I never liked cars with too much room in the back.

The partition was up, closing us off from the front, leaving anyone outside to wonder what he and I might be doing back there.

But today, Ethan was quieter than usual.

I was shaking uncontrollably, and despite the temperature rising in the car, I couldn’t stop.

He ignored my reaction and pulled me into his arms.

"Alice, are you that scared?"

His whisper brushed against my ear, and he knew exactly why I was trembling.

"I’ll take you to pick out a wedding dress later, okay?"

I managed to steady my trembling, but a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Who would have thought that the man who once pushed me into the abyss was now gently telling me he wanted to take me to pick out a wedding dress?

…

Ethan took me to a boutique located in a private villa.

The crystal chandelier reflected dazzling light, illuminating the wedding dresses displayed on mannequins, making them sparkle.

I had no interest in looking or choosing a dress. I let Ethan and the designer discuss which style to customize for me while the assistant measured my body dimensions.

The shop’s backyard was a small garden, which caught my attention more than the dresses.

So, while they were talking, I lifted my skirt and wandered to the small pond in the backyard.

There was a door at the back of the garden, and beyond it seemed like a path to unlimited freedom.

I’d thought about running away countless times.

But when I finally mustered the courage, I was disheartened to realize I had nowhere to go.

My mother was desperate for me to marry Ethan, pulling my hand and urging me not to resist.

I sat by the small pond, waiting until Ethan finished his conversation and came to find me.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ethan always had this air about him, as though he were above everyone else.

So, I exposed my arm to him.

On my wrist was a small red mark.

It was a round scar, with a raised, thickened ring around the edges.

"Look, you burned me with your cigarette."

I was referring to that day in high school when he, in a bad mood, dragged me to a corner and pressed the cigarette butt against my skin.

It hurt so badly that I forgot everything else he did afterward.

He stared at the mark for a long moment before squatting in front of me.

As much as I hated to admit it, Ethan’s face was flawless.

It was perfect like it had been sculpted by one of history's greatest artists.

If he gazed at someone with such soft, gentle eyes, I imagined anyone would drown in them.

Maybe that was why the Bible said the devil had the most enchanting face.

The light from his lighter flickered as he lit a cigarette in front of me.

I flinched instinctively, afraid the burning tip would land on my arm again.

But the next second, he calmly pressed the cigarette out against his own wrist, right at the same spot where he had left a scar on me.

He quietly watched me, his voice soft. "Does this make you feel better, Alice?"

I didn’t reply, lowering my gaze.

The cigarette ash flickered, and the fresh wound on his wrist stood out painfully.

Suddenly, he reached out and pulled me into his embrace.

"Alice, I wish I could take some of your pain."

The fireflies slowly rose above the pond as I stared at the shimmering moonlight.

"Ethan, you know those pains were caused by you."

His body stiffened for a moment, then he slowly began to caress my hair.

"Then let me atone, okay?"

I fell silent.

…

After Ethan left this morning, I threw the glass of milk at the television, just like before.

At times like this, the staff would usually warm up another glass of milk and hand it to me.

But today, I didn’t want any.

Milk used to be my favorite drink.

Back in school, my mom would always make sure I left the house with a bottle of it every morning.

But one day, when I got to class, Ethan was sitting on the desk in front of me.

He was already quite tall back then.

As he leaned down to look at me, his shadow completely engulfed me.

I heard someone sneer, followed by a voice saying, "Come on, Ethan, have some fun."

Then he smiled at me, stretching out his hand.

I handed him the milk bottle.

The moment he twisted off the cap, the scent of milk hadn’t even reached my nose before the white liquid poured down over my head.

My nose, collarbone, neckline, the hem of my skirt—everywhere was soaked with that smell.

But while I was crying, everyone else was laughing.

"Hey, look at her. Who’s she trying to seduce?"

"I swear, Ethan, your twisted sense of humor..."

Suddenly, a thumb brushed against my cheek.

Ethan rested his chin on his hand, sitting in front of me.

He grabbed my chin, studying me for a long moment.

Then he scoffed.

"Ugly."

That was why I’d hated milk ever since.

But more than anything, I hate Ethan the most.

When I knocked over my second glass of milk today, the person bringing it to me was practically on their knees.

"Miss... please, just drink it..."

I turned my head away and said I wouldn’t.

Finally, my gaze fell on the landline phone beside the sofa.

I crawled over and pressed the buttons.

This landline could only call one person’s phone.

But this time, the voice that answered wasn’t Ethan’s.

"Miss Quinn?"

Oh, it was his assistant—the one who was always driving him around.

"I need to speak with Ethan."

"He’s in a meeting, Miss Quinn..."

"Then I’ll come over."

I didn’t wait to hear what he had to say and hung up.

The security at this villa was strict. There were guards at the entrance.

I looked up and told them I was going to Ethan’s company.

I supposed this was one of the perks of being engaged to him.

No one stopped me. I walked straight to the top floor without any obstacles.

Only when I was about to barge into the conference room did his assistant finally stop me.

"Miss Quinn, you can wait in the lounge..."

I pushed the doors open without hesitation.

Sometimes, I didn’t quite understand what I was trying to do.

Maybe being trapped in the dark had created the urge to pull someone down along.

Or maybe I just wanted to create a mess, to ruin myself completely.

That way, I wouldn’t have to wonder whether someone like me was even worth saving.

The conference room was filled with middle-aged men, most of them well past their prime.

Seated at the head of the table, Ethan stood out because of his looks. He didn’t belong among them.

All eyes were on me—forty-something pairs, scrutinizing.

Maybe it was the cold blast of the air conditioning, but for a moment, I couldn't stop trembling.

Then suddenly, someone scooped me up.

For the first time, I caught the scent of smoke on Ethan.

It was cold and merciless, just like him.

"When did you get here, hmm?"

Just moments ago, I heard him berate his subordinates. He changed his tone so fast.

Now, speaking to me, his voice was soft.

…

Because of my intrusion, the meeting was abruptly cut short.

By the time I snapped back to my senses, I was already in his office, still in his arms.

His office was spacious, sitting at the very top of the building, with a view of the towering skyline below.

Standing at such a height, looking down, it felt as if the people rushing about below—their entire fates—could be grasped in the palm of his hand.

As if crushing an ant like me would take no effort at all.

He tossed me onto the bed in the adjacent room connected to his office.

Leaning over, he loosened his tie with one hand, the dark red silk slipping through his fingers.

I had a feeling that I had interrupted his meeting, and now, he was irritated.

After all, he wasn’t always so indulgent with me.

"Did you miss me that much today?"

My long hair spilled across the bed, and he toyed with it, wrapping the strands around his fingers.

I looked at him in silence.

"Ethan, do you have any milk in your office?"

He paused, clearly not expecting that question.

This lounge seemed to be his private space, connected to his office.

The scattered dress shirts and suits on the bed all belonged to him.

After a moment, he pulled a carton of milk from the fridge and handed it to me.

"Ran out of milk at home…?"

He never got to finish his sentence because I snatched the milk from his hand.

Twisting off the cap, I poured it straight over his head.

For a second, he froze.

Honestly, he could have dodged it.

But he didn’t. He let me empty the entire carton over him without moving an inch.

I tilted my head up to look at him.

And damn it—even like this, he still looked good.

"Ethan Chambers, this is exactly how you once poured milk over my head."

I spoke each word slowly and deliberately.

…

Maybe no one else had ever seen him this disheveled before.

Milk dripped down his brow as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

In the end, he only let out a soft chuckle.

When he reached for another carton from the fridge, I still hadn’t realized what he was about to do.

But the moment he twisted off the cap, my eyes widened slightly, finally catching on.

The liquid was ice-cold, fresh from the fridge.

When he poured it over my head, a shiver ran through me involuntarily.

It trickled down my chin and seeped into my collar.

The cold milk didn’t feel quite the same as I remembered.

…

I once overheard the housekeeper whispering that I was crazy for refusing such a good marriage.

But the man in front of me, Ethan, was clearly crazier than I was.

Maybe I had stood frozen for too long.

After pouring the milk, he still had the presence of mind to brush a stray lock of hair from my cheek.

"Now, you're just like me."

I shoved him away.

"Alice, you know better than to make me angry, don’t you?"

He only had to grip my chin, and I didn’t dare move.

To be honest, I wasn’t exactly afraid of him.

I just didn’t want him to be angry.

It was a strange feeling—maybe I hated the consequences, or maybe the impression he left on me was just too deep.

He lifted me into his arms and carried me into the bathroom.

The rising steam blurred the figure before me, the shifting light too dazzling to make out his features.

"Ethan, it’s been seven years. Why did you come back for me?"

My voice was hoarse as I asked him. I felt like I couldn’t go on anymore.

As always, his answer was silence.

…

He laid me down on the bed.

He even took the time to carefully tuck the blanket around me.

I hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days.

I could barely remember the last time I fell asleep peacefully.

While we were in the bathroom, someone already replaced the bedding with fresh sheets—ones without Ethan’s scent.

Strangely, I drifted off faster than before.

My dreams were scattered and fragmented, waves of memories from high school crashing over me.

Drifting between sleep and wakefulness, I caught the sound of voices nearby.

Two young women, probably the cleaning staff, were whispering.

"Hey, do you know who that woman was, the one who barged into the meeting earlier?"