When He Realized I Was Gone

There is a viral trend online lately, using a fake account to test your boyfriend's loyalty.

I have a girlfriend. I love her so much. Check my Ins. She is all over it.

That was Ethan Shaw's reply when I tested him with my burner account.

But when I clicked on his Ins, the pinned photo showed him with his arm around my best friend, Chloe Williams.

For ten years, his posts were visible to me, but the rest of the world saw a completely different version.

I hadn't even started crying when I heard the door unlock.

He walked in, covered in snow, and leaned down to kiss away the tears at the corner of my eyes.

"Why are you crying? Did you fight with your family again?"

I gripped my phone tighter and shook my head with a smile.

But from that moment on, I started packing my bags. I booked a one-way ticket to Sweden for a month from now.

Ethan Shaw, you had better never find out.

I'm not planning to attend the wedding a month from now.

Aria's POV

There is a viral trend online lately, using a fake account to test your boyfriend's loyalty.

Even though Ethan Shaw and I have been together for ten years, even though we are getting married in two months, I was still curious whether Ethan would stay true to his principles.

After I added him on the fake account, Ethan's attitude was cold. Once he figured out my intentions, he sent back a blunt reply.

"I have a girlfriend. I love her so much. Check my Ins. She is all over it."

My heart felt so warm and sweet. But the moment I opened his Ins, I completely froze.

The pinned photo wasn't of me. It was of my best friend, Chloe Williams.

The caption was intimate, clearly showing off his girlfriend.

I opened my real account on another phone to compare, and that's when I discovered Ethan had been lying to me all along!

All the posts about me on his Ins were only visible to me and a few close friends.

But the posts about Chloe, everyone could see those.

I gripped my phone tightly. My blood ran cold. I could barely breathe.

I didn't want to cry, but hot tears blurred my vision anyway.

My mind flashed back to when Ethan proposed to me.

That mature, steady man showed nervousness for the first time. His whole body was trembling.

So even the deepest love can't survive the test of time?

The man who said he would love me forever, his heart had already left me long ago.

I was lost in thought when the front door clicked open.

Ethan walked in, bringing the cold wind and snow with him.

He saw my red eyes and frowned slightly, touching my face with concern.

"Why are you crying? Did you fight with your family again?"

Ten years.

Ethan knew me better than anyone.

I'd been by his side since he was broke, and it caused constant fights with my parents.

But now he was the one hurting me the most.

I looked up into his eyes. My heart churned with bitterness. I wanted so badly to cry and demand to know why he was doing this.

We were so close to our happy ending. Why did he stop to hold someone else's hand instead?

But I held it in.

Mississippi was full of Ethan's connections. If I wanted to leave, I couldn't let him know.

Otherwise, stopping me would be the easiest thing in the world for him.

I turned my head away. My voice was hoarse.

"It's nothing. I'm used to it."

Ethan nodded, but he didn't comfort me gently like he used to.

"Sorry, I was supposed to spend our anniversary at home with you today, but something came up at work. I need to go back to the office."

"Get some rest early."

He casually set down a gift, then grabbed the most formal coat from the closet and left in a hurry.

I saw the gentle smile that unconsciously appeared on his face as he looked at his phone.

His lies were so obvious. I could see right through them with just one glance.

The door closed completely.

I took out my phone and saw that Chloe had posted on Ins.

The location was a famous upscale restaurant.

She said her boyfriend was taking her to dinner. His face wasn't visible, but I recognized the Rolex on his wrist immediately. It was Ethan's.

I scrolled through Chloe's Ins.

That's when I realized that three years ago, when I introduced Ethan to Chloe, they had already gotten together.

Behind my back, Chloe had been showering Ethan with care and attention. Maybe because he was on a business trip that year and felt lonely, or maybe because of the thrill of something new, he allowed Chloe to cross the line.

And it had continued until now.

There was also a conversation between the two of them.

Chloe had messaged Ethan.

"Did I leave my hair tie at your place?"

Ethan's reply made me sick to my stomach.

"It fell in the master bedroom. Come get it next time. I'll keep it safe for you."

No wonder Ethan had suddenly started locking his little box.

It wasn't just filled with our photo albums and our memories. It had his memories with someone else too.

The thought of my fianc and my best friend getting intimate in this bed made my heart twist in pain. A wave of nausea surged up my throat. I ran to the bathroom and threw up.

I don't know how long I cried or how long I was sick. I had no strength left. My heart went numb.

I quickly packed my things and moved to the guest room. Then I walked to the balcony, letting the wind hit my face as I called my mom. My voice was thick with tears.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I should have listened to you."

"I broke up with him. Didn't you want to immigrate to Sweden? I'll go with you."

My mother still loved her daughter in the end. She comforted me for a long time before hanging up.

I calculated everything. I needed to liquidate all my assets. Getting the money would take at least a month.

Then I bought three one-way tickets to Sweden for a month from now.

That night, I didn't go to bed early. Instead, I got up and cleaned the whole house until it was spotless.

I threw away everything related to Ethan.

Looking at the anniversary gift Ethan had given me, I pulled at the corner of my mouth and decisively threw the necklace into the trash.

Ethan Shaw, I've been with you since I was fifteen.

I've been by your side for ten whole years.

You really have no heart.

Aria's POV

The next morning, I woke up to find myself back in the master bedroom.

Ethan walked in wearing loungewear and set the breakfast he was holding on the nightstand. Like before, he reached out to hug me.

"Why did you run off to the guest room? I spent forever looking for you."

I caught the scent of unfamiliar women's perfume on him and noticed poorly concealed red marks on his neck.

I closed my eyes, suppressing the stabbing pain in my heart, and calmly rolled out of his embrace.

"I accidentally spilled water on the bed last night, so I switched rooms."

Ethan didn't notice anything unusual about me. Or maybe he just didn't care anymore.

He hugged me from behind, resting his chin in the curve of my shoulder. His voice was deep and intoxicating.

"Aria, I have good news."

"Chloe just got hired as my intern assistant. You've always said you were worried about her getting bullied at work, right? With me looking after her, she won't be mistreated at the office."

I fell silent.

I almost wanted to laugh.

A prosecutor known for being efficient and extremely focused on competence. How could he allow a graduate with zero internship experience to be his assistant?

At first, I had also asked Ethan about working at the prosecutor's office so I could spend more time with him.

It would have just taken one word from him.

But he refused.

He said it would be unethical, that it would damage his reputation.

I believed him.

But now, how much effort had he put in behind the scenes to get Chloe into the prosecutor's office?

I looked up at him.

"Really? That's good then."

I pushed Ethan away and got straight out of bed.

Today I didn't wait to go to work with Ethan.

Instead, I called a cab and went to the law firm on my own.

During lunch break, I was eating at a nearby restaurant. I sat in a corner booth and happened to run into Chloe walking in with her arm linked through Ethan's.

Ethan went to order food first. Chloe wanted to find a seat. The moment she looked up, our eyes met.

Her gaze flickered, but she quickly recovered and walked over to sit across from me casually.

"Aria, why didn't you reply to my message yesterday? I was worried all night."

"Oh, by the way, Ethan left this at my place last time he came over. I can finally give it back to you."

Chloe pulled a worn-out plushie from her bag.

My grip on my knife and fork suddenly tightened.

This plushie, I had made it by hand for Ethan when we first got together.

He cherished it so much. He kept it hanging on his briefcase and never took it off.

Now it had become trash he could casually throw away.

I smiled.

"I have something for you too."

Looking at the familiar hair tie in my hand, Chloe stayed completely calm. She smiled, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes.

"So you finally know?"

The pain of betrayal from my closest friend made my voice rough.

"Why?"

Chloe laughed coldly.

"Don't you know? You've always looked down on me because your family has money! Why do you get to be better than me at everything? Finally, I get to win against you for once!"

I couldn't believe Chloe had been seeing me this way all along.

I'd always known her family was poor. Since we were kids, I'd let her have her way. I even picked out expensive gifts for her just to satisfy her vanity.

If that's how it was, I didn't need to care about our past friendship anymore.

"Chloe, do you really think Ethan is serious about you? If he truly loved you, he would have broken up with me and married you already. You're nothing but a disposable toy in his life. You think you can win against me by relying on some man?"

"As long as I'm around, you'll always be nothing but a homewrecker who can't show her face in public!"

My words struck the nerve Chloe was most sensitive about.

Her face turned red with anger and humiliation. Her voice became shrill.

"What do you know! I'll show you right now who Ethan really cares about!"

She grabbed the pot of boiling hot water next to her and threw it directly at me!

It felt like flames were burning from the inside, trying to tear through my skin and explode outward. The dense, needle-like burning pain made it hard to breathe.

I gritted my teeth and shoved Chloe away hard, but before I could take a step, the pain made me bend over against the wall.

Hearing the commotion, Ethan rushed over. When he saw my disheveled state, his heart jumped. He immediately came forward to carry me out.

But a weak crying voice stopped him.

"Ethan, my leg hurts so much..."

He turned around and saw Chloe collapsed on the floor. Her swollen ankle had a huge gash, and blood was everywhere.

Ethan pressed his lips together. His expression was conflicted.

In the end, he turned around and went back.

"Aria, Chloe has a blood clotting disorder. If we wait any longer, her life could be in danger. I'll take her to the hospital first and then come back for you."

Suffering from the pain, Ethan's voice seemed so distant.

Just like the distance between our hearts.

I used all my strength to lift my head, only to see his panicked retreating figure.

From beginning to end, he never once looked back at me.

Aria's POV

When I woke up in the hospital, a nurse Ethan had hired was sitting beside me.

The skin with extensive burns had already blistered. The moment I moved, the pain made me groan.

The nurse helped me sit up and poured me a glass of water while telling me how lucky I was.

"Your boyfriend really loves you. As soon as he found out you were hospitalized, he hired a nurse and bought a ton of supplements."

I looked at the gift boxes on the floor and said nothing.

I figured Ethan was still with Chloe right now.

Where the body is, that's where the heart is.

So did he really love me?

After the nurse applied my medicine, I took out my phone and saw that Chloe had sent me a one-minute video.

The thumbnail showed Ethan half-kneeling on the ground, carefully lifting her calf to apply medicine.

"Ethan, are you going home to be with Aria tonight? Can you stay a little longer? Please stay with me a bit more."

After applying the medicine, Chloe leaned into his arms. Her voice was fragile.

Ethan was silent for a moment.

"Not tonight. I'll stay with you when I have time."

Chloe looked up at him with her tearful eyes, looking pitiful.

"Anytime? I bought tickets to Disneyland this Wednesday. Will you come with me?"

"I don't mind not having a title. As long as you can spare time to be with me, I'm satisfied."

Ethan ruffled her hair and replied softly.

"Okay."

My fingers trembled. My phone fell onto the bed.

Ethan knew perfectly well that this Wednesday, both families were supposed to have dinner together to discuss the wedding.

Why did it have to be that day?

He knew that choosing Chloe on such an important day was what would make her happy.

Even though my heart felt dead, sadness, despair, and grievance, all these complex emotions surged and churned in my chest. My chest felt heavy and sore.

My eyes stung. Tears poured down like rain.

Ethan said he would come pick me up.

I didn't wait. I paid the bill myself and left the hospital.

That evening, I received an invitation to a class reunion.

The next day, I arrived at the private room only to find that Chloe and Ethan were there too.

I acted like I didn't see them and sat down in a corner.

Everyone had a few drinks, and the atmosphere gradually heated up.

Someone suggested playing games.

The first round was truth or dare.

Ethan drew a dare to kiss the person next to him for ten seconds.

At first, no one dared to say anything.

But seeing that I didn't react, everyone got tipsy and started egging them on.

Someone nearby got impatient and pushed Chloe.

She cried out and fell toward Ethan. Her red lips barely touched his.

Ethan instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist. His eyes darkened with heavy desire.

The room erupted with cheers and jeers.

When time was up, Chloe pulled away from Ethan's embrace with a red face.

The next second, I received a message from Ethan.

"It was just to complete the game. I didn't want to ruin the mood. Don't overthink it."

I pulled at the corner of my mouth without replying and got up to go to the balcony for air.

Right after, Ethan also received a call from his secretary and followed me out.

The game continued.

This time it was Chloe's turn to draw truth.

Everyone told her to reveal the most explosive secret she knew.

Chloe thought for a moment and smiled.

"Of course I have one."

"It's about Aria Bennett. You don't really think she's some innocent good girl, do you? In private, she's quite wild."

When I came back from getting air on the balcony, Ethan and Chloe were gone.

Someone said Chloe had drunk too much and was having stomach spasms, so Ethan took her to the hospital.

I didn't want to think about whether it was true or not. I just nodded.

But somehow, I felt like everyone was looking at me strangely.

The next second, the private room door was locked from the inside.

Alarm bells went off in my head. I stood up to leave, but a man next to me grabbed my wrist and pinned me down on the couch.

"I thought you were some pure innocent woman. Turns out you like hooking up with guys on apps when your boyfriend's out of town. And one guy isn't even enough for you... Lucky for you, there are five of us here. Why don't you stay and play with us?"

Before I could react.

The next second, a pair of hands started tearing off my clothes!

Aria's POV

I was so scared my heart nearly stopped.

I struggled with all my strength, but I was no match for the man's brute force.

Feeling my clothes being stripped off one by one, I fell into complete despair. Tears streamed down my face.

The man pressing down on me felt a surge of tenderness and leaned down to kiss my face.

I seized the opportunity and bit down hard on his neck!

A painful howl echoed through the room.

I used all my strength to push him off and crashed through the door, running out.

"You fucking bitch! If I catch you, you're dead!"

Several men charged out after me. The one I'd bitten spoke through gritted teeth, his voice vicious.

I was terrified beyond belief. I ran while trembling, fumbling for my phone in my pocket.

I opened my contacts to call the police but accidentally pressed the first number in my list.

The moment the call connected, my voice was shaking. I instinctively cried for help.

"Please... help me..."

But what came from the other end was heavy, magnetic male breathing and Chloe's seductive moans.

"Ethan... slower... it's too fast, I can't take it..."

My phone fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

It wasn't until I ran out onto the street and saw a police officer walking toward me that I looked back.

The group of men didn't dare follow anymore. I knew I was safe.

My body went weak. I collapsed right there on the ground.

A sharp pain hit me. Looking down, I realized my elbow and shin had gotten scraped when I fell. Blood was slowly staining my white dress red.

The joy of surviving and the lingering terror swallowed my heart.

I covered my face and finally broke down crying.

By the time Ethan got the news and rushed to the hospital, I was at the front desk window paying the bill while holding my wound.

"Miss, your health insurance wasn't paid last month. You need to pay the full amount out of pocket now. Remember to renew it if you need to."

I shook my head.

"No need. I'll be leaving here soon anyway."

"Aria, leaving? Where are you going? We're about to get married."

I turned around and saw Ethan walking toward me.

I lowered my head. My tone was flat.

"Just a business trip in a little while."

Ethan nodded without thinking much of it.

In the operating room, I got thirty stitches total.

By the time I came out, my face was already pale as paper.

It was late at night. The doctor said I should have family with me while getting my IV.

The infusion area was eerily quiet.

I closed my eyes tiredly. For the first time, I didn't lean against Ethan.

"Aria, those men have been arrested. They said it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. They've already confessed."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. My voice was calm.

"Ethan, what if I told you that Chloe deliberately spoke badly about me and incited them to do this? Would you believe me?"

Ethan frowned slightly.

"Chloe isn't that kind of person. I know you usually look down on her, but if you still consider her your friend at all, don't make up rumors and ruin her reputation."

"I've been working with her at the prosecutor's office these past few days. I know what kind of person she is."

I pulled at the corner of my mouth. My heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles.

How long had he even known Chloe? Yet Ethan dared to defend her so confidently.

But we'd been together for ten years.

And in his heart, I had this kind of malicious image.

I was too exhausted to even argue back.

Ethan's phone rang.

It was a special ringtone.

Ethan's expression instantly became tense. He answered the call and lowered his voice.

"What's wrong?"

I heard Chloe crying on the other end.

"Ethan, I think someone broke into my house. I'm too scared to go in. Please come quickly. I'm so scared."

"I'm coming now."

After hanging up, Ethan's expression returned to normal.

"Something came up at work. I need to go work overtime. I'll come check on you later."

Even after Ethan's figure completely disappeared, I didn't say a word.

I suddenly felt like I'd been so stupid before.

Ethan's terrible acting had actually fooled me for three years.

I'd seen what it looked like when he loved me. So now that he didn't love me anymore, it was equally obvious.

In the middle of the night, I dozed off.

I didn't even notice when the blood bag filled up halfway.

It wasn't until the nurse rushed over that I woke up.

"Where's your boyfriend? He was just here. How did so much blood flow back without him noticing?"

I pulled at the corner of my mouth and smiled.

"You got the wrong person. That's not my boyfriend."

Aria's POV

After Ethan said he was going back to work overtime that day, he didn't come back for three or four days straight.

The next time I saw him was on a screen.

He was representing the prosecutor's office at a press conference, giving a legal education presentation to the public.

Except this time, Chloe was sitting beside him.

A reporter even captured their little hand-holding interaction when they stepped off the stage.

Everyone knew how formidable Prosecutor Shaw was.

Every case that passed through his hands was won. But in all these years, he'd never been this intimate with any woman in public.

The live stream comments were all praising them as a perfect match, congratulating Chloe on her good fortune for winning over this iceberg.

I turned off the news.

Since Ethan wasn't home anyway, I had some peace and quiet. I spent the whole day handling the remaining cases at the law firm.

By the time I finished work, it was evening.

Suddenly Ethan's secretary called me.

"Aria, something's wrong! Something happened to Mr. Shaw. Get here quickly!"

I pressed my lips together.

But in the end, I went.

Not because I was worried about Ethan, but because I happened to have case files from the law firm that needed to be delivered to the prosecutor's office.

As soon as I arrived, I saw chaos in front of the prosecutor's office.

A criminal that Ethan had sent to prison had been released and came back for revenge. He was holding Chloe hostage at the entrance to threaten Ethan.

"Ethan Shaw, you destroyed my marriage and family! Now I'm going to kill your woman right in front of you and make you suffer for the rest of your life!"

The man was extremely agitated. A six-inch knife was pressed against Chloe's throat. She was crying, her whole body trembling.

Ethan stood in front of the crowd with an ashen face.

The police would need at least ten more minutes to arrive.

The man was emotionally unstable. Chloe's life could be in danger at any second.

He couldn't stall that long.

I stood in the middle of the crowd, calmly watching it all. I was just about to turn and leave when I made eye contact with Ethan.

Watching him walk quickly toward me, my heart jumped. Before I could react, I was already pulled out.

"Look carefully! This is my fiance!"

"I'm letting her be your hostage. Let my assistant go."

I stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide.

"Ethan Shaw, are you insane? Let go of me! I don't want to!"

But Ethan's eyes were bloodshot. He clearly wasn't listening to anything.

The man laughed coldly.

"Ethan Shaw, do you think I'm an idiot? If she's really your fiance, would you be willing to push her out? This morning I saw you kissing and touching that slut backstage! I saw everything!"

"Blame your bad luck for getting mixed up with Ethan Shaw. Pray you don't meet him in your next life!"

The man raised the knife to strike.

Chloe screamed.

The next second, Ethan shoved me hard from behind, making my whole body lunge toward Chloe.

The knife plunged into my chest. The pain nearly made me pass out.

Chloe immediately pushed me away and ran straight into Ethan's arms.

"Ethan, I was so scared..."

"I'm here. Don't be afraid. I'll get you out of here first."

Hearing their conversation, my heart twisted violently with pain.

The man's eyes had turned red with killing intent. He pulled out the knife and stabbed me twice more in the abdomen.

Just as the last knife was about to plunge into my throat, I was in too much pain to struggle anymore. I could only close my eyes in despair.

Fortunately, the police arrived in time and successfully shot the assailant dead.

I collapsed on the ground.

From excessive blood loss, my vision started going dark and blurry.

My life flashed before my eyes.

But it was all just Ethan's cold face.

I couldn't even remember anymore how gentle Ethan had been to me at the beginning.

The moment my eyes closed completely, I had only one thought.

If there really is a next life, I will never be with Ethan Shaw again.

Aria's POV

After three days and nights of emergency treatment, I finally came back from hell.

I opened my eyes and saw Ethan sitting beside me with a complicated expression.

"Aria, you're finally awake. You slept for three days. I was so afraid something would happen to you."

My voice was hoarse.

"I think you were afraid nothing would happen to me. Otherwise you wouldn't have pushed me out there."

Ethan's expression froze for a moment.

"The situation was urgent. If Chloe had gotten injured with her blood clotting disorder, she definitely wouldn't have survived."

"She's your friend too. Could you really bear to watch her die? Besides, you were rushed to the hospital for treatment right away. The doctor said as long as you rest properly, you'll be fine."

So one stab to the chest and two to the abdomen. In his mind, that was "fine."

All the injuries I suffered couldn't compare to two tears from Chloe.

There was a knock at the door.

Chloe stood in the doorway holding a thermos, her eyes red.

Ethan frowned slightly and immediately got up to drape his coat over her shoulders.

"Didn't the doctor tell you to rest at home? Why did you come out?"

"Aria got hurt so badly because of me. If I didn't come visit her, I'd feel too guilty."

"Go get her medicine for me. I'll take care of her here."

Ethan nodded and left the room.

As soon as he left, Chloe's face changed completely. She looked at me with disgust.

"You're so lucky. You actually survived."

I looked at her calmly.

"You don't really think Ethan would marry you if I died, do you?"

"Stop dreaming. You have been hooking up with rich guys since college. Look at all those men who claimed to love you. Which one of them actually married you in the end?"

Chloe got angry. A vicious smile curved her lips.

"Really? How do you know he won't marry me if we don't try?"

She unscrewed the thermos. The smell of fish soup filled the hospital room.

But as soon as I smelled it, I couldn't help covering my mouth to keep from gagging.

I'm allergic to fish.

Seeing Chloe pick up the thermos to throw it at me, I couldn't hold back anymore.

I reached out and shoved her away, then slapped her hard across the face!

"Don't touch me! Get out!"

Chloe fell down on cue. The scalding hot soup spilled all over the floor.

"Aria Bennett!"

Ethan came back just in time to see Chloe on the ground with red eyes and a bright red handprint on her face. Anger surged in his chest.

He picked her up and shielded her behind him. His voice was cold and impatient.

"Haven't you had enough? Chloe came here out of kindness to take care of you, and this is how you treat her!"

"Just because you got hurt and she didn't, you're taking all your resentment out on her? When did you become so vicious!"

Looking at the disappointment in Ethan's eyes, I laughed coldly.

"I'm vicious? Ethan Shaw, who do you think is responsible for my injuries? Do you even remember whose fiance you are?"

"I just can't stand you being so unreasonable!"

"I will never marry such a vicious woman! Reflect on your behavior. I'm postponing the wedding. When you realize your mistake and apologize to Chloe, then we'll have the wedding!"

Watching Ethan leave angrily with Chloe in his arms, I didn't try to stop him.

I quietly packed my things and took a cab straight to the airport.

Mom and Dad were already waiting for me at the entrance.

I opened my phone and saw that Ethan had sent me several more messages.

"Chloe has been blaming herself and crying for days because of what happened to you. If you really have any conscience, come apologize to her."

"Aria, stop being so unreasonable. I'm only postponing the wedding, not canceling it. After ten years together, no one can take your place."

I laughed.

Then I blocked him on everything.

Thank god fate gave me a second chance. Thank god I finally woke up.

Without Ethan Shaw, I know I'll have a better life ahead.

I pulled my suitcase behind me and walked decisively into a spring without Ethan Shaw.