Partners in Crime, Not in love

She leaned weakly against Ethan, her voice trembling through the microphone:

“I… I’ll be fine. Even if my face is ruined, it doesn’t matter. I just don’t understand—why would my sister do this to LR? Those codes and data… they’re the work of so many people!”

She sobbed as she spoke, nearly collapsing from breathlessness at the end. Ethan immediately caught her in his arms, frantic with worry.

“Poor Miss Evans! That vile woman must’ve been jealous of her beauty!”

“That ex-employee is heartless—she deserves prison for life!”

The live comments exploded with sympathy and outrage.

Soon, someone dug up a photo of that “former employee.”

Who else could it be but me?

The internet erupted in disbelief. No one could fathom that I, Ethan’s so-called perfect partner, would betray his company.

And with each “kindly provided” leak, all our shadowy deeds were reframed as my personal crimes.

Every detail lined up seamlessly—it had all been prearranged.

Ethan, you guarded against me this thoroughly.

Just then, screeching tires and heavy footsteps sounded outside the motel.

“Room check! Open up!”

My heart stopped.

Had they already tracked me down?

I was dragged back into the very place I had once cherished, now one that made me sick.

When we met again, Ethan’s face was drawn with fatigue, his eyes once full of love now burning only with disappointment and fury.

“Rachel Adams. Do you even realize what you’ve done? What you’ve done to LR? To our ten years together?”

Hearing his hypocrisy, I almost laughed through my tears.

“Our ten years? Ethan Blake, the moment you let Lily replace me, those ‘ten years’ were already dead.”

“That doesn’t justify such extreme actions!”

He raised his voice and seized my wrist so hard I thought my bones might snap.

“Look at you! Vicious, unhinged—what’s the difference between you and those enemies we once fought?”

His eyes scanned my face—anger, disappointment… and a fleeting trace of something dangerously close to longing.

“Lily’s face… the doctor says with the latest biotech repair, there’s still a chance of recovery.”

He paused, his tone softening with weary compromise:

“Rachel, stop this. Hand over the leaked source data. Publicly apologize to Lily and LR. Admit you were confused for a moment… and I can try to forgive you.”

“Forgive me?”

I fixed my gaze on him, my words deliberate and sharp.

“Ethan, if my face had been destroyed, would you be using every resource, sparing no expense to save me like you’re doing for Lily?”

He froze, his eyes flickering. He didn’t answer right away.

“Rachel, you’ve always been strong. A face isn’t essential to you.”

Ha. Not essential.

“In that case…”

“I won’t apologize. I won’t hand over anything. Do whatever you want—kill me if you must.”

His face turned to stone.

“If you insist on being stubborn, then don’t blame me. Until you come to your senses, you’re staying right here.”

And so, I was placed under house arrest.

Ethan would sometimes come, always late at night, reeking of alcohol and exhaustion, his gaze heavy with conflicted affection.

He stood at the doorway, never stepping inside, repeating the same hollow words again and again.