Slapped on Our Anniversary - Chapter 3: Chapter 3
You are reading Slapped on Our Anniversary, Chapter 3: Chapter 3. Read more chapters of Slapped on Our Anniversary.
Olivia's eyes burned with jealousy.
She trailed after Ethan, her voice tight with frustration. "Can't someone else take her? You promised me dinner, Ethan."
For once, Ethan hesitated before giving in to her. "She's still my employee. I can't just leave her like this."
His arms tightened around me as he quickened his pace.
The warmth of his chest sent me spiraling back ten years.
Back then, we were fresh out of college, stuck in a dingy basement apartment on the outskirts of town. The damp cold had wrecked my health all winter. One night, my fever spiked so high I lost myself to delirium.
Snow buried the streets knee-deep. No cabs would come.
So Ethan carried me—seven miles through the storm, never stopping, never slowing. By the time we reached the hospital, he was drenched in sweat and snow, swaying on his feet. But he still found the strength to buy me a baked sweet potato, his eyes red-rimmed as he begged,
"Rachel, say something. Please. Don't scare me like this."
He'd looked at me like he'd die if I did.
And yet, I left him anyway.
By the time he tracked me down, I was already on the arm of some trust-fund pretty boy.
Was that why he hated me so much now? Because he'd loved me too hard first?
Hated me enough to spend seven years breaking me—and still not be satisfied?
"You're so scared I'll die," I laughed, the sound hollow. "Did you really plan to torture me forever?" My voice cracked. "Too bad, Ethan. I'm already dying. Three months. That's all I've got left."
His steps faltered.
"Terminal?"
The word came out ragged. Then—his grip vanished.
I hit the pavement hard.
All that concern, all that pain in his eyes—gone. Replaced by ice.
He barked out a laugh, sharp and mocking. "Terminal illness? That's your play now? Seven years of playing the obedient little martyr didn't work, so now you're pulling this?" His grin turned vicious. "You almost had me, Rachel. If you'd held out a little longer, I might've fallen for it. But you got greedy."
He waited, hungry for regret on my face.
All he found was emptiness.
"Whatever. Keep up the act if you want."
He brushed past me, slipping an arm around Olivia's waist. She blinked, still processing his outburst, but before she could question it, Ethan crushed his mouth to hers.
"Dinner, remember?" He nudged her toward the car. "Let's go."
Olivia lit up, all doubts forgotten as she climbed in.
I didn't have the strength to hurt anymore. Every bone in my body screamed as I dragged myself toward the back seat.
Ethan's hand shot out, shoving me back.
"Who said you could get in? Olivia and I have plans." His smile was cruel. "Call a cab."
I stood there, numb, watching him tuck another woman into his car with all the tenderness he'd once saved for me.
The wind sliced through me, sharp as a blade.
Pain erupted under my skin, tearing me apart from the inside. Tears spilled over as I raised a trembling hand to the taillights fading into the distance.
"Goodbye, Ethan."
The words barely made it past my lips.
"Hope I never see you again."
She trailed after Ethan, her voice tight with frustration. "Can't someone else take her? You promised me dinner, Ethan."
For once, Ethan hesitated before giving in to her. "She's still my employee. I can't just leave her like this."
His arms tightened around me as he quickened his pace.
The warmth of his chest sent me spiraling back ten years.
Back then, we were fresh out of college, stuck in a dingy basement apartment on the outskirts of town. The damp cold had wrecked my health all winter. One night, my fever spiked so high I lost myself to delirium.
Snow buried the streets knee-deep. No cabs would come.
So Ethan carried me—seven miles through the storm, never stopping, never slowing. By the time we reached the hospital, he was drenched in sweat and snow, swaying on his feet. But he still found the strength to buy me a baked sweet potato, his eyes red-rimmed as he begged,
"Rachel, say something. Please. Don't scare me like this."
He'd looked at me like he'd die if I did.
And yet, I left him anyway.
By the time he tracked me down, I was already on the arm of some trust-fund pretty boy.
Was that why he hated me so much now? Because he'd loved me too hard first?
Hated me enough to spend seven years breaking me—and still not be satisfied?
"You're so scared I'll die," I laughed, the sound hollow. "Did you really plan to torture me forever?" My voice cracked. "Too bad, Ethan. I'm already dying. Three months. That's all I've got left."
His steps faltered.
"Terminal?"
The word came out ragged. Then—his grip vanished.
I hit the pavement hard.
All that concern, all that pain in his eyes—gone. Replaced by ice.
He barked out a laugh, sharp and mocking. "Terminal illness? That's your play now? Seven years of playing the obedient little martyr didn't work, so now you're pulling this?" His grin turned vicious. "You almost had me, Rachel. If you'd held out a little longer, I might've fallen for it. But you got greedy."
He waited, hungry for regret on my face.
All he found was emptiness.
"Whatever. Keep up the act if you want."
He brushed past me, slipping an arm around Olivia's waist. She blinked, still processing his outburst, but before she could question it, Ethan crushed his mouth to hers.
"Dinner, remember?" He nudged her toward the car. "Let's go."
Olivia lit up, all doubts forgotten as she climbed in.
I didn't have the strength to hurt anymore. Every bone in my body screamed as I dragged myself toward the back seat.
Ethan's hand shot out, shoving me back.
"Who said you could get in? Olivia and I have plans." His smile was cruel. "Call a cab."
I stood there, numb, watching him tuck another woman into his car with all the tenderness he'd once saved for me.
The wind sliced through me, sharp as a blade.
Pain erupted under my skin, tearing me apart from the inside. Tears spilled over as I raised a trembling hand to the taillights fading into the distance.
"Goodbye, Ethan."
The words barely made it past my lips.
"Hope I never see you again."
End of Slapped on Our Anniversary Chapter 3. Continue reading Chapter 4 or return to Slapped on Our Anniversary book page.