Leave the Wrong Man, Marry the Right Love

Chapter 6

I was still lost in thought when Ethan placed my breakfast in front of me.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked, glancing up at me with a raised brow.

Without thinking, I blurted, "I'm trying to figure out how to call off my wedding with Harrison."

The room went dead silent. I froze, realizing what I'd just said. A light chuckle came from above, and I finally looked up to see Ethan's eyes burning with something close to fury.

"No... I mean..." I stammered, scrambling to explain, but the more I spoke, the worse it got. Finally, I gave up, mumbling the first thing that came to mind. "Yesterday was just a joke. Don't take it seriously."

"A joke?" Ethan practically growled, his voice low and dangerous.

I looked up at him, my heart pounding, and saw the intensity in his eyes. My mind started racing. I never really thought Ethan liked me, not with his history of relationships. Maybe it was because I was Harrison's ex, and now Ethan felt like he had to compete with him.

Before I knew what was happening, he grabbed my chin and kissed me, harder than yesterday. His lips moved roughly against mine, and my tongue went numb from the force. Without thinking, I bit down on his tongue, the taste of blood quickly filling my mouth. But Ethan didn't seem to care. He kept kissing me, stealing the air from my lungs like he was trying to erase everything else.

My body went limp in his arms. If not for his hand bracing against the wall, I would've crumpled to the floor.

"Now do you still think I'm joking?" Ethan's voice was rough, but something shifted in his eyes. The fury slowly faded, replaced by something softer, something that hit me deep in the chest.

I realized then that I'd hurt him. I thought Ethan didn't care about me, that he was just teasing me, but this was different.

"Nina," he said, his voice a little quieter now, almost like he was speaking to himself. "You're Harrison's fiancée, not his possession. What right does he have to stop you from dancing?"

His words stung more than I expected. It hit me like a punch in the gut, making me think about everything I'd sacrificed for Harrison: my career, my pride, myself. I'd let him tell me I didn't need to be seen, that I didn't need to be important, and I just accepted it. I waited and waited for him to say those words, "Marry me", but they never came.

And now, standing here with Ethan, it hit me: I wasn't the same person anymore. All because of Harrison, I wasn't the woman I used to be. The woman who once believed in herself, in her own worth. I gave all of that up.

Ethan's voice broke through my thoughts. "Nina, have you forgotten how proud you used to be?"

His words shook me to the core.

I reached out to touch him, but he pulled away like I was a child.

"Don't pull me. You don't even like me. Why would you?" he said, his voice dripping with frustration.

"Don't want to hear me talk?" he continued, his gaze intense.

"No…" I whispered, feeling more lost than ever.

"Then I'll leave," he said, turning to walk away.

Before he could get far, I grabbed his arm. "Wait."

He turned back, his voice soft now, almost vulnerable. "Nina, why don't you comfort me a little? I'm actually easy to comfort."

It was crazy, this man who seemed like he ruled the world, who had everything under control, was asking for comfort. It caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn't know how to respond.

"Is it only after we get the marriage certificate that you'll believe me?" he asked with that playful glint in his eyes.

Before I could even process what he was saying, he grabbed my hand and drove us to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The moment we had our marriage certificate, my mind was still reeling. I stared at Ethan, who was grinning like he'd won some kind of victory. I couldn't help but wonder if I was walking right into a trap, but the certificate in my hand felt all too real.

"It's not safe for you to keep this," Ethan said, snatching the certificate from my hand.

I stared at him, speechless, as he tucked it into his jacket pocket.

"Give it back," I demanded, holding out my hand, but Ethan just gave me a playful look.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "I'll post it on my Moments and let everyone know about you."

In one smooth move, Ethan unlocked my phone, snapped a picture of the certificate, and slid it back into his pocket.

"Okay," he said, "now you can post it."

I couldn't help but facepalm and let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine," I muttered, quickly editing the post: Got married, welcome to drink to our happiness. I posted the picture of the certificate and watched my phone blow up with notifications.