Chapter 2
That night, Blair stayed at our house.
Ethan let me have the master bedroom and went to the study himself.
Late at night, I woke up from abdominal pain and wanted to get hot water from the kitchen.
As I passed the guest room, I heard muffled crying inside.
The door was slightly ajar.
I saw Ethan sitting on the edge of the bed, Blair leaning against him, her shoulders shaking.
"Ethan, I'm so scared. If Dad dies, I'll have no family left."
"Don't be scared. I'm here."
Ethan gently patted her back.
Once upon a time, when I had period cramps, he held me like that and said, "Don't be scared. I'm here."
Now, his embrace belonged to someone else.
I turned to leave but knocked over a vase in the hallway.
Crash!
Both of them looked over.
Ethan's face showed panic as he quickly tried to explain.
"Blair suddenly said she was scared tonight, afraid her father would leave her. So I came to talk with her."
I looked at him and suddenly felt so tired.
"Ethan, right now, immediately-get her out of my house!"
Blair walked out of the room.
She'd already changed back into her own clothes, her eyes red and swollen.
"Zara, I'm sorry. I'll leave right now."
As she spoke, her legs gave out and she fell straight toward Ethan.
Ethan instinctively caught her.
"I feel so dizzy."
Blair leaned against him, her voice weak.
"I think I caught a fever from the rain today."
Ethan touched her forehead, his expression changing.
"You're burning up!"
He scooped Blair up in his arms and looked at me pleadingly.
"Zara, look-Blair has a fever. Can she stay a little longer?"
"I'll help her with the medicine and then come be with you! I promise!"
"Then call an ambulance."
I didn't budge.
"Or should I call one for you?"
Seeing I wouldn't relent, Ethan could only smile apologetically.
"Okay, okay. Don't be angry, Zara. I'll take her away right now."
With that, he had Blair go downstairs first.
I said nothing.
He came over to kiss my forehead, but I turned my head away.
He sighed and grabbed his coat.
"Don't be upset. Wait for me to come back, and we'll talk properly."
The door closed.
I stood there, listening to the elevator descend.
I suddenly remembered last month, on my birthday.
He promised to have dinner with me, but he left because of one phone call from Blair.
That night I waited until dawn.
He came back at three in the morning, reeking of alcohol, shoving a box into my hands.
"To make it up to you. Open it."
Inside was a diamond necklace.
"Do you like it?"
He kissed my neck. "Zara, I love you most."
Back then, I still softened.
I still thought that deep down, he remembered me.
How foolish.
Ethan didn't come home all night.
The next morning, he returned with breakfast.
"Blair was in bad shape last night. I took her to the hospital planning to come right back, but then her father's condition suddenly worsened."
He explained while changing his shoes.
He set the coffee and bread on the dining table and came over to touch my face.
"Why are your eyes swollen? Didn't you sleep well?"
I avoided his hand.
His movement froze, his eyes dimming.
"Zara, I know you're angry, but that was a life at stake. I couldn't just ignore it."
"So my child's life doesn't count?"
I heard my own voice, terrifyingly calm.
Ethan's face went pale.
He opened his mouth, but in the end just took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, but what's done is done. Can we please stop torturing each other? Blair really..."
"She's really pitiful."
I finished for him.
"She needs you, and I'm strong. I can handle things myself, right?"
He was left speechless, guilt and frustration flashing in his eyes.
Finally, he crouched down in compromise, gripping my hand.
"Zara, I promise this is the last time."
"Once her father's condition stabilizes, I'll keep my distance from her. We'll live well together and have another child, okay?"
His palm was warm, his eyes sincere.
For a brief moment, I almost believed him.
But then I saw his phone screen light up with a message.
"Ethan, thank you for being with me. Without you, I really couldn't hold on."
Sender: Blair.