He crossed his legs, flippant. “She’ll have one
eventually, what’s the hurry?”
He hooked my chin, smiling and promising
me, “Within ten years, I’ll put a ring on you.‘
I smiled faintly, saying nothing.
I suddenly missed Kai very much.
Kai wouldn’t flirt with me and make promises.
It turned out that even if faces were similar,
they weren’t the same person.
After that meal, I wanted to distance myself
from Ethan.
I didn’t answer his calls, didn’t reply to his
WeChat messages, changed my door lock
password, and stopped going to his place.
But Ethan had a stomach ache a few days
later, he sent me a video, his face pale and
haggard.
I suddenly remembered if Kai was also this
haggard before he disappeared in the war
zone.
I couldn’t control myself, under Zoe’s scornful
gaze, I still went to see Ethan.
く
Ethan’s apartment was full of empty bottles;
in the week I avoided him, he didn’t know
how much alcohol he’d drunk.
I sighed, cleaning his apartment, cooking
porridge, washing clothes, peeling apples,
taking care of him until he got better.
Ethan held my hand. “Don’t avoid me. Lauren,
I didn’t lie to you, I really will buy you a ring
within ten years.”
He gestured. “A diamond this big.‘
I smiled. “Then why not now?”
Ethan was silent.
After a while, he said softly, “I have an
obsession I need to deal with.”
He pulled me into his arms, lying down
together, listening to his rapid heartbeat.
“Lauren, I didn’t lie to you, wait for me for ten
years.‘
I looked at his face, saying nothing.
Ethan hugged me tighter, as if afraid I would
run away. “So it’s settled, ten years.‘”
I leaned my face against his sturdy chest,
listening to his heartbeat.
Heartbeats don’t lie.
Ten years later, on our wedding night, Kai and
I didn’t sleep much.
The next morning, while Kai was asleep, I
blushed and went downstairs to throw away
the used condoms.
I saw Ethan downstairs.
He was standing next to his Ferrari, with a
stubble of beard on his chin, bloodshot eyes,
and cigarette butts on the ground.
He must have smoked a lot of cigarettes.
He glanced at the transparent garbage bag in
my hand, turned his head to avoid looking.
His voice was hoarse, unlike himself. “Lauren,
I waited all night, watching you two turn off
the lights.”
His former pride was gone, he avoided
く
looking at the garbage bag, but he couldn’t
avoid the red marks on my neck.
The proud young master of the Shen family,
like he had lost his beloved treasure, stared at
my neck, his eyes reddened.
He was hoarse and desperate. “Lauren, I’m
sick, I feel bad.”
Before, when he said that, I would
immediately drop everything and take care of
him.
Cook for him, peel apples, give him medicine,
take his temperature.
But now, I could only say, “You should buy
some medicine.”
Ethan staggered, his eyes even redder.
Ethan’s family was rich, afraid he’d be
kidnapped, so they sent him to learn martial
arts since he was a child, he had suffered a
lot and endured many injuries.
His greatest pride was being the only son of a
wealthy family, but he was never delicate.
But now, a tear fell from his eye, he didn’t
wipe it, just looked at me.
“Lauren, actually, when I saw you smiling at
Kai, I thought a lot. I can be like him to you,
too.”
He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth, as if
saying something hard to say. “Even if I’m a
replacement. Can’t replacements become
regulars? Lauren, I can’t accept you doing
this with someone else…”
I was speechless, shaking my right hand.
A wedding ring was on my finger.
The diamond wasn’t big, but it was carefully
designed and custom–made.
Ethan’s face turned even paler. “Lauren, take
it off, do you want to take it off yourself or
should I help you?”
He hoarsely begged me. “I’ll buy you any ring
you want, any size, just take it off, please.”
I shook my head. “No, Ethan, this is my
wedding ring.”
I looked down at the ring. “Kai bought it for
me, I love it very much.”
Ethan choked up. “Don’t say that, Lauren, I
feel bad.
Really bad.”
I sighed.
I didn’t have any resentment towards Ethan;
after all, his face helped me through the
hardest times.
I also wanted Ethan to let go of the past and
move on.
I thought about consoling him, but when I
looked up at him, I saw a surprising figure.
Lily was here.
The always exquisite and beautiful Lily looked
terrible.
She looked at me incredulously, then at
Ethan. “Ethan, I wouldn’t believe anyone else,
L
but you broke up with me in the middle of the
night, booked a flight back home, really
because of her?”
She looked at my wedding ring, as if she was
humiliated. “She’s so ordinary, and she’s
already married, you broke up with me for
her?”
Lily looked very angry.
Before, Lily could say something angry, and
Ethan would cross half the globe to chase
her.
But now, he didn’t even turn his head,
ignoring her completely, saying to me,
“Lauren, I can’t live without you, really, I can’t
sleep, I haven’t slept properly for days.”
He was haggard. “Come back, okay, Lauren,
wife, I’ll change, I’ll change everything, I’ll
never look at another woman again.”
His voice was so hoarse it was unbelievable.
“Replacements can become requlars,
marriages can be dissolved, I’ll really change,
please.”
