I felt a surge of disgust. How could he say that
with a straight face? “Ethan,” I said coldly, “do
you really think I’m that desperate?” He was the
one who cheated. Why was he talking to me like
this?
“Olivia, please,” he said wearily. “Don’t be
impulsive. Our families are so connected, our
parents are best friends. This will ruin.
everything.”
“And you didn’t think about that when you were
screwing around? You messed up, not me.”
He exploded. “Fine, I messed up! But what guy
doesn’t have a little something on the side?
<
Summer is nothing. You’ll always be Mrs.
Carter. And can you guarantee you’ll never be attracted to anyone else? We’re adults, Olivia.
Stop being naive.”
I almost laughed. “You’re just trying to justify
your own guilt, Ethan. You’re a selfish, typical
man, and that’s all there is to it. I was blind. I
wasted years on you. Now I’m done. Marry
whoever you want. It’s none of my business.
Now, leave before I call security.”
He stormed out.
At the Carter house that evening, Ethan was
kneeling in the living room. His grandfather sat
on the sofa, radiating displeasure. I walked
over. “Grandpa,” I said softly. He softened
immediately. “Olivia, my dear,” he said. “I know
what happened. I’m here to make things right.
Ethan was wrong. What punishment do you
think he deserves?”
He clearly wanted to sweep this under the rug.
Before, I might have played along. Not now. “Grandpa,” I said. “Ethan and I have broken up. This is a family matter. I can’t interfere.”
The room went silent. Ethan’s mom fluttered
nervously, trying to speak, but Grandpa silenced her with a look. “Olivia, are you sure? Marriage isn’t a game. There’s no going back.”
Ethan looked up, his eyes desperate. “Olivia,”
he croaked. “I’ll cut off all contact with Summer.
I swear. Just forgive me, please?”
“Olivia, he knows he was wrong!” his mom
pleaded, taking my hand. “Give him another
chance. If he ever does anything like this again,
I’ll kill him myself!”
My own mom had called earlier, urging me to
be gentle, to preserve the family relationships. I
sighed. “Okay,” I said vaguely.
They tried to keep me for dinner, but I excused myself. Back home, I unblocked Ethan, texting,
“I won’t be coming to your house again. Tell your family we’re over. Don’t contact me.” Then I blocked him again, and left the family group chat.
I figured Ethan wasn’t the type to grovel. I was wrong. The next morning, late for work, there he was, waiting for me with a bag of breakfast. He was wearing a matching sweatshirt set I’d bought him. He’d called it childish and refused
to wear it.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Bringing you breakfast. Don’t skip meals.” He
was acting like nothing had happened.
I glared at him. “Ethan, are you deliberately being obtuse?”
“Olivia, things shouldn’t have ended like this. I’ll
<
break up with Summer. It will be just you and
me, like before.”
“No,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m not interested.
You disgust me.”
I walked towards my car, and as he started to
follow, I quickly drove off.
My bad luck continued. At the office, Summer
was waiting. I tried to ignore her, but she
followed me in. “Olivia, please, just listen,” she
sobbed. “I know what Ethan and I did was
wrong, I never meant to hurt you! I think of you
as a sister! I feel terrible about this…”
I stopped, turning to face her. “So terrible you
slept with your ‘sister’s‘ boyfriend?”
Summer’s face paled. She twisted her hands,
then I noticed it. Another matching sweatshirt.
Mine. The one that matched Ethan’s. I couldn’t
even laugh. I’d given them what they wanted,
1
and they were still rubbing it in my face.
“Summer,” I said, “do you really think you’re the
victim here?”
“No! Olivia, if you’re angry, be angry at me, not
Ethan! I just… I hope this won’t affect your
friendship.”
I scoffed. “Honey, you’re so insignificant, I don’t
even consider you a rival.”
Cheating, like abuse, is never a one–time thing.
Ethan caved once. He’d cave again. He was
garbage, and Summer was welcome to him.
“I know you look down on me,” she cried.
“Coming from a small town… but I’ve worked
hard to change! I appreciate everything you’ve
done for me, but I truly love Ethan! What you
see as flaws, I see as… as precious! Please,
don’t say bad things about him!”
