Chapter 2
“Digging up camera footage is too much trouble. Why would I lie to you?”
Ethan stood over me, towering with authority. “Lily Evans, regardless of what the cameras show, you still hurt someone. Apologize to Sophia.”
Watching him twist right and wrong, I felt my heart growing cold.
“Ethan Cole, do you really refuse to see the truth?”
“I know exactly what’s going on. Sophia is such a delicate girl-how could she possibly lie about
this?
You, on the other hand, have never liked her. Pushing her is exactly the kind of thing you’d do.” Looking at the man I’d loved for five years and married for three, I felt only disgust.
But for the sake of leaving quickly, I chose to compromise.
‘I’m sorry.”
Only then did Ethan seem satisfied. He helped Sophia to her feet and walked her out.
leaned against the coffee table for a long time until the wound on my forehead finally began to scab over.
Three hours later, my phone buzzed with a message: “Dear Mr. Cole, your Ocean-view Suite has been successfully reserved.”
At the same time, the company chat group announced the year-end bonuses.
Beside my name, a glaring zero appeared.
This past year, I’d secured ten multi-million-dollar projects for the company, with countless smaller ones as well-yet my bonus was reduced to nothing.
gnoring the pain in my head, I dialed Ethan’s number.
He hung up on me three times before finally answering, his voice dripping with irritation.
What do you want? Are you insane?”
cut straight to the point. Even if I was leaving, I wouldn’t abandon what was rightfully mine.
Ethan, where is my annual bonus?”
By my calculations, I should be receiving at least a million dollars. Why is it zero?”
He remained indifferent.
Your bonus has already been converted into a Hawaii trip as an apology gift for Sophia.”
You pushed her earlier. Did you really think a simple ‘sorry’ would be enough?
Because of you, she sprained her ankle and can hardly walk. This is your chance to atone.”
A bitter smile tugged at my lips-at myself, and at Ethan’s hypocrisy.
‘Have you forgotten the profits from those projects I brought in?
How can you squander the fruits of my labor like this?”
Before he could respond, Sophia’s voice came through the line.
‘Lily, don’t be so unreasonable. You pushed me, left me in pain for days, and now you’re fussing
over a little vacation money?
Mr. Cole has spoiled you too much. You’ve forgotten that his money belongs to him-he can spend it however he wants.”
“Besides, it’s not like it’s all for me. Ethan and I already planned to bring back seashells from Hawaii as a gift for you.”
My nails dug deep into my palm. Faced with such shamelessness, I realized my years of effort had been wasted.
“Ethan, have you forgotten the sacrifices I made to secure those projects?
The nights I worked overtime without eating? The endless rounds of drinks until my stomach
bled?
Or the fact that because of this exhausting lifestyle, we lost our child?”
At the mention of the baby, a tear slipped down my cheek.
During one frantic project deadline, after forty-eight sleepless hours, I lost the child who had been my greatest hope.
It was a pain I would carry for life.
