4
“Ethan, allow me to introduce you. This is my
daughter, Riley.”
He looked up at me, his face turning pale.
“She’s… yours?”
I nodded.
Ethan lost it, screaming at the top of his
lungs.
“Riley, how dare you get married and have a
kid without my damn permission!”
I remained calm.
“Ethan, didn’t you say I could do whatever I
L
wanted as long as I didn’t bother you and
Bethany?”
Riley was startled and hid behind me.
Ethan stared at her, then seemed to
remember himself.
He knelt down, switching to a gentle tone.
“You’re Riley, right?”
Riley nodded.
“Hi, Riley. How old are you?”
Riley looked at me for approval. I nodded, and
she answered.
Riley held up five fingers.
Ethan glanced at me, his face darkening.
“Riley, can you tell me, who’s your dad?”
I scooped Riley up, ready to leave.
Ethan grabbed my wrist.
“Riley, is this really necessary?”
I turned back.
“What do you mean?”
Ethan let go of my hand.
“I suggest you drop these ridiculous
fantasies.”
“You think you can pull a Bethany, have a kid
and make me jealous enough to come
crawling back?”
“That’s completely absurd!”
I didn’t want to dignify that with a response,
but I couldn’t help myself.
I sneered.
“Ethan, don’t flatter yourself. This kid has
nothing to do with you.”
I dropped the mic.
“Oh, and after the wedding, I’m taking Riley
back overseas, and we’re never coming back.
You can rest easy. I won’t be trying to use my
<
I didn’t see Ethan’s face, but I bet it wasn’t
pretty.
Because I heard a waiter tell him that Bethany
was looking for him.
He snapped back irritably.
“I know! Tell her to wait!”
After we were out of earshot, Riley asked,
“Mommy, who was that man?”
I didn’t know how to explain my relationship
with Ethan.
The Riley and Zhou families were old friends.
After the Zhou family went bankrupt, my
<
father ran away to another country, and my
mother left me with Ethan’s mom.
I basically grew up under Ethan’s wing.
We went to the same university, and we fell in
love.
He gave up a marriage alliance to be with me.
Ethan’s parents loved me. They saw me as
their future daughter–in–law.
Ethan and I were great together, until Ethan
and Bethany came along. All the sweetness
ended.
Riley must have seen I was lost in thought.
She poked my nose.
<
Riley must have seen I was lost in thought.
She poked my nose.
“Mommy, why aren’t you talking?”
“That man… he’s my brother.”
“But I’ve never heard of you having a brother.”
“We’re not close. That’s why I forgot to tell
you about him. I’m sorry.”
“Mommy, should I call him Uncle?”
I stared at Riley’s face, frozen, unable to
answer.
