Chapter 2

Charlotte POV

"Charlotte, when are you coming back? I'll pick you up."

I stared at the message Ethan sent on my phone, dazed for a long while.

If I hadn't witnessed that scene last night, I'd probably still be immersed in the sweet anticipation of coming home.

Excitedly sending him my flight information, planning to throw myself into his arms the moment I saw him.

Now, all I could do was stare at that message and feel the dull ache in my chest.

"Six-thirty tonight."

I knew Ethan too well.

He wouldn't let me go easily. I had to leave without a sound.

"Okay, I'll come early to pick you up."

At six-thirty that evening, I stood at the airport exit with my suitcase again.

I kept waiting, but never saw the man's figure.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, the air thick and heavy, just like my mood at that moment.

My phone buzzed. An email from a stranger's address.

The email contained only one photo.

In the photo, a woman's delicate finger had a small cut, and a hand with distinct knuckles was carefully putting a bandage on it.

I knew that hand all too well.

It was Ethan's hand.

With one line attached:

"He won't be picking you up."

I clutched my phone, staring at that glaring photo, my chest aching more and more.

I didn't want to believe it.

I could accept that Ethan had physically cheated, but I didn't believe he would abandon me for that woman.

The next second, Ethan's message popped up.

"Charlotte, something came up at the company last minute. I can't make it for now. Take a taxi home yourself."

This message landed on my face like a resounding slap, making my heart bleed with pain.

Thunder crashed in the sky with a boom. Dark clouds churned and gathered, and raindrops began to fall.

In an instant, a torrential downpour enveloped the entire airport.

The day my mother passed away, there was also a rainstorm like this.

I cried until I nearly fainted.

Ethan held an umbrella, holding me tightly in his arms. The rain soaked half his shoulder, but he didn't care at all.

Back then, his eyes were red as he told me, "Charlotte, from now on, I'll be with you every rainy day. I'll never let you get caught in the rain alone again."

That promise was made just a few hundred days ago.

And now I had to stand alone in the pouring rain.

Except this time, Ethan had personally orchestrated this rain.

I took a taxi home. The house had been cleaned spotless. Not even a single strand of hair remained.

My period happened to start today. After getting caught in the rain and catching a chill, the pain made me break out in cold sweat.

I couldn't be bothered to eat. I hastily peeled off my wet clothes and collapsed onto the bed.

In the middle of the night, I groggily felt a warm hand pressing on my lower abdomen.

I opened my eyes to see Ethan's anxious face.

"Charlotte, you're awake?"

The man leaned down to kiss me. Instinctively, I turned my head slightly and dodged.

Ethan froze, thinking I was still angry.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte. There really was an emergency at the company today. I couldn't get away."

His voice was full of apology and exhaustion. "I made you get caught in the rain. It's my fault."

I stared at him blankly.

The anxiety and self-reproach in his eyes seemed so genuine, his tone so sincere it didn't seem fake.

That's when I realized lies could be told with such apparent sincerity.

"Charlotte? Don't be angry. Did you not eat? I made you warm milk."

Ethan got up and left, quickly returning with a cup of milk.

"Charlotte, drink it."

He handed me the cup, his large hand naturally covering my lower abdomen again.

Every time my period pain was severe, Ethan always took care of me like this.

When the pain was at its worst, he would even warm my belly with his hand all night long.

But now, all this attentiveness had turned into blade after blade, cutting at my heart.

I wished he would be cold to me now.

That way I could leave without any lingering attachment.

I drank the milk irritably, catching a glimpse of his phone lighting up from the corner of my eye.

He didn't move, still steadily warming my belly.

But the phone rang again.

Ethan frowned and rejected the call.

Less than a minute later, the ringtone sounded once more.

Ethan finally picked up the phone impatiently, walked to the window and spoke in a low voice for a few moments, then looked at me with difficulty:

"Charlotte, the company matter isn't resolved yet. Something else came up..."

The warmth left my lower abdomen, and the pain instantly intensified. I instinctively curled up.

A flash of heartache and guilt crossed Ethan's face. He struggled for a moment but ultimately didn't change his mind.

"Charlotte, I'll be right back."

With that, he turned and left as if escaping.

As the door closed, I finally let my tears fall.

On the nightstand, the two people in the wedding photo smiled brightly. Now it all seemed like mockery.

On this bed beneath me, the scenes from last night tore apart the love I'd held unwaveringly all these years.

So-called lifelong companionship. In the end, someone broke their promise early after all.

The milk had gone completely cold.

Ethan, if you knew our time together had entered its final countdown, would you regret leaving tonight?