Remember That Hurt

Chapter 3 End it

　　"Ethan, I'm not leaving. We still have a deal, remember?"

　　Back when they got married, Ethan was totally against it. Sure, his grandpa pushed for it, but if Ethan hadn't nodded in the end, the wedding would've been off entirely.

　　Honestly, Anna wasn't expecting much from the beginning—marrying him felt more like giving it a try than a dream come true. So when Ethan suddenly flipped his stance overnight and went through the motions of a wedding, she was caught off guard. But then he handed her a cold, hard five-year contract—she had to play the perfect, obedient Mrs. Donovan, and once those five years were up, she had to bounce without a word.

　　Her logic back then? Even a stray cat would grow attached in five years, let alone two people under the same roof. But clearly, she had overestimated herself. No matter how deeply she cared, no matter how sweet she tried to be, Ethan kept his heart locked up tight. She was practically invisible to him.

　　Still, she wasn't ready to give up. Three years left—she still had time to change his mind. She couldn't just quit.

　　"You just want money, don't you?" Ethan said flatly, tossing a signed check straight at her. His tone dripped with sarcasm. "Seriously, what do you think you are? Lived here for a couple of years and now you really believe you're the lady of the house?"

　　Anna opened her mouth, trying to speak. But staring into the cold disgust in his eyes, her words caught in her throat. She let out a bitter laugh and tried again. "Just listen to me, I really didn't—"

　　"You've got sixty seconds," Ethan cut her off without even looking at her, his eyes on his watch.

　　The next thing she knew, Anna was thrown out of the mansion.

　　Panicking, she dialed Ethan's grandpa on her phone, but before she could even hear the dial tone, Ethan showed up and smashed the phone to bits.

　　He stared her down, the corner of his mouth curled into a mocking sneer. His hand clamped around her throat as he said, "So Grandpa spoke up for you once—what, you think he's gonna protect you forever? Newsflash: I'm the one in charge now."

　　Standing outside in the dark, Anna watched one light after another go out inside the mansion. Everything around her turned pitch-black.

　　The wind bit through her, but she hardly felt it.

　　Deep down, she knew it too well—she was nothing more than a placeholder for Ethan, someone he used when it suited him. He never, not once, saw her as his wife.He didn't even marry her for her — it was just to keep someone else in the "Mrs. Donovan" seat, to deal with all the crap that came with it.

　　The more Anna thought about it, the more absurd it felt. Then she let out a dry, bitter laugh.

　　"I'm the real Mrs. Donovan! No matter how much you hate me, I'm the one you legally married!" she shouted into the empty villa, voice trembling with frustration.

　　Even if they were going to split, it wouldn't be for another three years.

　　How could he throw her away like she meant nothing, after everything she'd done?

　　Just then, the lights inside flicked on like magic.

　　Ethan stepped out from the hallway.

　　Anna's heart skipped, a flicker of hope flashing in her eyes as she ran toward him. "You—"

　　"Oh, right, almost forgot. You're still ‘Mrs. Donovan,' aren't you?" he cut her off, voice dripping with sarcasm as he grabbed her wrist and dragged her back in.

　　"Starting now, you're staying in this room. You're not going anywhere. Tomorrow, we're going to the marriage office."

　　Anna's face fell. She started to struggle. "No! I'm not going!"

　　But Ethan didn't even glance her way. He yanked her into the bedroom and flung her onto the bed. "See you tomorrow—‘Mrs. Donovan.'"

　　She landed awkwardly, still catching her breath, when she heard the door lock click shut.

　　Staring at the locked door, the anger in her chest began to swirl with helplessness.

　　She'd never been the type to cry easily, but when it came to him, she'd already shed more tears than she cared to admit.

　　She thought marriage would bring her into his world, into his heart. Turns out, that was just her one-sided fantasy.

　　The room was dead silent. She sat curled up, arms wrapped around her knees, eyes glossy with unshed tears. But she refused to let them fall.

　　Early next morning, Ethan rushed off to work. Still, he made sure the housekeepers kept an eye on her.

　　Anna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She knew he'd drag her to the marriage office eventually.

　　But for now… maybe she still had a shot at delaying it.

　　If she could just hold out a little longer... maybe he'd change his mind.

　　While she was turning over escape plans in her head, footsteps echoed from outside.

　　Back already? Her heart lurched.

　　The door creaked open.

　　It wasn't Ethan.

　　Instead, it was a woman she'd never met — but somehow, she knew exactly who she was.

　　"Miss Fitzpatrick, we finally meet."