- 2.
Olivia’s return coincided with their high school
reunion. Apparently, her family had gone
bankrupt, and she was scrambling for loans.
Ethan and I arrived hand–in–hand to find a
wealthy former classmate pressuring Olivia to
drink. He promised ten grand for every shot she
downed. Tears streamed down her face, but
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she forced a smile and drank them all. When
she saw Ethan, she flinched, embarrassed, and quickly looked down. Someone jeered, “Olivia, if you need cash, just ask Ethan! With your history, a couple of nights in bed, and he’d surely take care of you.” Ethan glared at the
speaker, his voice laced with ice. “Don’t you
dare disrespect my wife,” he said, leaning against me, a cigarette dangling from his lips. “Anyone makes my wife uncomfortable, shut
your mouth and get out.” The room erupted in
laughter, everyone calling me “Mrs. Hale,”
envious of Ethan’s apparent devotion. No one
knew that if Olivia hadn’t shown up, Ethan
wouldn’t have bothered coming. Olivia stared at
me, biting her lip, tears welling in her eyes. The
man who’d been pressuring her put a hand on
her shoulder. “So,” he sneered, “looks like
Ethan doesn’t want you anymore. But hey, he
doesn’t, I do. How about you keep me happy in
bed, and I’ll slip you some pocket money?”
Ethan stubbed out his cigarette, his face
hardening. He still cared about her. Olivia,
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through her tears, looked at Ethan and
whispered, “I won’t. I only love one man. Even if
he doesn’t want me, I won’t let anyone else touch me.” Ethan’s grip on my hand tightened, painfully so. The classmate, his ego bruised, laughed. “Who do you think you are? Some kind of saint? Fine, play hard to get. I’m going to
have you tonight, one way or another.” He
grabbed Olivia and pulled her towards the exit.
She was tipsy, leaning against him, half-
heartedly resisting. Ethan’s eyes never left
Olivia. I could see the barely contained rage, the
urge to protect her. Just as they reached the
door, Ethan snapped. He lunged forward,
kicking the man to the ground. He pinned him
down, his eyes bloodshot. “Touch her again,” he
roared, “and I’ll break your hands!” Chaos
erupted. Someone started filming. I grabbed
Ethan’s sleeve, urging him to stop. He turned,
his voice glacial. “Stay out of this.” I released
my grip, stunned. Olivia rushed forward,
throwing her arms around him, sobbing. “Ethan,
please don’t fight because of me! I can’t bear
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to see you hurt! I was so scared you really
didn’t want me anymore…” Ethan didn’t push
her away. He held her close, shielding her.
Everyone watched as he led Olivia away, leaving
me behind.
