- 19.
Ashley left, looking like she’d seen a ghost.
Ethan was not a forgiving person. He harbored
deep resentment for those rumors, and he
made no effort to hide his disdain for Ashley.
He rarely cursed, but being the genius he was,
<
he could decimate someone with words alone.
Ashley probably wouldn’t dare look at him
again. “Are you okay?” I asked Ethan. His
injuries were minor. “Will this affect your
company?” “Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal.
Hayes, on the other hand, needs stitches.” “He
deserves worse. I hope he gets a scar.” Ethan
chuckled. “That’s more like it.” “What?” “That’s
the Maya I remember. How long has it been since you’ve been this…fiery? Say some more, I like it.” “Business deals are a scam. They’re all a bunch of liars.” “Anything else?” “Pork prices are up again. How are people supposed to live?” “Good, keep going.” “And mandatory overtime! I just want to stay home, watch TV, and sleep.” “…Are you complaining about me now?” “No, sir. Wouldn’t dream of it.” “You’re the only one who would.” Sunlight glinted off the snow as we bickered. It felt like we were back in college. I let loose all the pent–up frustrations of the past few years, and before I knew it, I was crying again. “Just give me some time. I’ll pay you back everything.” Ethan
immediately panicked. “What are you talking about? And why were you so mad before? I shouldn’t have paid off your debt without asking, but you didn’t have to shut me out completely.” “You see me as a burden. How could I not shut you out?” “A burden?” Ethan frowned. “Who told you that?” “Ashley…” Wait. Could she have been manipulating us? But the screenshots were real. I showed him the
messages. Ethan’s face hardened. “That wasn’t about you!”
