Trapped Lovers

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I was right there when John dragged her ex-boyfriend, Lucas, into the hotel room.

She turned to me, a cold sneer twisting her lips.

Haven't you always doubted me?

Well, now I'll do everything right in front of you.

Soon, the room filled with the blush-inducing sounds of gasps and whispers. In that moment, I knew with chilling clarity that John and I were completely over.

After that, no matter what she did, I never felt jealous again, nor did I ever confront her.

Once, a broadcast reported a rumor about her and Lance. Hearing it, she immediately turned off the radio, eager to explain herself to me. I simply replied, nonchalantly, "I know. Those are all false."

But she still wasn't reassured and continued to explain frantically. I couldn't help but smile, telling her, "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret. I won't tell Mom and Dad."

She slammed on the brakes, her face instantly turning ashen.

1.

The moment John took Lance to that hotel room, our relationship ended. When I heard her and Lance's names combined again, praising them as a match made in heaven, I didn't crumble as I'd imagined.

Lance was a social media influencer, gaining many followers by filming his daily life as an overseas student. A month ago, a live photo he posted on social media featured John. In the image, John's figure flashed by, along with a box of condoms. Soon, someone dug up John's identity. The live photo quickly became a trending topic.

In Lance's comment section, fans were asking: [Lance, tell us honestly, are you in love?] [This woman looks like the CEO of the Vinc Group.] [Wow, the woman in the GIF looks so beautiful.]

Seeing these messages, I stood frozen. The conspicuous condoms in the photo brazenly declared the relationship between a man and a woman, and I felt a chill run through me. Back home, I waited for John's explanation. She simply dismissed it in a few words.

"Just a misunderstanding."

Seeing no reaction from me, she added:

"I've already had them take down the trending topic."

After that, Lance's name frequently appeared in my life. I heard colleagues gossiping at work. Every one of his posts was precisely pushed to me by big data. His and John's rumors intensified. Netizens speculated widely about their relationship.

2.

That weekend, John was away on a business trip. My best friend and I had made plans to go to a hot springs resort. There, I saw John and Lance. John was wearing a bikini, her perfect figure exposed to the air, with a suit jacket draped over her. Lance's shirt collar was slightly open, his sleeves rolled up, and his suit trousers hugged his long legs, his posture casual and relaxed. Walking side by side, they looked like a match made in heaven in the eyes of others. John tilted her head slightly, listening to Lance speak. I don't know what he said, but they both smiled in sync.

I watched them enter the same private room. I followed, and inexplicably, pushed open the door. My mouth moved faster than my brain, uttering the accusing words: "John, you and Lance went to a room and slept together, didn't you?"

I froze on the spot. Everyone in the room turned to stare at me. John looked at me, her eyes indifferent. She withdrew her gaze, her thin lips parting slightly. "Assistant Chen, close the door."

I almost forgot how to breathe. John's attitude made me feel embarrassed and humiliated. I lost all desire for the hot springs. After greeting my friend, I left the resort.

John returned home that evening. I felt apologetic for what happened that morning, but I couldn't help but feel wronged. A bitter sourness surged from deep within me, and I couldn't suppress it. I couldn't help but ask her.

"John, did you cheat on me?"

"What's your relationship with him?"

She glanced at me indifferently, her attitude cold and distant. "Ethan, what kind of relationship do you want me to have with him?"

"In front of so many people, did you consider his future position?"

My mind stalled, my heart sinking little by little. Her indifferent attitude was like a knife, piercing my heart without mercy. John glared at me coldly, then withdrew her gaze and disappeared from the living room.

3.

After that, we fell into a cold war. John frequently went on business trips. The complete breakdown happened at one of John's hotels. I saw Lance and John appear together in the hotel lobby. They took the elevator together to the penthouse suite. I followed them.

"John."

She and Lance both stopped, turning to look at me. I asked her: "Your 'business trip,' was it actually taking your ex-boyfriend to a hotel room?"

John just sneered.

"Alright, haven't you been suspecting me of cheating?"

"Do you want me to show you everything, right in front of you?"

She grabbed Lance's arm and pulled him into the suite. Her eyes, dark and deep, fixed on me.

"What, aren't you going to come in and see what happens between him and me?"

With that, John slammed the door shut. My eyes burned, my throat tightened, and for a moment, I couldn't say anything. As I stepped into the elevator area, an unknown number called. The caller didn't speak, only the faint, fragmented gasps of a woman came through. I froze for a long time

This ambiguous sound confirmed that John and Lance had crossed a line. My nose instantly stung with pain, and I knew John and I were truly over. I hailed a cab and left. Sitting in the car, I scrolled through Lance's secondary social media account. His high school and college accounts had been dug up by netizens, and his relationship timeline with John had been meticulously compiled. He and John were high school classmates and started dating after graduating high school. They both went to King's University, in different majors.

Through Lance's account, I seemed to see a different John. John would patiently accompany him to take photos at various trendy spots and even learned photography for him. She went with him to Disneyland, to the beach. Lance's secondary account was filled with the pink sweetness of their love. The words he shared conveyed the strong affection between him and John.

[She specially honed her photography skills for me; she loves me more than I love myself.]

Under this post, someone commented: [Lance, I'm your junior, I also got into King's from King's First High. I heard about you and senior John in high school. You guys are so sweet, wishing you two forever.]

John replied to the junior: [Thank you, he and I will be together happily.]

The long-dormant King's University forum buzzed with discussions about John and Lance again. [John and Lance were a match made in heaven at our school back then, but later Lance went to study abroad, and they seemed to break up.] [So, it's a rekindled romance now?] [I have a bold guess: Lance seems to come from an ordinary family; it would be hard to afford his overseas studies, right? Could John have paid for it? That's even more swoon-worthy, CEO John "working" domestically to support her husband.]

John flew to California every year, and Lance's alma mater was located in California. My hand, holding the phone, trembled slightly; I dared not overthink it.

4.

Ten minutes after I arrived home, John also got back. Her clothes were neat, and she looked perfectly composed. My eyes were still a little red, and I didn't meet her gaze directly. John stepped forward and took my hand. She explained to me.

"Nothing happened between him and me."

"Tonight, those were just words spoken in anger."

She explained, but it was too late. I nodded gently.

"I understand."

I didn't speak to her for the entire evening.

The next day, not feeling well, I took a cab to work at the hospital. When it was time to leave, I suddenly didn't feel like going home. My colleague was on night duty but needed to attend his child's parent-teacher conference, so I covered his shift. Tonight's night shift was very busy. Several emergency patients were admitted. Only when I came out of the operating room did I see over a dozen missed calls on my phone. Liam, my colleague, rushed back after the parent-teacher conference.

"Ethan, thanks a lot."

"I heard several emergencies came in tonight, and you did another surgery. You must be tired."

"I brought you a bubble tea."

I didn't stand on ceremony with Liam; I took the bubble tea. "Thanks, Liam."

"I'm heading out then."

Liam smiled. "It's I who should be thanking you."

It was almost midnight when I left the hospital. I had taken a cab in the morning, and I took one back now. After getting in the car, I properly checked my phone. All the missed calls were from John. She had sent messages: [Where are you?]

[I'm waiting for you in the hospital parking garage.]

I was already in the car. [No need.]

[I'm on my way home.]

Shortly after I arrived home, John also rushed back. Since that day, my feelings for her had changed. Her sudden return home made me feel a little lost. We stood facing each other, and I only felt extremely awkward. John's gaze, however, was fixed tightly on me. I avoided her eyes. Seeing her, I would think of Lance. I would remember her pulling Lance into the hotel, and Lance's call softly murmuring in my ear. I would remember everything about her and Lance's relationship over the past few years.

I used to share everything that happened at the hospital and what I ate each day with John. I was always the one trying to find topics to talk about. Now, I realized we had almost nothing to say to each other, making the entire space extremely quiet. It made me recall Lance's diary entries during their relationship.

[How can she talk so much? I'm almost falling asleep, and she's still going on about what happened in the lab today.]

Thinking of that, my heart suddenly tightened. John abruptly spoke. "Weren't you on day shift today? Why are you so late?"

I could feel her eyes on me. I didn't meet her gaze, turning my back to her and walking to the dining table to pour water. "Mhm." I didn't explain, nor did I bother to. There was no need to be so clear with her. When I turned around, she was standing in front of me. Her thin lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. I spoke first, and she swallowed her words. "I'm going to take a shower first."

When I came out, John was standing at the door. I was startled. Our eyes met unexpectedly, and I nodded awkwardly. Lying awake at night, my mind wandered. Just lying in the same bed made me feel uncomfortable.

5.

John wakes early. By the time I wake up, she has already washed up and changed. Breakfast is laid out on the table. John's expression is cool and aloof. Seeing the breakfast spread, I get a little lost in thought. I think of Lance's social media posts again.

[Last night I said I wanted a sandwich for breakfast, and when I woke up, I saw her in the kitchen preparing it for me.]

[Her cooking is getting better and better.]

Someone commented in the comments section:

[Senior is so lucky.]

Lance replied:

[Hehe, I wish you could also find your own happiness.]

Until John calls out:

"Ethan."

"Breakfast is ready."

I snap back to reality and glance at the time.

"You eat. I don't have time."

A hand grips my arm. John's narrow eyes look at me. Her gaze is deep.

"There's time. I'll take you."

I sit down and eat a few bites casually. "Tonight, Grandpa wants us back at the old house for dinner."

"I'll pick you up from the hospital in the evening."

I nod. "Okay."

As I stand up, John also rises. Her voice is rather cold.

"I'll take you."

I reject her without hesitation. "No need."

Her brow furrows slightly, and I immediately leave.

6.

Liam and I ate lunch together in the cafeteria. Liam brought up the topic of going to Riverton for further study. He sighed. "Oh, my son has his college entrance exam this year, I don't have time to go."

"Families like ours at the hospital certainly aren't willing to go."

"And newly married doctors, it's even less likely they'd go."

I said, "Liam, if you're not going, I will."

Liam paused. "Ethan, are you sure?"

I nod. "Yes, I want to take this opportunity to learn."

After lunch, I immediately contacted my supervisor and filled out the application form. Towards the end of my shift, John called me. I put it on speakerphone, and Liam and a few colleagues happened to walk by, looking at me with gossipy smiles.

"Ethan, girlfriend?"

I smiled, denying it. "No."

John said, "I'm in your hospital's underground parking lot."

"Okay, I'll be right down."

In the dim parking lot, a woman stood beside a black G-Wagon, her figure tall and slender, her back cool and aloof. I walked towards her. Unexpectedly, I ran into Liam in the parking lot. Liam smiled as he walked towards me, his eyebrow raised slightly. "Ethan, girlfriend?"

"She's not bad-looking."

My mind quickly whirred, and I spun a lie. "No, she's my cousin."

John looked at me, her gaze deepening. Liam understood, losing his gossipy interest. "I'm heading off."

Once in the car, John's throat subtly moved as she turned to face me. "Why did you say that just now?"

I explained frankly. "I didn't want my colleagues to misunderstand."

John paused slightly, her brow imperceptibly furrowing. "Misunderstand?"

The car drove out of the parking lot. The familiar voice of a marketing account on the car's entertainment channel was broadcasting. "Vinc Group CEO John Davies and influencer Lance Miller were recently spotted together at a new resort in Riverton. John was wearing a sexy bikini, and Lance draped his suit jacket over her. The two exuded immense sexual tension."

John immediately turned off the radio. She explained, "You were there that day, and there were other business partners present." I replied, with a light, calm tone, "I know."

John spoke again. "Nothing happened between him and me." I smiled thinly, assuming she was worried I'd tell our elders. "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret. I won't tell Grandpa."

John slammed on the brakes, her face suddenly turning pale. She looked at me, emotions swirling in her eyes.