Chapter 10
I stared at Ethan, baffled by his sudden display. His feelings for Amanda were obvious to anyone with eyes. Now that she was back, wouldn‘ t letting me go be a relief to him? Why chase me all the way overseas?
Seeing my silence, he took out a red velvet box and knelt down on one knee.
“Emma, I know I’ve hurt you before. But believe me, I’ll make it up to you. Marry me and from now on, you’ll be the only one in my life.”
Inside the box lay a sparkling pink
diamond ring and for a moment, the scene reminded me of the countless times I had dreamed of this. But thankfully, he had never really offered before.
I reached out and as hope started to gather in his eyes, I calmly closed the velvet box.
“Ethan, I once loved you because I thought
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you were upright and remarkable. But I was wrong. You‘ re nothing but a liar, skilled at hiding behind your facade of decency.”
“You have no boundaries. You could deceive your own brother’s sister without a second thought. Why would I entrust my future to someone like you?”
As I spoke, his face grew increasingly pale. He shook his head weakly, unable to say a word in defense.
“I’m getting married,” I continued.
He looked up at me sharply, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Even though we’ve only known each other a short time, I’m already very happy with him. He’s handsome, respectful, a great conversationalist and, most importantly, he’s a man of integrity.”
“So, please don‘ t ever come looking for me again.”
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“No.”
Ethan dropped the flowers and the ring box, grasping my wrists as he knelt before me, refusing to let go.
“Emma, I know I was wrong before. I thought I couldn’t let go of Amanda. But when you left, I realized you were the one who truly mattered.”
“These past few days have been hell. I couldn’t eat or sleep and I even called your brother in the middle of the night, desperate to know where you were. I thought I’d go insane when I couldn’t find you.
“Please, give me another chance. After seven years together, all those intimate moments–can you really just forget?”
I laughed bitterly. “Ethan, in those seven years, ask yourself: while I was by your side, who were you thinking about? Who did you see when you looked at me?”
I pried his hands off, feeling an intense
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sense of disgust. As I packed my things before leaving, I realized how few of my clothes, jewelry, or bags actually suited my taste. The ones I’d chosen with him were almost all in Amanda‘ s style.
I had never looked like Amanda. I just shared a faint resemblance, which he exaggerated with his choices, molding me
into her shadow.
Finally, I managed to free myself from his grip, stumbling backward from the force. Just as I was about to fall, a strong hand caught me from behind, then wrapped around my shoulders protectively.
Turning around, I saw William‘ s icy expression.
“When did you get here?” I asked, surprised.
William‘ s stern face softened into a slight
smile as he looked at me.
“Since the moment this guy showed up with those flowers.”
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