Chapter 2

I didn't say a single word from beginning to end.

Sensing that something was off, Ethan glared at Chloe again.

"Haven't you talked enough tonight?"

"If you have nothing else to say, go back to your room."

Chloe didn't get angry at his harsh tone. Instead, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ethan, that's not very fair of you."

"What? The moment you're not having an episode, I'm just disposable?"

"Don't come begging to hug me when you start feeling miserable later."

They bickered back and forth, completely ignoring me, as if I were nothing more than thin air.

Back when Ethan and I first started dating, Chloe had looked down on him in every possible way.

Every time they met, sparks flew.

"He's almost thirty and still just a low-level corporate drone. Serena, what do you even see in him?"

Ethan never backed down either.

"Being an ordinary employee is still better than being someone who only knows how to gossip behind people's backs."

Back then, their arguments always seemed centered around looking out for me.

Because of that, I never doubted their loyalty.

Who could have predicted that everything was merely an act?

If this had happened in the past, I would have stepped in to mediate.

Tonight, however, I only felt deep exhaustion.

"If there's nothing else, I'm going to bed."

The moment I stepped away, the living room fell dead silent.

I lowered my head, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle.

They never needed me as a middleman in the first place.

Right after I lay down in bed, Ethan followed me into the room.

He knelt by the bedside, leaning over to look at me.

"Serena, you've been acting strange today. What happened?"

"Don't carry everything on your own. You have me."

He was so close that his dark pupils reflected only my face.

My heart filled with bitterness.

Ethan probably hadn't even realized that a faint hickey was still visible on the side of his neck.

"Nothing. I'm just tired."

Ethan opened his mouth to say more, but his phone suddenly buzzed.

He pulled it out quickly, glanced at the screen, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Less than a minute after putting his phone down, he clutched his chest, his breathing turning rapid and shallow.

"Serena, I... I think an episode is starting... I can't catch my breath..."

"Serena, it hurts so bad..."

In the past, I would have rushed out to find Chloe, begging her to help soothe his symptoms.

Now, I just stared blankly at him.

Through the reflection in the window glass, I had already seen the notification on his screen.

It was a text from Chloe.

Just one simple sentence:

[Five minutes. If you don't come comfort me, I'm leaving with the baby.]

That was why he had staged this sudden episode so desperately.

Honestly, Ethan's acting was terrible.

In the past, I had only believed it because I was blinded by guilt and constantly made excuses for him.

Not anymore.

"If you're having an episode, call a doctor. What's the point of telling me?"

A flash of genuine shock crossed Ethan's eyes.

For a split second, he nearly dropped the act entirely.

"Serena, you..."

I rolled over, turning my back to him.

Ethan's phone buzzed repeatedly.

With a helpless sigh, he offered an explanation, as if trying to clear his conscience.

"Serena, I really feel terrible right now. Can I go stay with Chloe for a bit?"

"Don't overthink it. I promise it's just to get through this flare-up..."

I didn't answer.

The messages on the other end were relentless, so he didn't wait for my reply before rushing out.

Less than a minute later, their voices drifted from the adjacent room.

"What took you so long? You're so slow! Why are you just standing there? Come hold me!"

Ethan didn't move. "Serena was acting weird tonight. Do you think she found out something?"

"You're just too tense. Come over here and tell me if this new lingerie looks good on me."

"I'm talking about something serious."

Chloe lost her temper. "So what if she found out? We're going to tell her sooner or later anyway."

"I'm sick and tired of sneaking around like this!"

Ethan sounded exasperated. "Chloe, stop talking out of anger. She can't know anything before the wedding."

"Otherwise, Serena won't be able to handle it. We already owe her too much."

Chloe fell silent for a long moment before answering coldly.

"You saved her life. You don't owe her anything."

"Ethan, you know deep down whether you're doing this out of love or out of guilt."

The man didn't reply.

The night was so quiet that even their hushed whispers carried clearly into my ears.

Clenching my teeth, I quietly booked a plane ticket back to my hometown.