When He Saw Me Falling Into the Water, He Refused to Save Me

The car came to a stop in front of Lily's apartment.She didn’t say a word,but her large,glistening eyes stared at Ethan,full of unspoken longing.

Ethan turned to look at me.“Cassandra,wait here in the car.I’ll just take Lily upstairs and be right back.”

As usual,he didn’t wait for my response.He had already stepped out of the driver’s seat,leaving me alone.Lily shot me a smug,triumphant look before getting out of the car.

“Ethan won’t be quick,”she teased,her voice dripping with sweetness.

I couldn’t help but laugh.So this is the“innocent sister”Ethan had been talking about all this time?

After they disappeared,I glanced down at the burn on my arm.Was it really that painful?Painful enough that she couldn’t walk?

I made a face at myself in the rear-view mirror and pulled out my phone,starting up a game to kill time.True to Lily’s word,they were taking their sweet time.I had already lost four rounds in a row,and Ethan still hadn’t emerged from her apartment.

Groaning in frustration,I muttered to myself,“Who’s even winning this game?”

Determined not to lose again,I started another round.But after my fifth consecutive loss,I’d had enough.I slammed my phone down,threw open the car door,and hailed a taxi,heading home on my own.

Later that night,Ethan’s text arrived.

‘Cassandra,did you head home already?Lily’s leg injury is pretty serious.I’ll be staying here for a few days to take care of her.’

I let out a bitter laugh,my fingers hovering over the screen.I didn’t reply.

Half an hour later,another message pinged through.

‘Cassandra,why aren’t you responding?Are you mad at me?’

Mad?I raised an eyebrow.Was I supposed to be angry?I had stopped feeling anger a long time ago.

A year ago,when Lily first appeared in Ethan’s life,it had been obvious—painfully so.He was a man who never mentioned other women,yet he couldn’t stop talking about how sweet and innocent Lily was.He let her get closer and closer,lowering his defenses,bending his boundaries for her.

At the time,I had cared too much.My jealousy and hurt had stripped away all my sense,turning me into a raving lunatic.I’d confronted him like a fool,yelling and crying.

And he had looked at me with nothing but disdain in his eyes.

“Cassandra,stop acting like a crazy person.You’re embarrassing yourself.”

In that moment,my passion for him froze solid,just like the love I had once nurtured for him.The only thing left between us was a faint echo of warmth,barely keeping our relationship alive.

Since then,I hadn’t been mad at him—not once.

I treated myself to a long bubble bath that night,though holding my arm up the whole time made it a bit of a chore.Still,I managed,and I was relieved that none of the complications the doctor had warned me about had set in.I slept soundly for the first time in what felt like ages.

The next morning,I woke up early,refreshed.After ordering breakfast,I used the extra time to pack up the rest of my belongings to send back to my hometown.

I hailed a cab to the office,figuring I could eat my breakfast on the way.I hadn’t felt this lighthearted in a long time.

As soon as I arrived at work,I headed straight to the manager’s office and handed in my resignation letter.The manager read it over,sighing three times in quick succession.

“You’re really giving up your career for a guy like him?Is it worth it?”

I quickly shook my head,realizing he had misunderstood.“It’s not because of Ethan.I’ve decided to move back home to be closer to my family.”

He studied me seriously.“Is that really what you want?”

I nodded firmly.“My parents are getting older.They’ve been wanting me to come home.”

Seeing my resolve,he didn’t press further.With a swift motion,he signed the letter.“Alright,given your injury,there’s no need for you to work out the one-month notice.You can wrap things up whenever you're ready.”

He gave me a knowing look.“Once you’ve handed everything over,you can leave.But if you need more time,you’re welcome to stay a bit longer.”

I smiled,appreciating his understanding.“Thanks,but I’m in a bit of a hurry to get back home.Don’t worry,I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

With the manager’s approval,I quickly delivered my resignation to the HR department.Thanks to his help,I completed the handover in just one day.

When I got home,I packed the remaining items into my suitcase and booked a flight for the following morning.My brother had offered to buy the ticket for me earlier,but I hadn’t been sure when I would be ready to leave.Now,the timing was perfect.

However,I never expected Ethan to come back in the middle of the night.

He slipped into bed quietly,wrapping his arms around me from behind.Startled,I nearly screamed.

He spoke quickly,“Cassandra,don’t be scared,it’s just me.”

But his words didn’t ease my tension.My body remained stiff in his arms.Ethan didn’t seem to notice anything wrong;he just held me close,murmuring under his breath.

“Cassandra,you’ve changed.It’s like you don’t care about me anymore.No matter how late I stay out,you don’t call or text to check on me.You’re...different now…”

His words trailed off as he fell into a deep sleep,exhaustion taking over.

I gently freed myself from his embrace and,to my surprise,saw his eyelashes were wet.Is he crying?The sight stirred something inside me,but sleep was impossible after that.

I sat by the window,watching as night turned into dawn,the sky breaking with the first light of morning.

Quietly,I blocked Ethan on every contact platform.Then,when the sun was fully up,I left him a note:

Ethan,you’re right.I don’t care anymore.The love is gone,and we’ve reached the end.

Goodbye—forever.