He Chased Me with Desperation

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I had been in a secret relationship with my brothers best friend for seven years and we were planning to get married.

I followed the location and found his gathering, but as I reached the door of the private room, I overheard their conversation.

Ethan Shaw, your Cinderella is back. What are you going to do about that stand-in little sister?

He didnt reply.

The atmosphere became tense and another friend laughed, Its impressive how bold Ethan is. He dared to pursue Adams sister. Now hes used her up and yet, Amanda is back

She left so decisively back then, she deserves to have a stand-in to irritate her!

The next day, Ethan took me to Amandas welcome banquet, showering me with affectionate gestures.

But when Amanda ran out crying, he pushed me aside and rushed after her in panic.

I returned home covered in spilled soup and burns and opened the door to the studyone he never allowed me to enter.

On the desk, their photo together was so conspicuous.

My heart turned to ash and I called my brother overseas.

Brother, Ive made up my mind about the arranged marriage. I agree!

Emma Snow, have you been wronged?

My brother paused on the other end of the line for a moment before his voice filled with deep concern.

I forced a lighthearted smile, despite the bitterness rising in my throat. No, Ive just figured it out. Im going to get married anyway, so does it matter to whom?

Besides, I trust Mom and Dads judgment. Even if its an arranged marriage, Im sure the candidate has been thoroughly vetted by you all.

Only then did my brother let out a relieved sigh. His tone softened, Im glad youve figured it out. When are you coming back? Do you want to meet him before making the final decision?

No need, the sooner we agree, the sooner the company crisis can be resolved. You can start preparing for the wedding and lets set the date for a month from now.

Got it! By the way, do you still have contact with Ethan? I heard his goddess is finally back. You should reach out to him, maybe hell have time to come celebrate with you and bring some good luck.

I was surprised that my brother knew about Amanda. No wonder Ethan had always insisted I keep our relationship a secret from him.

I lowered my gaze to hide the pang in my heart.

Brother, dont bother him. Im not close to him.

Just then, I heard the sound of the door unlocking. I said my goodbyes and hung up the phone.

I looked up to meet Ethans smiling eyes.

Not close to whom?

Not close to you!

I said honestly, but Ethan raised an eyebrow and mischievously pulled me into his embrace.

Really? Then tell me how youre not close to me. Are we not close enough, or have we not shared enough nights together, hmm?

His breath was warm against my ear.

Our once intimate behavior that made my heart race now only made me feel uncomfortable and repelled.

As I struggled, I noticed the lipstick stain on his shirt collar.

The burns on my body ached and I didnt know where the pain came from, but it was so sharp it brought tears to my eyes.

Emma, whats wrong? Are you feeling unwell?

Ethan panicked as soon as he saw my tears.

He rolled up his sleeve and saw the large red marks on my wrist, his voice trembling with concern.

How did this happen? When did you get burned? Why didnt you tell me?

It seemed like he had completely forgotten what had happened at the banquet.

I remained silent, unsure whether I should remind him and shatter his mask of feigned affection.

All right, stop crying now. Ill put some medicine on it for you.

He gently patted my head to soothe me as he got up to grab the first aid kit, muttering along the way.

Look at yousuch a big girl, but still afraid of pain and always crying. What would you do without me?

I stared blankly at the red burn mark on my wrist.

Yes, Id been spoiled for a full seven years. What would I do without him?

But, Ethan, I dont want you anymore. I dont want this fake love anymore. I said to myself.

That night, I couldnt sleep well and woke up covered in sweat.

Just as dawn was breaking, Ethan pulled me out of bed.

I grumbled, trying to push him away, but he just chuckled and leaned in to kiss me.

Instantly, all my sleepiness vanished. I almost slapped him, but barely managed to hold myself back.

Luckily, it was just a quick kiss.

Awake yet, my Sleeping Beauty?

I turned away, wiping my mouth in disgust.

Its the weekend. Why cant you let people sleep in?

Ethan looked helpless. Did you know you had a fever last night? Get up; Im taking you to the hospital.

Although I felt mostly fine, I couldnt argue with him, so I reluctantly got up.

In the hospital corridor, we unexpectedly ran into Amanda.

It looked like she had hurt her foot and was struggling to hop down the hallway on her own.

Ethan, who had been gentle just moments before, instantly frowned.

Forgetting I was beside him, he rushed over to Amanda and held her, asking in concern, What happened?

Amanda smiled at him, looking past him toward me.

Its just a sprained ankle. What a coincidence; you two are here for a checkup too?

Ethans expression froze. He glanced back at me, his eyes shifting.

Yeah, my little sister here had a bit of a fever, so I brought her in for a check-up.

I had grown used to being called sister by now.

From the moment Ethan decided not to go public with our relationship, he introduced me as his friends little sister, someone he was helping to look after.

Only his closest friends knew of our true relationship.

Amanda nodded. Shes staying at your place, so of course, you have to look after her carefully. You two go on; I need to head over there.

She gestured toward the other clinic on the opposite side.

Seeing her start hopping again, Ethan didnt think twice before scooping her up in his arms.

Let me take you over. Emma, wait here for me.

For some reason, as soon as I saw Amanda, I suddenly felt weak, drained of all energy.

I leaned against the wall, saying nothing.

Ethan hadnt actually asked for my permission. After those words, he was already carrying Amanda toward the other clinic.

The fact, no matter how well he acted, when faced with Amanda, genuine feelings slip through, betraying the facade.

And Ethan didnt even realize it.

I forced a bitter smile, turned and walked to my own clinic.

Apparently, it wasnt just in my head; after checking my temperature, I learned my fever was as high as 41.3C.

The burn had become infected, worsened by my recent emotional stress, leading to a viral infection that required IV treatment.

Out of habit, I reached for my phone to call Ethan, but stopped myself before dialing.

Habit was a terrifying thing.

I gave a self-mocking smile, put my phone away, William to get my medication and headed to the IV room alone.

After finishing my IV, I felt even dizzier. I took a few steps and almost stumbled.

Ethan still hadnt returnedno calls, no messages.

Reluctantly, I decided to call him first to avoid any misunderstandings.

When he heard I was still at the hospital, he paused for a moment.

Im sorry, Emma. I planned to come back for you right after taking Amanda home, but her stomach started acting up, so

Before he could finish, I overheard a waitress in the background. Sir, your dishes are all served. Please enjoy your meal!

Though Ethan quickly covered the receiver, Id already heard it all.

Its fine. Im on my ownI can manage.

I said it to reassure myself and to reassure him.

Just as I was about to hang up, he suddenly called out my name, Emma, just head home. Ill explain everything later.

Explain what, exactly? Just more lies to string me along.

I ended the call without a word and arranged for a driver to take me home.

But that night, Ethan didnt come back.

Kept awake by the fireworks outside, I pulled out my tablet and resumed sketching custom jewelry designs for a client.

While working, I accidentally brushed the chat app in the lower right corner and a new post from an hour ago appeared.

It was from Amanda: a beautiful shot of fireworks bursting against the night sky, captioned with poetic words:

After half a lifetime away, I return to you. And here, the fireworks bloom, a welcome in all its glory!

I stared at the post for a long time, only realizing when I tried to log out that the chat app was still logged into Ethans account on my tablet.

Felt uninterested in prying into their flirtations, I simply logged out of the app.

The next morning, feeling somewhat refreshed, I arrived at the office on time.

The manager held my resignation letter and when she heard I was going back home to get married, she looked both happy and wistful.

With you leaving, Im losing one of my best team members.

Unsure of what to say, I gave her a hug and thanked her for all the support over the years.

After completing the formalities, my colleagues heard the news and insisted on a farewell meal to celebrate my upcoming wedding.

I didnt decline and booked a table at a restaurant Ethan and I frequented. It was one of the few restaurants I knew and the food was genuinely good.

Halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom, only to run into Amanda.

She greeted me warmly, Didnt expect to see you here, too! You know, this was the restaurant Ethan first brought me to back in college. Weve come here so many times.

I gave her a polite smile and was about to leave, not considering our relationship close enough for small talk.

But she didnt seem to feel the same. Just as I was about to go, she stopped me again.

I noticed last time that Ethan always rinses the shrimp in water before peeling it for you. Do you also not eat spicy food?

The word also made me pause for a moment.

The truth is, I do enjoy spicy food. But every time Ethan peeled shrimp for me, hed insist on rinsing it in water.

He always said it wasnt good for a girl to eat too much spice.

I had always thought he was looking out for my health.

But now, I realized it was simply a habit.

The one who didnt eat spicy foodthe one he was thinking ofis Amanda.

Seeing that I was silent, she tilted her head slightly, carefully studying my face.

"I've wanted to say this since the first time we metdont you think we look very much alike, little sister?"

In that moment, I had never felt such humiliation and disgrace. Under her triumphant gaze, I could only flee in panic.

Back in the private room, my colleagues' warmth began to thaw my icy blood. Just as I was about to cast aside that unpleasant encounter, the door to the room swung open.

Seeing the two full tables of people, Ethan froze for a moment, then locked eyes with me. I could see the restrained anger in his gaze, though I couldnt understand why.

He clenched his fists before finally calling my name, ordering me outside. Puzzled, I followed him out, only to be met with a hard slap in the corridor.

It was the first time he had ever hit me.

As I stared at him in disbelief, he showed no sign of guilt or hesitationjust pure fury.

"Why did you push Amanda? You knew she had a twisted ankle! I told you Id explain things when we got back, but you just had to handle it so harshly?"

My cheek burned with pain.

In the distance, Amanda hobbled toward us, her shirt rumpled, stained with water and dirt. Just as I opened my mouth to explain, she fell to the ground with a dramatic thud.

Without a second thought, Ethan pushed past me and rushed over, cradling her in his arms.

"I told you I'd bring her over to apologize to you. Why did you come out here?" he said.

Though his words sounded reproachful, his voice was filled with tenderness.

With tears in her eyes, Amanda shook her head at him. "Its not a big deal; she didnt do it on purpose. Dont be so hard on her."

"If her brother finds out you hit his sister, it might hurt the bond between you two," she added.

At the mention of my brother, a strange expression crossed Ethan's face, but his resolve returned as he looked back at Amanda.

"Her brother entrusted her to me, so its my duty to correct her when shes in the wrong," he said firmly.

I laughed bitterly and couldnt resist asking, "What exactly did I do wrong? Even in court, you need solid evidence to convict someone. Havent you thought about how unfair it is to judge me and even lay hands on me without understanding the truth?"

Ethan clenched his fists, glaring at me. "You knew there were no cameras in the restroom, so you thought you could act without consequence."

I felt both amused and stung by the injustice.

"If there are no cameras, then how can you be sure it was me?"

"Why would Amanda wrongfully accuse you? She must have a reason, right? Besides, I've known her for yearsshes not the kind of person who lies."

"And I am?" I asked, my voice barely hiding the bitterness.

After seven years together, I thought he would trust my character, if nothing else. But I was wrong. In front of Amanda, even seven years meant nothing.

One word from her was all it took to convict me, leaving me without a chance to defend myself.

It was blatant favoritism, a glaring display of partiality. And I, in the end, was nothing more than a stand-in, a replacement with nothing to offer.

Seeing no point in arguing further, I turned to leave, ignoring Ethans furious commands to stay.

With the mark of his slap still on my face, I didnt want to ruin my colleagues' mood, so I chose not to return to the private room. Instead, I went to the front desk, paid the bill and sent them a message:

"Something urgent came up, so I had to leave. Enjoy the meal and drinksit's on me!"

Dragging my exhausted body back home, I took a long, detailed look at this place where Id lived for the past seven years.

Every corner held memories of Ethan and meonce so beautiful, now stabbing into my heart like a thousand sharp blades.

I found a large cardboard box and, unable to sleep, spent the night erasing those remnants of happiness.

There were slippers with our "cat and dog" love diary design, the matching couple mugs that fit together, the keychains that sensed each other within ten meters and a whole box of photos and portraits. These were once the only proof of our relationship, especially in those times when I felt insecure.

Now, there was no need for any of it.

Ethan didnt come home for half a month. In that time, apart from finishing my design drafts, I nearly cleared out the entire house. I even disposed of the furniture Id chosen myself, leaving the place as it was when I first moved inblack and white, so minimalist that you could see the entire room in a single glance.

The night before I left, I thought I should at least say something to Ethan, so I called him. But every time I dialed, he kept rejecting my calls. After a while, he sent me a message.

If you havent realized your mistake and arent genuinely ready to apologize to Amanda, then I dont think theres any reason for us to speak.

I smiled bitterly. Well, if thats the case, then we wont speak.

Early the next morning, I headed out with my suitcase for my flight.

As I left what was once my warm and cherished home, I felt nothing but overwhelming relief.

Just before boarding, my phone buzzed with countless birthday messages. Some wished me great success, some wished me peace and happiness and some wished me a blessed marriage with a wonderful partner.

After replying to each one, I turned off my phone.

As the plane took off, I thought to myself: I will be happy! With so many blessings, I knew I would be.