Love Can Have Regrets, But Marriage Must Not Have Hidden Dangers

Finally, at midnight, just as my phone was about to die, Ethan returned.

He and Sophie were leaning on each other, laughing and chatting as they approached. The moment they saw me sitting on the floor, Ethan's expression changed instantly.

"What are you doing out here? People are coming in and out; do you want to embarrass me, Emma?" he snapped.

I struggled to stand up after my legs had gone numb, only to be met with his harsh words.

"You closed the door when you left! I told you I didn't have a key to get back in."

Ethan shifted uncomfortably at my words but stubbornly replied, "If you had just said it a few more times, maybe I would've believed you."

I clenched my phone tightly, wanting him to see how many messages I had sent him, but I held back.

All I wanted was to get inside, lie down, and tend to my wound, which had started bleeding again.

Seeing me silent and looking down, Ethan assumed I realized my mistake.

He mumbled complaints under his breath, the smell of alcohol on his breath. "I don't know how you can be so clueless; you've really embarrassed me..."

As he opened the door and stepped inside, Sophie leaned against her own doorframe and called out to him with a flirtatious tone. "Ethan, my plumbing burst! You promised you'd come fix it today. Are you coming?"

Ethan hesitated, glancing at me as if unsure what to say. He thought I would object.

But this time, I simply paused and looked at Sophie, realizing that some people can be this shameless.

I didn't say a word; instead, I walked straight into the apartment.

I sat on the edge of the bed for ten minutes waiting for Ethan to come in, but the door quietly shut behind him.

In that moment, my heart felt oddly calm.

After washing up and changing my bandage, I lay down on the couch.

I didn't know if the only bed in this apartment had already been slept in by another woman; it felt too dirty for me.

At six in the morning, the sound of Ethan opening the door woke me up.

When he saw me sitting up on the couch, he looked surprised but then cautiously smiled.

"Emma! Why are you sleeping on the couch? You just got out of the hospital; you should be in bed! I brought you your favorite burgers—come eat!"

I couldn't help but scoff internally; now he remembered I had just been discharged. "Do you know what yesterday was?"

My tone was calm, but Ethan interpreted it as an accusation.

"Can you stop being so petty? The dinner was planned a week ago! There were so many friends; I couldn't ruin it for them! It's been four years since our anniversary; what does it matter if we miss one?"

So he did remember. Hearing his response made me go silent again.

As I stood up to head to the bathroom, he grabbed my wrist.

He took a deep breath and pulled out a necklace from his pocket. "Here's your gift; I bought it a while ago. Don't say I don't care about you."

Looking at the necklace in his hand, I recalled seeing it around Sophie's neck just yesterday.

I pulled my hand away from him.

"No thanks; I don't want secondhand gifts. You can give it back to Sophie."

His face fell as anger took over. "Emma, what do you want from me? Aren't you here to apologize? Why are you acting so high and mighty now?"