"It's not your fault. Emma isn't really leaving..."
Ethan hurried over to comfort her, his eyes full of worry.
In the past, I had only put on a show, hoping Ethan would realize the seriousness of the situation.
But it had backfired.
Ethan thought I was easy to appease and couldn't live without him.
Well, he was in for a surprise this time.
I stepped outside into the sunshine and fresh air, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
I was finally free from the exhausting pretense.
I had already rented a new place while I was in the hospital.
As soon as I arrived, my phone buzzed incessantly. It was the school group chat, full of notifications.
Lily had posted a photo of Ethan feeding her with a heartfelt caption.
[Thank you, Ethan, for always being there for me. Without you, I don't know what I would have done.]
[It's so wonderful to have someone by your side!]
Ethan's reply was casual, downplaying it as if it were no big deal.
I had just left, and they were already flaunting their closeness.
Were they mocking me for being alone?
The group chat erupted with comments, joking that I was about to storm in and create a scene.