I laughed. “Do you even believe yourself? Ethan,
you started dating someone practically the
minute you got to college. You’ve had more
girlfriends than I can count on two hands. And
now you’re trying to pull this “woe is me, I’m so
heartbroken” act? Really?”
I’d reached my limit. I didn’t even want to see
him anymore. Our families were neighbors, our
parents were friends. I had let the college
application thing go because of that, but it
didn’t mean I condoned his behavior. I could
maintain a superficial peace for the sake of our
families, but I would never let him back into my
life.
“One wrong step, and then another, and
another…” Ethan gave a bitter laugh. “I was so young, filled with this misplaced pride. I thought contacting you first would somehow make me less… I don’t know… manly? I thought if I started dating, I would stop missing you. But
even with a girlfriend, there was still this
く
emptiness. I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I
even made sure my friends told you about my
girlfriends, hoping you’d reach out to me. But
you didn’t react, and I got frustrated and
started dating someone else, and it just became
this vicious cycle.”
“That’s a….. unique line of reasoning.” I couldn’t
help but be sarcastic. “So, you’re saying you
liked me all along? And your way of expressing
that was to date a string of other girls? You
deserve everything you got.”
“I do, I know.” He didn’t deny it. “When I found
out you had a boyfriend, it hit me how badly I’d
messed up. You weren’t just playing hard to
get, you had actually moved on. I was so sure…
you never dated anyone in college, and I just
assumed you were waiting for me.”
“Ethan, nobody waits for anyone forever. I’m
not that stupid. And you’re not worth it.”
“I know, I don’t deserve for you to wait for me. I was wrong, and I realized it too late.” He
reached out and grabbed my hand. “Chloe, I’ll change. You like that Matt’s sweet and
thoughtful? I can be that too. Whatever you
want, I can be. Please, just give me another chance.”
I pulled my hand away firmly. “I have a boyfriend. I love him. And you have a girlfriend
“We broke up. Right after New Year’s. I don’t have a girlfriend anymore…” His voice was desperate.
“That’s your problem.” I kept my voice level. “But I’m not breaking up with my boyfriend.
This is the last time I’m seeing you. Don’t
contact me again. It’s over.”
As I got up to leave, I saw Ethan slump over the
table, his shoulders shaking.
<
Ethan never contacted me again. Good. He
finally figured it out.
Matt and I were happy together, our
relationship stronger than ever. After
graduation, I got a job at the city hospital back
home and finally became a surgeon, just like I’d
always dreamed. Work was hectic, but Matt and
I made it work. He was always so
understanding. When I had to work double
shifts, he would bring me food and eat with me
during my half–hour break. No matter how busy
we were, he always found a way to see me.
Even my mom commented on how wonderful he
was, how much he did for me.
“Don’t take him for granted,” she warned.
When I was twenty–eight and Matt was twenty-
five, the year he graduated with his master’s, he
proposed. His family owned a chain of sporting
goods stores, and he was starting to take over
く
10:44
“I’ve wanted to ask you this for a while, but I
was still in school, and I couldn’t offer you the stability you deserve. Now that I’m working, I
can take care of you. You just focus on doing what you love,” he said.
“Okay,” I agreed.
On our wedding day, I was in the bridal suite, flipping through our wedding photos on my phone and waiting for the stylist to do my hair and makeup. I took a sip of water, and then, without warning, everything went black.
I woke up in a mansion. Standing in front of the floor–to–ceiling windows, I saw the ocean.
“You’re awake,” a voice said from behind me.
I turned to see Ethan.
“Ethan, this is kidnapping,” I stated calmly.
“I don’t care. I couldn’t let you marry him.” He
walked towards me. “The thought of you
spending the rest of your life with another man,
having his children… it made me want to kill
someone. If I have to lose you forever, what’s
the point of living?”
“You’re just upset. Nobody dies from a broken
heart, Ethan. You’ll find someone else. Maybe in a few years, you’ll meet the right person.”
Ethan shook his head. “You think I haven’t
tried? After you said you never wanted to see
me again, I tried to move on. I started going on blind dates. But it was torture. I couldn’t sleep, all I could think about was you. I realized I couldn’t live without you, and I couldn’t let you marry someone else. I started following you, watching you and him together… and I worked like a madman, making money. I knew I had to
become powerful, rich enough to bring you back to me.”
<
“You’re insane,”
“Call me crazy.”
“You always wanted to see the ocean, right? I
bought this beach house just for you. Do you
like it?” Ethan’s eyes were filled with a strange
tenderness. “We’ll live here, just the two of us.”
“You need help, Ethan. You need to see a
therapist.” My voice was cold.
He continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I’m working
on getting our marriage license. Once that’s
done, we’ll be legally married. We’ll live here, have kids… I can give you anything you want.”
“I just want to leave.”
“I’m not a very good cook, but you’ll have to bear with me for now. When you’re… more cooperative, I’ll hire a chef. For now, it’s just us. I don’t want anyone else here.”
“Ethan, stop this. It’s not too late to turn back
དོ་
“Do you like flowers? I’ll have them plant more in the garden…”
I realized he was delusional. I had to be careful not to provoke him. I maintained a calm demeanor, avoiding any sudden movements,
any outbursts of anger or frustration. It was just the two of us, and I had to prioritize my safety.
I had no phone, and there was no TV, computer, or landline in the house. I couldn’t even get past the front door, I was completely cut off from the outside world for two months.
But I didn’t panic. So far, Ethan hadn’t shown
any signs of wanting to hurt me. At least I
wasn’t in immediate danger. And he was always
there, always watching.
Matt and my parents would have noticed my
<
disappearance, especially since it happened on
my wedding day. They would put two and two together, and they would find me.
Perhaps sensing my compliance, Ethan began to relax. He would occasionally leave the house for a day or two, presumably to take care of business. After all, maintaining this charade required considerable funds. I was relieved. Every time he left, it was a chance for someone to find me.
Three months after I disappeared from my own wedding, the police finally arrived. My parents and Matt were with them.
They burst into the mansion while Ethan and I
were having dinner. I dropped my chopsticks
and ran towards them.
As the police took Ethan away, he was
surprisingly calm, even smiling faintly.
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TL
く
“It’s enough. These three months… they were
stolen moments, but they were enough.” His
expression was peaceful. “I knew this day would come.”
“Do you even realize what you’ve done to your
parents? They raised you, they loved you, and you threw it all away for this?” I couldn’t
muster any sympathy for him, only pity for his
family.
“I failed them, I know. I left them enough
money. They’ll be fine without me.” He showed
no remorse. “I just loved you too much.”
“Love?” I scoffed. “No, you don’t love anyone but yourself. Love doesn’t manipulate
someone’s future, forcing them into a career they don’t want. Love doesn’t mean jumping
from one girlfriend to the next. Love doesn’t
mean hurting the person you claim to care
about. After I graduated, I wanted to work at
the state hospital, but I didn’t get in. You were
<
behind that, weren’t you? You sabotaged me to
force me to come back here. You never cared
about what I wanted, and you dare talk about
love?”
“That’s not… I—
99
“Ethan, you don’t know the meaning of the
word. You’re just selfish.” I cut him off. “You
only think about yourself, never about anyone
else’s feelings.”
“No!” Ethan crouched down, clutching his head.
“I do love you! You don’t understand how
much…”
The police led him away, his ramblings fading
into the background.
I turned to see the three people I loved most
waiting for me. Matt took my hand.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
<
“I do love you! You don’t understand how
much…”
The police led him away, his ramblings fading
into the background.
I turned to see the three people I loved most
waiting for me. Matt took my hand.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
“Yes,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “Let’s go home.”
Love is the most complicated emotion in the
world. Maybe it has different forms of
expression. But one thing’s for sure: love is not harmful. And if someone uses “love” as an
excuse to hurt you, the only thing you can do is
run.
