We’d hoon married almost a 100r hut that night
<
We’d been married almost a year, but that night
was the first time I saw Ethan truly let go. He
kissed the scar on my chest, the still–visible
mark from the surgery. I tried to cover it,
embarrassed.
He stopped me. “Is it ugly?”
“It’s as beautiful as the night we met.”
“So, you were attracted to me then.”
“Even earlier than that.”
“When? Had you seen me before?”
“Ashley, are you sure you want to reminisce
with your husband right now?” He pinned my
hands above my head and kissed me again.
“Ethan, I’m dizzy… I can’t breathe…” I used my
old trick.
He didn’t believe me, but he still stopped, his breathing ragged. My heart raced, but this time, it wasn’t pain. It was… something else entirely.
I wrapped my arms around him, nipping at his jaw. “Ethan, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. From now on, you can do… whatever
you want.”
I’d seen him at his most serious, giving presentations at conferences, conducting international meetings in multiple languages. At home, he could be relaxed, even playful with the staff. But when his smile faded, everyone went
silent.
Now, his eyes were dark with desire and
possession. He let himself go, sinking into the
moment with me. He was passionate,
unrestrained.
I used to wonder why my family had treated me
so badly. Now I knew. All those years of
<
11:01
934
suffering were just… a prelude, a path leading
me to Ethan.
“Ethan, do you…” I started to ask.
He seemed to know what I wanted to say. He kissed my ear, his fingers intertwined with mine. His voice, low and husky, sent shivers down my spine.
“Ashley, I love you.”
(End of main story)
Bonus Chapter (Ethan’s POV)
Ashley was sixteen when I first saw her. She volunteered at the local children’s home on weekends and holidays. She was already
strikingly beautiful. Her illness made her shy and withdrawn, even more so than most
teenagers.
2230
- )
934
I was with my grandfather at church. She was playing the piano for the children’s choir. When they finished singing and lined up for a photo, she was pushed to the side. She didn’t
complain, just quietly stood in the back row. No one noticed, but my grandfather did.
“Look at that young lady playing the piano,” he said. “So poised for her age.”
I glanced at her. I was twenty–four, focused on my career, my mind elsewhere. But I
remembered her. She looked lovely in her white
dress.
I saw her again at her engagement party to
Mark Howard. My grandfather was friends with Mark’s family, so I went out of obligation.
Everyone was gossiping about Ashley. How
beautiful she was, but sickly. How the Howards
were overpaying for a bride from a practically
bankrupt family.
- ))
934
<
I looked at her, standing on the stage in another
white dress. She seemed lifeless, like a
beautifully dressed doll. I remembered her at
the church, playing the piano, smiling
peacefully, her eyes bright and alive. It was hard
to reconcile the two images.
When Mark kissed her, I turned away.
Work consumed me. I rarely thought about
Ashley. Sometimes, at family gatherings, my cousins would mention her.
“Poor Ashley, sold off by her family, and now
Mark Howard ignores her completely.”
“He hasn’t even visited her since the
engagement.”
“I doubt they’ll actually get married.”
“Why did he agree to it in the first place?”
<
11:01
“If he was after her looks, why ignore her afterward?”
I paused, listening from behind a hedge.
934
“I heard from a Howard cousin that he was genuinely interested at first, hence the exorbitant engagement gift.”
“But apparently, Ashley’s… not as innocent as
she seems. Her sister let it slip.”
“No way! I know Ashley. We volunteer together. She’s a sweet girl.”
“It was her own sister who said it. Apparently,
she was… promiscuous in high school.”
“And right before the engagement, she was
caught with another man in a hotel. The Millers
paid a fortune to keep it quiet until after the
engagement.”
く
“Mark Howard would never tolerate that.”
“So he’s punishing her, but he can’t let go.
He’s probably torn.”
“Why not just break it off?”
“Maybe he really does care for her. He’s
conflicted.”
“I still don’t believe it. Did anyone actually see
her with this other man? Are there photos?”
“I think I saw one. I’ll try to find it…”
“Ethan?”
“What are you doing here, Uncle Ethan?”
I stepped out, my face grim. The chattering
stopped.
“Is your homework done? Gossining and
“Is your homework done? Gossiping and
slandering people?” The Blackwood family had
strict rules, especially for the women. Idle
gossip was one thing, but this was malicious.
They were terrified, some on the verge of tears.
I scolded them until they swore they wouldn’t
spread rumors again.
I couldn’t shake the story. That weekend, I went
back to the church with my grandfather. And
there she was again, playing the piano, looking
thinner, her eyes filled with sadness. She hit a
wrong note, her face paling. Someone snapped
at her, and she looked close to tears. But she
continued playing, flawlessly.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I thought, if she
cries, I’ll go to her. She didn’t. But as I was
leaving, I found the pastor and asked him to
give her a message.
“Tell her she looks beautiful when she plays the
<
“Tell her she looks beautiful when she plays the
piano. And tell her I hope she finds happiness.”
Then, at the gala… the moment I undid those
hooks and saw her vulnerability… I knew. I
would pay any price to get her away from Mark
Howard. I would marry her.
And then, she offered.
I tried to stay calm, to sound indifferent as I
―
gave her my condition we had three days to
get married. When she agreed, I felt a surge of
something I hadn’t felt in years. When I tucked
her hair behind her ear, I almost kissed her.
I told her to wear her prettiest dress. I would
bring her back, piece by piece, the bright,
happy girl I’d seen at the church. And I would.
