Chapter 3

Ethan clamped his mouth shut awkwardly.

When we got out of the car, he hurried over to my side, reaching out to hold my hand.

I casually shifted away, shoving my hands into my coat pockets.

The next second, Harper slid in between us, linking her arm affectionately through his.

Ethan didn't pull away. He even instinctively shielded her with his hand, making sure she didn't bump into the car door.

I watched it all, silent.

I just walked straight ahead.

The moment the front door of our new house swung open, Harper’s stomachache miraculously vanished.

She excitedly dragged Ethan around the house, critiquing every corner.

"Ethan, didn't I tell you I hated the color of the guest room curtains? Why haven't you had them replaced yet?"

Hearing that, I stopped in my tracks.

"I told the contractors not to touch them. The color you picked is hideous."

"Since this is the home Ethan and I are moving into, you don't get a say."

The smile froze on Harper's face. She clearly didn't expect me to humiliate her so bluntly.

Stunned for a moment, she quickly rushed over, grabbing my arm and putting on her signature wounded-puppy act.

"Chloe, don't say that. Are you still mad at us for going to Colorado without you?"

"I'm sorry. I just saw how swamped you were and wanted you to rest over the weekend. That's why... We've known each other for eighteen years, why draw lines between us?"

With a cold face, I shook her hand off.

"No lines? Why don't you marry Ethan instead then? Harper, precisely because we've known each other for eighteen years, I know exactly what you're pulling."

"Cut the act."

Harper stood tongue-tied, her eyes welling up with tears.

"No, no, that's not true. Chloe, please don't think of me like that. I really just..."

I took a deep breath.

Since we were already here, there was no need to keep up appearances. Let's lay it all out.

"You two deliberately ignore my texts in the group chat. You chat in front of me until 2 AM, but ignore my private DMs."

"Under the guise of being 'best friends,' you go to the movies with my fiancé alone, go to dinners with him alone, and take vacations with him alone. Ask anyone on the street—ten out of ten people will tell you that's completely messed up."

"Harper, do I need to spell it out any clearer? Learn some boundaries, will you?"

Harper had no comeback. She just buried her face in her hands and started bawling.

Ethan couldn't take it anymore.

He stepped forward and shoved me backward.

"Chloe, what is wrong with you?"

"There is nothing going on between Harper and me! We've known each other for years—if something were going to happen, it would've happened ages ago. Can you stop being so paranoid? I brought you here to comfort Harper, not to point fingers and scream at her!"

I lost my balance, stumbling back hard against the hallway wall.

A dull thud, followed by a sharp ache in my back.

Ethan instinctively reached out to steady me, but his hand froze in midair.

Instead, he turned around and wrapped his arm around Harper's shoulders to soothe her.

"Chloe, apologize to Harper."

"Let this go. Stop making a scene."

I looked at the blame in his eyes. My heart had ached past its breaking point.

Now, it was just numb.

I braced myself against the wall, stood up straight, and looked him in the eye.

"It's not going away."

"There are things I need to say to you in private. I'll be in the master bedroom. Don't bring anyone else in."

With that, I walked past him.

Ethan lingered outside for a while, sweet-talking Harper and handing her a gift box and a key before finally joining me.

"Chloe, this is for you."

"Harper and I picked it out together in Colorado. We were thinking of you the whole time. Don't be mad. In the future... in the future, I'll watch my boundaries. I won't upset you again."

I glanced at the box, not taking it.

Instead, I held out my hand.

"Keep the gift. Where's my key to the house?"

"The locksmith gave you two keys when they changed the locks. One for you, one for me. Right?"

Ethan shifted his eyes guiltily.

"I... I can just pick you up from work every day. You don't really need a key, and you might lose it."

"You gave it to Harper, didn't you?"

I scoffed. The sheer absurdity of it was laughable.

"Ethan, I'm your fiancée. The future mistress of this house. And I don't even get a key?"

"Does that make any sense to you? You knew I was upset, you knew I minded, and you still gave the key to someone else. Is this our home, or yours and Harper's?"

Cornered, Ethan had no defense.

After a long pause, he mumbled under his breath:

"I'll get another copy made for you later."

"You know Harper's family situation is tough. I gave her the key so she'd feel safe and have a sense of security. As her friend, don't you want Harper to be happy..."

I couldn't take it anymore and snapped.

"Whether this is 'just as a friend,' you know the truth damn well!"

Before the words fully left my mouth, the master bedroom door was thrown open.

"Ethan, you gave me the wrong gift!" Harper cried.

"I was supposed to take the cheap ten-dollar souvenir. Why did you give me this forty-thousand-dollar designer bracelet? It even has my name engraved on it! Quick, give it back to Chloe!"

Ethan glanced at it.

"No, it's right. You said you've never owned an expensive piece of jewelry, so I wanted to get it for you."

Saying that, Ethan shoved the other gift box into my hands.

Terrified I'd explode, he lowered his voice to placate me:

"I'm short on cash right now, so just make do with this one for now. When year-end bonuses come in, I'll buy you a much nicer one. You know Harper's background—she barely makes any money, and you were the one who pulled strings to get her that job."

"Just have some pity on her. Stop fighting over petty things, okay?"

Harper looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

"Chloe, please just forgive me."