She pressed her handkerchief on her nose, as though the scent was some kind of toxin.
A flicker of emotion crossed Ethan’s face. He stared down at the three of us in silence.
No one knows better than Ethan how much I love him.
There’s no way I’d ever be with another man behind his back.
But in this situation, even with ten mouths, I couldn’t explain myself.
Seeing this, Samantha nestled into Ethan’s arms like a spoiled child and said sweetly, “Mr. Lawson, you can’t judge someone by appearance. Grace may look classy, but maybe she’s hiding a new lover!”
In just a few words, she clearly implied, “Ethan, she’s been cheating on you.”
He was so furious, he actually laughed. The chill in his eyes was like a blade: “Really? Then you three enjoy yourselves.”
With that, he walked off. Samantha clung to his arm, but turned back and smiled at me smugly.
Jason and the other man exchanged a glance. Their bodies were already aroused, but the boss’s words made them hesitate.
“Forget it, sweetheart. I’ll let Jason have fun next time. You’re lucky today.”
I didn’t know where the two of them had gone. It was getting dark, and going down the mountain alone was even more dangerous. Trembling, I stood and rejoined the main group.
Ethan stood at a distance. His anxious face was easy to spot. Though he held Samantha close, his smiles were forced and mechanical.
When he saw me slowly approaching, the gloom on his face faded. He gave me a once-over, then walked away satisfied.
That evening, everyone sat around the campfire playing games.
Ethan cooled a piece of food with care and brought it to my lips.
I stared blankly before responding, “Thanks. But I’m allergic to mushrooms.”
I didn’t throw a tantrum like I used to—we simply kept our distance in silence.
Ethan stiffened, then snapped, “What the hell? When did you become so dramatic?”
He tossed the food into the trash, then began feeding Samantha, bite by bite, as though showing me how sweet she was.
“Mr. Lawson, do you think Grace will be mad at you for this?” Samantha said lightly, though pride practically radiated off her.
“She? Who cares what she thinks.” Ethan glanced at me, clearly fishing for a reaction.
If this had been before, I might’ve cried, thrown a fit, or even threatened to kill myself.
But now, seeing their little act, I just find it absurdly amusing.
The others, noticing my silence, hurried to flatter: “Mr. Lawson is so thoughtful! He’s really husband material!”
“Yes, yes! I remember when Samantha burned her hand—President Lawson was so worried, he rushed out to buy ointment and soothed her personally!”
“Super sweet! I remember helping Mr. Lawson clean his desk once. In the photo frame was a picture of him and Samantha. Such a loving pair~”
Samantha blushed and buried herself in Ethan’s arms, playing coy.
Ethan quickly hugged her, waved off the teasing, then looked my way with a smug challenge in his eyes.
But my thoughts had already drifted to the past.
I remembered when we were dating—I stayed up late to make him sobering soup. I spilled some, and the burn hurt so badly it brought me to tears.
When I woke him, he just snapped impatiently, called me “clumsy,” and rolled over.
As for that photo frame—every time I went to work, I saw that the two people in the picture were clearly me and Ethan.
It seemed that every time I left, he rushed to replace it with one of him and Samantha—luring the tiger away and playing obediently.
