The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped, and Ethan stepped out, towel in hand, drying his hair.
When he saw me still lying in bed in my pajamas, he reminded me, "It's already so late. Why aren't you asleep yet? The makeup artist will be here at 4 a.m. tomorrow."
I quietly stared at Ethan, not answering him. I must love him. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the courage to marry him.
But does he love me?
I asked the question outright.
Ethan paused for a moment, then smiled. "Why would you suddenly think that? If I didn't love you, why would I marry you?"
"Or do you love Rose?"
I immediately followed up with another question.
"Between the two of us, who matters more to you? She's the one you couldn't have, and I’m just someone you met through an arranged marriage, a woman with no feelings who’s suitable for you to marry, right?"
As I asked myself the last question, the answer was already clear. I couldn't swallow this frustration. I wouldn't tolerate such humiliation.
Even though, in just a few hours, we would be married, and everyone would congratulate us as we walked into what I had always dreamed of as the perfect marriage…
But deep down, what woman could accept that her husband had been thinking about another woman every moment during their two years together?
I had been with him for two years, and yet he couldn’t fully erase Rose from his heart. What if that image stays with him forever?
I’m not afraid of hardship, but I only hope that my efforts will be met with the respect and return they deserve.
Ethan’s face changed instantly. He stared at me in disbelief. "You looked at my phone?"
His smile vanished, replaced with a look of accusation and blame.
My expression was bitter as I nodded. "If I hadn’t seen that message, I wouldn’t have known that all this time we’ve been together, you’ve been carrying another woman in your heart. You even confessed your love for her just now. If you love her so much, why don’t you marry her? I’ll give you the chance—go now, before dawn breaks! You can explain everything to our parents, and tomorrow’s ceremony can be called off."
With that, I got out of bed and began packing my suitcase.
We were living in the house that Ethan’s parents had bought for our wedding. I had only moved in a couple of weeks ago, and hadn’t brought over most of my things. All that was left here were a few clothes, so it was easy to pack.
If there was still a small part of me holding on to hope, then seeing Ethan’s face flip like a page in a book shattered it completely. A man like that wasn’t worth spending my life for.
We hadn’t even registered our marriage yet. Life is full of dramatic moments, and maybe heaven had made me see that message to help me stop before it was too late.