Chapter 4
I pretended not to notice her and fixed my eyes on Ethan. He offered a strained, unnatural smile.
"Chloe's dog hasn't been doing well since the delivery, and the newborns are still very fragile. She couldn't handle them on her own, so I had her board them here temporarily. That way, if there's any emergency, I'm right here to help."
Chloe glanced at him and quickly chimed in.
"Summer, I have a spare key, so I'll drop by every day to look after the puppies. I won't keep bothering Ethan, promise. You don't mind, right?"
Her expression was an absolute picture of innocence.
Maria, however, instantly smelled something rotten.
"Young lady, don't you think it's entirely inappropriate for an unmarried girl to hold the keys to another family's home and drop by whenever she pleases?"
Maria's brows furrowed tightly, her gaze dripping with undisguised contempt.
Chloe's face burned with embarrassment, and she cast a pleading look toward Ethan.
Ethan's face darkened as he turned to Maria, his tone dropping sharply.
"Maria, Chloe is my friend and a guest in this house. Please show her some respect."
Maria stood stunned, opening her mouth to fire back, but I gently patted her hand and shook my head.
I looked at Ethan and said flatly:
"This house belongs to me. I do not welcome your friend here. Please take her and leave."
This house had been left to me by my late parents. I had every right to say those words.
A complicated storm of emotions flashed across Ethan's face. After a long beat, he let out an exasperated sigh.
"What happened the other night was my bad, okay? Please stop holding a grudge."
"Didn't you always say you loved dogs? Chloe offered to give us one of the puppies. Wouldn't it be great to have a dog keeping you company at home?"
Chloe couldn't resist chiming in again.
"Summer, my dog is so well-behaved, and her babies are total angels. One is named Peanut and the other is Butter—Ethan actually helped name them!"
"Don't you think having a puppy around makes a home feel so warm?"
Hearing the quiet triumph woven into her voice, I didn't bother calling her out. Instead, I just looked down at the dog curled up by her feet.
It was a white Pomeranian, nestled beside two tiny, fluffy newborn balls of fur.
They were indeed very cute.
I lifted my eyes back to Ethan, my voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Ethan, I'm pregnant. We cannot have pets in the house."
For a fraction of a second, an electric spark of pure joy lit up Ethan's eyes.
But it died out almost instantly, replaced by a cold, guarded skepticism—the look of a man who believed he had just caught someone in a lie.
"Summer, cut the crap. How could you possibly be pregnant?"
Seeing his reaction, Chloe threw me a suspicious glance, hesitating before speaking up.
"Summer... you really don't have to make up a lie just to get rid of my dogs. I'll just pack up my babies and leave. We won't trouble you anymore."
Her eyes went red, tears threatening to spill. I shot her an icy glare.
"If you were really so worried about caring for them, you would have taken them to a veterinary boarding facility. As for why you insisted on dragging them into my home, you know the answer better than anyone."
"Summer, drop the snide attitude!"
Ethan's brows knit into a harsh scowl, his voice thick with disappointment.
"You can't even tolerate a couple of harmless puppies, and now you're inventing a pregnancy just to force my hand? You're being..."
"Ethan. The dogs, or your child. Pick one."
I cut him off, quietly waiting for his verdict.
He let out a dry, incredulous chuckle. "A child that doesn't even exist? What kind of choice is that?"
"Fine. I have my answer."
Whether he believed me or not didn't matter. What mattered was that in his heart, someone else had already taken priority over me.
Even a dog ranked higher than I did.
In that case, there was no point in keeping this child.
Ethan rubbed his temples impatiently.
"Summer, can you please stop making a scene?"
"The divorce papers in the safe—I've already signed my name. We're getting a divorce."