Chapter 6: The Ultimatum
“Sophie,” he says softly, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I was completely wrong that day I should never have put my hands on you or hurt you like that.”
He takes a step closer, lowering his voice. “About Ava… it’s not what you think. She’s just a friend to me now, I swear. If it bothers you, I won’t see her anymore. Just say the word.”
I stare at him, completely bewildered by his audacity. What game is he playing
now?
His obsession with Ava was obvious to anyone with functioning eyeballs. Now that his dream girl is back, shouldn’t he be thrilled to let the replacement go? Why the h*ll would he follow me all the way to Switzerland to keep this charade going? When I don’t respond, he pulls out a small red velvet box and drops to one knee right there on my parents‘ doorstep.
“Sophie, baby, I know I’ve put you through a lot. But I promise I’ll make it up to you
for the rest of our lives.”
His voice breaks slightly as he continues, “Marry me. From now on, there will only be room for one woman in my life—you.”
I look down at the open box where a pink diamond glitters in the morning light. It’s stunning–exactly the kind of ring I used to fantasize about him giving me. Funny how I had to leave him to finally get the proposal I once dreamed of.
I reach toward the box, and hope flares in his eyes. Then I snap it shut, nearly
catching his fingers.
“Ethan, I fell for you because I thought you were a good, honest man. But I was wrong. You’re just a skilled liar with a great mask.”
“You have no moral compass. You were willing to use your best friend’s sister as a placeholder, and you never felt a shred of guilt about it.”
“Why the f**k would I spend the rest of my life with someone like you?”
As my words sink in, the color drains from Ethan’s face. He shakes his head weakly but can’t seem to find any words to defend himself.
“I’m getting married,” I continue, twisting the knife. His head snaps up, eyes wide with disbelief.
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“We may not have known each other long, but I’m crazy about him. He’s gorgeous, charming, sophisticated, and most importantly, he has something you never did- integrity.”
“So please, stop trying to contact me. We’re done.”
“No.”
Ethan throws the flowers and ring box aside like they’re trash, grabbing my wrists and dropping to both knees on the gravel driveway. He’s clinging to me like I’m a
life raft in the middle of the ocean.
“Sophie, please,” he begs, his voice breaking. “I was wrong, so wrong. I thought I couldn’t let go of Ava, but when you disappeared, I realized you’re the one who
matters most to me.”
His voice cracks as he continues, “You have no idea what I’ve been through these past few days. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. I stayed up until 3 AM to call your brother just to find out where you were. When I couldn’t find you, I thought I was losing my mind.”
“Please, give me one more chance. We were together for seven years–all those nights in each other’s arms, all those moments we shared–can you really just
throw that all away?”
His pathetic speech makes me laugh bitterly. “Cut the crap, Ethan. For seven years, I was the one in your bed, but we both know you were picturing Ava the whole time. Every time you f**ked me, you were wishing it was her, weren’t you?” I forcefully pry his hands off my wrists, feeling nothing but disgust. During my last days in New York, while packing, I’d realized something disturbing -almost none of my clothes, jewelry, or handbags were things I’d actually chosen. Especially the items we’d shopped for together–they were all in Ava’s style. The delicate floral prints she wore in her Instagram posts. The same shade of lipstick he’d always “suggested” I try. Even my haircut was suspiciously similar to her old photos.
All that bullsh*t about Ava and me looking alike? That was his design. I might
share
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about 40% of her facial features naturally, but he’d carefully molded the rest through the things he bought me, the way he asked me to do my hair, the makeup he “preferred.”
I finally wrench free of his grip, but the sudden momentum sends me stumbling backward. Just as I’m about to fall, a strong hand catches me, then slides
protectively around my shoulders.
I turn to see Lucas’s perfect profile, his expression cold as ice as he stares down at
Ethan.
“When did you get here?” I ask, surprised.
When he looks at me, his frigid expression melts into a slight smile. “I’ve been watching since this guy showed up with his little bouquet performance.”
I feel a mix of shock and embarrassment. “So you saw everything?”
“Every word,” he confirms.
Seeing how intimately Lucas is holding me, Ethan jumps to his feet, eyes red and
wild. “Who the f**k is this guy?”
Lucas, clearly enjoying the chance to mess with Ethan, doesn’t just move his hand from my shoulders to my waist–he lets his fingers trail slowly down my spine, making me shiver visibly before his arm snakes around me possessively. He pulls me tight against him until I can feel every hard plane of his body, then drops his head to nuzzle my neck in a way that’s unmistakably intimate.
“Mmm,” he murmurs against my skin, just loud enough for Ethan to hear, “you smell so good, baby.” His thumb strokes the bare skin where my blouse has ridden. up, while his eyes never leave Ethan’s face, clearly savoring every flash of jealousy
and anger.
“I’m her… fiancé,” he says, the possessive edge in his voice sending a shiver down
my spine.
“Bullsh*t! Get your hands off her. Sophie, he’s lying, right? You hired this guy just to piss me off, didn’t you?”
“God, your ego is the size of a f**king planet.”
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My brother’s voice suddenly comes from behind us, and Ethan involuntarily takes a step back.
Lucas and I turn to see Jake approaching, casually swinging a baseball bat like he’s warming up for the World Series.
I move to stop him, but Lucas holds me firmly at his side.
“What are you doing? My brother will kill him,” I whisper urgently.
Lucas smirks. “Don’t worry, I won’t let him commit murder. I’m just going to enjoy
the show.”
He pulls out his phone and makes a quick call: “We need an ambulance on standby at the Winters‘ residence. Emergency situation developing.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded.
Ethan frowns, shifting his gaze from my approaching brother back to me. “Sophie, we never officially broke up, did we? Our relationship isn’t over. You can’t marry someone else. Even if he is your fiancé, you need to break it off.”
Jake lets out a cold laugh before swinging the bat directly at Ethan’s leg with a sickening crack.
Ethan screams in pain and collapses to the ground.
“I’ve been standing at the door listening to your bullsh*t,” Jake growls. “You lied to my sister for years, and then you had the f**king nerve to hit her. You’re dead to me, Ethan.”
He brings the bat down a second time.
Ethan groans but keeps his eyes fixed on me, dragging himself toward me on the gravel.
“Stop it, Jake! That’s enough!” I shout.
Jake pauses mid–swing, the bat suspended in the air.
Ethan’s face breaks into a hopeful smile. “See? You still care about me. You still
have feelings for me, Sophie.”
I pull away from Lucas and walk over to Ethan, crouching down to his level. Then I slap him across his smiling face with all the force I can muster.
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“That was for the slap you gave me. Now we’re even.‘
“As for breaking up–I never saw the point. You never once acknowledged me as your girlfriend in public, so how could we break up what never officially existed?” “Let me say this one last time, Ethan: I don’t love you anymore. Stop following me. Stop calling me. It’s over.”
I grab Jake’s arm and try to pull him back toward the house.
My brother resists, and I stamp my foot in frustration. “Do you really want to go to prison for this piece of tr*sh?”
Jake reluctantly throws the bat aside but can’t resist dropping to his knees, straddling Ethan’s chest, and landing several hard punches to his face.
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