Chapter 12 Got tricked
780 Words
But this time, Ethan didn't keep his cool.
Something deep inside him twisted so hard it nearly choked the life out of him.
He dropped to one knee, clutching her phone like it was something priceless.
Staring at the screen showing a man's cold, unfeeling back—it was his own—Ethan felt as if a needle jabbed straight into his heart.
In all his memories, had he ever once left her with anything close to warmth?
Every time he turned his back, it was like he was cutting her off for good.
Her phone had a password.
The first thing Ethan tried was his own birthday.
For once, he scoffed at himself—how arrogant did he have to be to think he meant that much to her?
But then—click—the phone unlocked.
Ethan froze.
She'd just recorded a video?
Almost on autopilot, he tapped the screen.
Up came Anna, curled up under a blanket, looking heartbreakingly small.
Her face was pale, even in sleep her brow stayed tightly furrowed, like her sorrow ran too deep.
She stayed in that pose for a long time, and Ethan couldn't tear his eyes away for even a second.
Then came the part where he forced her to look at the divorce papers.
He had never realized how cruel his own face could look.
After that, he left the room—Jasmine stayed.
Ethan had always wondered, what had Jasmine said to her that day?
"If I did something, then you probably had it coming."
That was Jasmine's voice.
Ethan didn't get it, but seeing the pain tighten Anna's face, deep down he knew—there was more to this.
He rewatched it closely, and bit by bit the color drained from his face.
How could Jasmine say those things?
She'd even used an old man as leverage to force Anna to sign?
And then, he watched Jasmine—supposedly with a broken leg—get up from her wheelchair, walking like nothing had ever happened.
"Her leg's fine?!" Ethan blurted out.
He wasn't stupid—far from it.In an instant, everything clicked for him—that scene at home had been nothing but a trap set up by Jasmine, a clean-cut setup to frame Anna. And he? He fell right into it without a second thought. Meanwhile, that foolish woman actually believed she'd pushed Jasmine.
Anna had tried so hard to explain back then, apologizing over and over.
And him? What had he done?
Ethan's head throbbed as the pieces flooded in. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jasmine being wheeled over by her assistant.
On instinct, he slipped Anna's phone into his pocket. Looking back now, there were holes all over the story.
Like that guy who barged into Anna's hospital room, ranting that the baby was his. Seriously?
Ethan's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. The more he thought about how completely he'd been played, the more the anger roared in his chest.
"Ethan, is Miss Fitzpatrick okay?" Jasmine's sweet voice piped up the moment she got close.
"It's all my fault. If it weren't for my leg injury, I could've stopped her," she added with a perfect mix of regret and self-blame.
Ethan just stared at her blankly. Once upon a time, her tears would've tugged at his heart. Now, all he could feel was disgust, especially with that clip from the video playing on repeat in his mind.
"Ethan, I really didn't think Miss Fitzpatrick was so fragile." Jasmine's voice quivered, like she genuinely felt bad.
"If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have come back." She sobbed dramatically, brimming with fake innocence.
"Okay, just go back to your room with the assistant. I'll come check on you once things settle down," he replied, voice flat, barely masking his desire to get her out of his sight.
After all, she'd been his woman for years—someone he once loved. Even now, he wasn't ready to go scorched earth before he sorted out every piece of the mess.
"Ethan, I—" Jasmine still wasn't willing to leave.
Right then, the ER doors swung open.
Ethan didn't spare her another glance before rushing over to the doctor.
Seeing him that anxious nearly made Jasmine grind her teeth to dust.
That b***h Anna somehow got Ethan to really care.
"Doctor, how's my wife?"
Hearing those three words — "my wife" — fly out of his mouth without hesitation, Jasmine's face twisted uncontrollably.
The doctor, clearly used to delivering bad news, lowered his head slightly and said with quiet sympathy, "I'm very sorry. Your wife didn't make it. Please accept our condolences."
- Writer
