“Ethan, thanks for helping me out with the wine
tonight. I really can’t accept that necklace, it’s
way too expensive.”
Then I saw Ava’s Instagram post: “Love has no
price.”
Attached to it was a photo of a gorgeous
necklace, the one that news reports said had just been bought at auction by a mysterious billionaire for $10 million.
Ethan was swamped with work this past week
and got so sick from not eating. He had to be
rushed to the ER. But as soon as he was
released, he flew to England, and I was angry and heartbroken thinking he was putting work
ahead of his health.
Now I realized it was the auction he had been
going to. Even sick, he had to get the most
expensive necklace in the world for his “one
and only.”
I entered his lock screen password, almost in a
trance.
It was Ava’s birthday.
Ethan always said he wanted to give each other
<
space, which meant I wasn’t allowed near his
phone.
The screen lit up with Ava’s smiling face. No
wonder he got all soft and dreamy whenever he
unlocked his phone.
I opened his photo albums; they were all
organized:
[Ava at Ten] [Ava at Eleven]…. [Ava at Twenty-
Five].
Each album chronicled a different chapter of
Ava’s life, filled with happy pictures.
There was no picture of me in any of those
albums, not even one of him. Just Ava.
Just like his heart, which had been hers the
whole time.
Then I found his notes app, filled with journal
entries.
[20XX Cloudy: Ava hurt her leg on a branch. It’s
my fault, I shouldn’t have trees in the yard.]
[20XX Sunny: Ava is getting married. As long as
she’s happy, it’s worth it. My life is about
making her happy.]
[20XX Raining: I got married. I saw Ava standing
く
there and all I could think was how she should
be the one standing beside me.]
The car pulled into our driveway. I looked at the
barren yard, my body icy cold.
There used to be two peach trees in our yard
that Ethan had transplanted from my childhood
home. My dad planted them for me when I was
ten. They always made me feel like he was still
here with me.
One day, the peach trees had suddenly rotted
at the roots. Ethan spent three days and nights
consoling me.
And now I realize, it was him, who destroyed
the only link to my dad.
A message popped up from his assistant:
[Mr. Ethan, per your instructions, your will is
finalized. All your assets will go to Ms. Ava
Reynolds.]
[Just need your signature to go into effect.]
Through a blur of tears, I thought I saw the man
at my Dad’s funeral, holding me close,
promising a lifetime of love.
“Claire, I’ll give you a home, everything I have is
yours,”
I helped Ethan into bed, unlike my usual routine,
and went straight to the guest room.
As I closed my eyes, all the years he had
pretended to love me played in my mind.
Morning sunlight streamed through the
windows, I opened my eyes to Ethan’s loving
gaze. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.
“Claire, were you upset last night? I’m sorry, I
had a little too much to drink. I promise I won’t
let it happen again.”
His usual tender act, as if nothing had
happened.
I simply said ‘ok‘ and got up, washing off the
remnants of his kiss.
