Chapter 18
He fled from Tania’s apartment.
The paper scraps in his pocket felt like burning fire. Even through his clothes, they made
him restless.
He dumped the pieces on his table but could only stare, afraid to touch them.
His face was completely drained of color.
When night fell, he finally raised his numb hands.
Carefully, he began piecing them together.
Hot tears accidentally wet the paper. Ethan frantically tried to wipe them away.
But more tears fell, faster and heavier.
The entire paper was getting soaked.
Ethan finally broke down sobbing uncontrollably.
On the white paper was Scarlett’s messy handwriting.
“Ethan Brooks, you failed all five things you promised me. As punishment, you don’t get a divorce–you get to be a widower! How’s that? Bet you want to curse me out, right? Too bad you’ll have to do it at my grave. If I could choose again, I wouldn’t live this life…”
“The one good thing? I’m leaving first. In my next life, I definitely won’t run into a jerk like
you!”
Ethan hadn’t left his house for seven days.
After that night, Tania showed up. Seeing his haggard face, she smiled cruelly and handed him a key.
“Go take a look. Maybe you can suffer even more?”
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Chapter 18
Ethan knew she was being deliberately cruel. He saw the malice in her eyes.
But he still took the key.
Following Tania’s directions, he arrived at Scarlett’s “secret hideout.”
When he opened the door, what he saw left him frozen in place.
The room was filled with paintings–all of him, without exception.
In the farthest corner were photos Scarlett had secretly taken while caring for him when he
was blind.
She hadn’t even dared to show these pictures to him.
His feet felt like lead. His heart felt like thousands of ants were crawling through it, biting.
But his face showed only confusion and helplessness.
With trembling hands, he picked up the photos.
His palm traced over Scarlett’s face again and again.
His breathing quickened. His lungs felt ready to burst.
What now?
He realized he had fallen in love with Scarlett.
But he could never let her know…
Empty bottles lay scattered across the floor, while Scarlett’s paintings were carefully
stacked aside.
His hair covered his eyes. His/unshaven face showed his misery.
He went to the kitchen for more alcohol but found he’d finished it all.
Stumbling back to the living room, he found his phone to call his assistant for more booze.
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The doorbell rang quickly. He thought it was his assistant with alcohol.
He quickly got up to open the door.
Instead, Summer rushed in and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Ethan baby, why haven’t you answered my calls?” Summer pouted. “You didn’t reply to my texts or open the door. I thought you were ignoring me!”
Summer hid in his arms, pretending to cry.
But soon the smell of alcohol and cigarettes made her look up.
Seeing Ethan’s cold face, she pushed down her suspicions and touched his sickly face with fake concern.
“What’s wrong, sweetie? Are you feeling sick? Let me take you to a doctor, okay?”
She went to get his coat.
Her eyes caught the stacked paintings on the sofa.
She stopped in her tracks, her eyes full of excitement.
“R+?”
“Yes! These are definitely her works!”
She ran over excitedly and picked up a frame.
When she saw all the paintings were of Ethan, her eyes widened.
“Ethan, you know R+? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I get it! It’s because I mentioned it before, right? You remembered and found her for me! Oh Ethan, you’re so good to me! I love you soooo much!”
“If she’s still making paintings for you, she must be alive! I knew it! She probably just wanted to retire and faked her death! Ethan, I want to meet her. Take me to her now!”
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