Chapter 5

That weekend, Ethan said he was throwing a welcome party for Chloe and invited a few colleagues from his company over for dinner. I didn't want to join the commotion, but he insisted I attend, claiming it would "look bad" if I wasn't there to greet everyone.

At noon, colleagues began to arrive. The living room was bustling. Chloe, in a floral dress, moved through the crowd like a diligent hostess, serving drinks and laughing flirtatiously.

"Chloe is so thoughtful, Ethan is lucky."

"She really is, her cooking is better than restaurant food."

Several male colleagues complimented her without reservation.

Ethan sat in the center of the sofa, beaming. "Of course, Chloe has always been skilled with her hands, unlike *some* people who, even after marriage, won't even step foot in the kitchen." He glanced at me, pointedly.

I sat quietly in a corner armchair, sipping plain water, pretending not to hear.

"Aurora, dinner's ready!" Chloe walked out with the last dish, warmly calling to me.

Everyone sat around the dining table. Chloe specifically pushed a plate of peanut butter fried chicken in front of me.

"I made this just for you. See if you like it."

I frowned slightly. "I'm allergic to peanuts, don't you know that?"

The atmosphere at the table instantly chilled. Chloe immediately covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with feigned grievance. "I'm sorry, I... I really forgot. I just remembered Ethan loves this dish the most, so I just made it." She looked at Ethan for help.

Ethan, as expected, did not disappoint her and immediately scowled. "Aurora, what's wrong with you? Chloe worked so hard to make all this food, why are you being so nitpicky?"

"I'm just stating a fact; I can't eat peanuts."

"If you can't eat it, just pick it out! Do you have to be a killjoy when everyone's having a good time?" Ethan slammed his fork onto the table. "If you don't want to eat, then don't! Go back to your room."

Several colleagues exchanged glances. "Ethan, she's allergic, let it go," someone tried to mediate.

"What 'body type'? She's just being dramatic!" Ethan snorted.

"Aurora, my bad, really. Here, let me get you some soup as an apology." Chloe offered a bowl of soup.

To leave quickly, I drank it.

Less than a minute later, my throat started to tighten, and my breathing grew shallow. Large red rashes quickly broke out on my skin, itching terribly.

"Aurora, what's wrong with you?" Chloe called out, feigning surprise.

I clutched my chest, gasping for air, trying to stand up from the chair, but my legs buckled, and I tumbled to the floor.

"Aurora, what are you faking now?" Ethan sat in his chair, not moving an inch. "How serious can a bowl of soup be? Don't embarrass me in front of my colleagues!"

My airway was already seizing up; I couldn't even get out a full sentence. The colleagues around finally realized something was seriously wrong.

"Ethan, she really looks bad, her face is turning purple!"

"Call 911!"

The scene devolved into chaos, some rushing to help me, others grabbing their phones to call.

Only then did Ethan stand up and walk over, looking down at me. "Such a pain, can't even eat a meal in peace." He didn't help me up, nor did he come with me to the hospital. When the ambulance arrived, he merely asked a female colleague to accompany me.

"I still have guests to entertain. You go with her, and I'll cover the medical expenses," he said dismissively, standing at the doorway.

I lay in the hospital emergency room for four hours. After an IV drip and an anti-allergy shot, my breathing gradually stabilized.

At midnight, the colleague had already gone home, and I was alone in the hospital room. I leaned against the headboard, took out my phone, and opened the home surveillance app.

The footage from the master bedroom was crystal clear. Ethan and Chloe stood in front of the ecosystem tank.

"Ethan, where should we play tonight?" Chloe's voice came through the wiretap.

"To her hospital room." Ethan's face was twisted in a wicked grin. "She's probably half-dead in that bed right now. We'll try it out right on her hospital bed; she'll never know."

Messages instantly flooded the screen.

[OMG, in a hospital bed? Ethan is so wild!]

[Chloe's poisoning move today was brilliant. It got Aurora out of the way so they could go find thrills in the hospital room.]

[Hurry, hurry, I can't wait to see them having sex right under Aurora's nose.]

I looked at the screen, a cold smile playing on my lips. On the screen, Chloe tilted her head back and drank a small bottle of blue liquid, instantly vanishing from the spot. Ethan vanished too.

I put down my phone and glanced at the thermos of steaming hot water on the nightstand.

"Alright, I'll wait for you."