8
<
My dad practically fainted.
Yeah. He thought getting in with the Ethans
was a golden ticket. He hadn’t planned on
this.
He frantically signaled to me.
Don’t piss him off! His face screamed.
I ignored him and looked at Ethan.
“Sure. You can join us. Just need one more
for a game.”
<
I looked at my dad.
“Want in? We could play mahjong.”
My dad and Ethan both looked like they’d swallowed something rotten.
Then, Sarah arrived.
Like a fly to… well, you know.
“Mr. Ethan…”
Her voice was soft, sugary, trying to charm him. “Please don’t be mad. I knew about
Olivia and Michael. I tried to tell you at the
hut
<
party, but…”
I took the ice pack from Michael, holding it
myself, finishing her sentence in my head.
But you threw me out.
So original.
Sarah never learned.
After that humiliation, she still tried to play
the game.
Did she think Ethan was that easily
manipulated?
The guy was rebellious by nature. He hated
gossip.
“Did I ask you to speak? Who let you in
here?” he snapped.
Sarah flinched
Her lower lip trombled. Tears wolled up. My dad looked heartbroken and helpless.
But Sarah wasn’t giving up.
She wasn’t stupid. After several failures, knew Ethan wasn’t going to be charmed
But…
<
The guy was rebellious by nature. He hated
gossip.
7
ま
また
“Did I ask you to speak? Who let you in
here?” he snapped.
Sarah flinched.
Her lower lip trembled. Tears welled up. My dad looked heartbroken and helpless.
But Sarah wasn’t giving up.
She wasn’t stupid. After several failures, she knew Ethan wasn’t going to be charmed.
But…
<
If she couldn’t win, she could take me down.
with her.
She changed tactics, focusing on me.
“Olivia, Dad just wanted you to calm down after you poured hot soup on me. But…”
She sighed, her voice full of fake sorrow, “How could you be in here alone with Mr.
Ethan? He’s our brother, even if he’s not by
blood!”
“Slap!”
Someone hit her before I could even respond.
く
Ethan.
“I never hit women. You’re the first.”
He glanced at my dad, who was hovering over Sarah protectively. A challenge in his eyes.
Defend your daughter? I’ll slap you, too.
My dad, for all his new–money swagger, wasn’t an idiot. He’d clawed his way up. He
knew when to fold.
He gritted his teeth, forced a smile, scolded Sarah for being disrespectful, and dragged
her away.
<
He knew this was between us and Ethan.
The door closed, leaving the three of us
alone.
