corner of her eye and spoke softly, "Vivian, I don't blame you. What happened back then was indeed my fault, though because of your report, I've had a terrible life these years..."

Her tears fell again.

"But that's what I deserved. I actually really want to be friends with you. If you could..."

She paused, her gaze falling on the bracelet on my wrist.

"Give me that bracelet on your hand, I'd be so happy."

I blurted out, "Impossible!"

That bracelet was the only keepsake my grandmother left me.

When I was young, my parents both worked and had no time to care for me. I was raised by my grandmother.

In high school, Grandma was critically ill, but Ethan's condition was very unstable at the time. I stayed with him, not daring to leave.

By the time Ethan's emotions stabilized, my mom brought news of Grandma's death.

I never even saw Grandma one last time.

I held the bracelet Grandma left behind and cried night after night.

At that time, Ethan barely communicated with the outside world.

But that day, he spoke his first complete sentence.

He held my hand and said solemnly, "I will protect this bracelet for life, just as I will protect you."

That was his first promise to me.

I stared at Ethan, my voice trembling. "She wants my bracelet, Ethan?"

Ethan turned his head, not daring to look at my eyes. "Vivian, the bracelet is a dead object. It's not as important as a living person."

My eyes turned red as I stared at him intently.

Ethan's brow furrowed deeply, as if hesitating.

Just then, Sabrina's tears fell again.

She said pitifully, "Forget it, I don't deserve it. Someone like me should live in the mud forever. How could I be qualified to be friends with you?"

This sentence stung Ethan. He no longer hesitated and signaled to the bodyguard at the door.

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward.

One pressed down on my shoulder while the other reached for my wrist.

I struggled desperately. "Let go of me!"

But how could I match the strength of two adult men?

The bodyguard roughly tore the bracelet from my wrist and handed it to Sabrina.

Tears instantly welled up. I glared at Ethan, my eyes full of disappointment and despair.

Sabrina took the bracelet, a flash of triumph on her face.

The next second, she loosened her hand, and the bracelet fell to the floor.

The bracelet shattered into several pieces, fragments scattering everywhere.

"Oops, I didn't mean to..." Sabrina covered her mouth, pretending to be panicked.

I desperately broke free from the bodyguards' control, crouched on the ground, and picked up the fragments while crying.

I clutched all the fragments in my palm, gripping them tightly.

The edges of the bracelet were sharp. Combined with my already injured palm, blood seeped out.

Ethan's face changed dramatically. He grabbed my hand. "Vivian, let go now!"

I raised my head, tears blurring my vision.

I laughed, my laughter full of mockery. "Are you satisfied now? Is your Sabrina satisfied? Can you leave everyone alone now?"

Ethan immediately picked me up. "Don't talk. I'll take you to the hospital right away!"

Behind us came Sabrina's call. "Ethan."

Ethan didn't hear her at all and rushed out of the apartment.

At the hospital emergency room, the doctor bandaged me. Seeing the wound, he frowned.

"You just injured it two days ago, and now you've injured it again today? If you don't take care of it properly, the flexibility of this hand will be affected in the future. It may never recover to what it was."

Ethan's face turned white. "How did it get injured the day before yesterday? Why didn't you tell me?"

I stared woodenly out the window, my tone indifferent. "Isn't it thanks to you?"

Ethan froze, apparently remembering the scene from the reunion that day.

His tone became panicked. "Vivian, I didn't see. I-"

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

I didn't want to hear him speak.

Ethan's words stuck in his throat, unable to come out.

After the doctor rebandaged my wound and gave a long list of instructions.

On the drive home from the hospital, I leaned against the car window with my eyes closed, not saying a word.

Ethan hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

"I didn't expect it to turn out like this, Vivian." His voice was very low. "I just can't stand seeing many people bully one person. When Sabrina knelt on the ground that day, I remembered myself back then, so I lost control."

I sneered inwardly. How was that the same?

Sabrina knelt down voluntarily. No one forced her.

No one invited her. She came on her own.

Everyone present could see that Sabrina was deliberately acting. Only Ethan couldn't see it.

Or rather, he didn't want to see it.

I kept my eyes closed and said nothing.

Seeing no response, Ethan grew more anxious.

"I just wanted you to apologize to her today, wanted everyone to be okay. This outcome wasn't my intention."

He continued, "I'll have someone restore the bracelet. I promised I would protect this bracelet for life, just as I would protect you. I won't go back on my word."

Mentioning the bracelet made my heart ache again.

I remembered when Grandma died, the way he held my hand and said those words.

Back then, his eyes were sincere and serious.

But now, he personally had someone take the bracelet and watched it shatter.

I spent seven years transforming Ethan from someone who couldn't feel pain or love into a normal person who understood love and kindness.

But he gave all his love and kindness to Sabrina.

My heart hurt to the point of numbness. I still didn't speak.

The car fell silent again.

Looking at my pale face, Ethan's expression grew increasingly panicked.

He took a deep breath. "Vivian, there's nothing between Sabrina and me. I just ran into her recently and saw her working as a waitress at a small restaurant, being bullied. She was pitiful."

"Besides, I really was abnormal back then. I can't blame her for saying I was sick."

Hearing that last sentence, I suddenly laughed.

I opened my eyes, turned my head to look at Ethan, and laughed until tears came out.

The person I worked so hard to save all these years actually thought he deserved to be bullied.