C05
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I finally managed to sell most of the items I had on hand, and I transferred all the money to a single bank card.
Today, I planned to give the money to Ethan, but unexpectedly, I received a message from Sophie. “Emma, we’re having a gathering today, and many colleagues are coming. You should come too!” I didn’t refuse; it was a good opportunity to hand over the items.
Ethan was completely taken aback when he saw me; his expression darkened instantly.
He lowered his voice and warned me, “Today is Sophie’s gathering. Don’t cause any trouble.”
The curious glances from the people around me shifted to disdain after hearing Ethan’s words.
Whispers erupted.
9:52 AM
ᄆ
After the Love Fades, I Love You In the Fog
1
“Could sne pe an ex–girlfriend? Dia sne come to stir things up knowing Sopnie nas an event today!”
“I think so. Ethan is handsome; having an ex is normal. Nowadays, women just want to latch onto rich guys instead of focusing on self–improvement.”
Sophie heard their comments, her eyes turning red as she waved her hands frantically.
“No, no! Ethan, you misunderstood.”
“I invited Emma to join us; I should have mentioned it to you.”
“Emma has helped me so much; I’m really grateful to her…”
Hearing her explanation made Ethan’s expression soften.
With her clarification, I was relieved not to have to defend myself verbally.
I handed Sophie a bank card.
“Since I didn’t bring any gifts for your gathering, consider this a small offering. Don’t think it’s too little.”
“I have to catch my flight today, so I can’t stay long. Enjoy yourselves!”
I could read the mood well.
Being here with them would be uncomfortable for me.
When Ethan heard my words, he insisted again on driving me.
I politely declined.
“You should enjoy your time with Sophie. It’s just a business trip for me; don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll be leaving now.”
He frowned, clearly displeased with my distance.
Sophie interjected with surprise, “Emma, you’re heading to the airport? I didn’t know!”
“You all enjoy yourselves; I need to see Emma off.”
I still wanted to refuse, but with her intervening, Ethan was even more determined to drive me.
With a sigh, I had no choice but to cancel my direct ride.
As soon as I settled into the back seat, Sophie started chattering away, and Ethan listened patiently, occasionally laughing at her quirky ideas.
Apart from me, who felt like a third wheel, they really seemed like a couple heading out together.
I pressed my lips together and glanced at the charm hanging from the rearview mirror.
What had once been a simple talisman for safe travels had transformed into an adorable Garfield cat.
Sophie noticed my gaze and said with a hint of pride, “Isn’t it cute? I picked it out. Ethan’s car decorations were too dull for my taste, so I took the liberty of changing everything.”
“It’s a shame you’re not in the front seat, Emma; you could see it all up close,” she added.
Truthfully, even without her mentioning it, I could see the changes in the front seat.
I had suggested decorating his car more than once, but he always dismissed it.
“A man’s car shouldn’t be all pink and fluffy; how would I drive it around?” he’d said.
“And stop acting like those girls who want their own special spots in my car–you hardly ever ride with me
anyway…”
I commented, “It looks great and really suits you.”
“Girls should always look pretty,” I added.
Ethan’s expression darkened ominously, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel.
“Aren’t you mad?” he finally sensed something was off but didn’t dare to think too deeply about it.
“Mad? You and Sophie are clearly close; why would I be upset?” I explained, but my words didn’t seem to lighten his mood.
If anything ha anngarnd gunn angrier
9:52 AM
After the Love Fades, I Love You In the Fog
his mood.
If anything, he appeared even angrier.
0
O
。
The tension escalated to the point where he lost focus while driving. In an attempt to avoid a bicycle, he crashed
straight into the guardrail.
The impact sent my head slamming against the front seat, leaving me dazed and ringing in my ears.
I could hear Sophie crying in shock beside me.
Ethan quickly reacted by checking on her.
When he saw her trembling and unable to move from fear, he called for help to handle the accident.
He scooped her up in his arms and hailed a taxi to take her away, leaving me alone in the car.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and stumbled out of the vehicle.
Watching the taxi drive away until only its tail lights were visible snapped me back to reality.
No one likes feeling abandoned over and over again–and neither do I.
I called for a taxi myself and headed straight to the airport.
Thankfully, I arrived just in time for boarding when Ethan called me.
tabou
“Where are you? Are you still in the car? I’m coming back; don’t be scared,” his voice was laced with worry.
“I’m sorry; I panicked earlier and only thought about Sophie. I completely forgot you were still in the back seat,”
he added.
I felt a wave of frustration rise within me.
“I don’t need you to worry about it so much, Ethan; it’s really not worth it,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
“You might as well just forget about me entirely–erase me from your life and put Sophie in my place.”
There was a moment of heavy breathing on the other end of the line before he asked, “What do you mean?”
Looking out the window with a sense of emptiness I hadn’t noticed before, I said softly, “Let’s break up, Ethan. I’m
tired.”
He sounded panicked now.
“Where are you? I’ll come get you! I never wanted to break up; is it because of Sophie?”
“I’ve always seen her as just a friend; don’t misunderstand. You don’t need to go on that business trip–I’ll have
someone else go instead so we can sort this out.”
I almost laughed at that thought.
Business trip?
If he truly cared about me, a CEO would know there were no projects requiring travel right now.
It was just self–deception on his part.
The announcement for boarding came over the intercom, instructing us to switch our phones to airplane mode.
Without hesitation, I hung up and blocked all his contact information.
At that moment, my mood finally began to lift.
