The next day,I was still deep in sleep when Ethan's voice jolted me awake.He stood at the foot of my bed,looking down at me with an expression that mixed irritation and disappointment.

“Why didn’t you make breakfast?”

Being pulled from a rare good dream left me feeling grumpy.

“I’m on break.You can grab something on your way,”I replied,my voice flat and devoid of warmth.

Ethan remained silent,still standing there,his gaze penetrating and intense.We had been together for seven years,and no matter what,I always woke up at six to prepare his breakfast.In the beginning,he cared enough to suggest I could skip it,saying I could grab something along the way.

I had always insisted that street food was dirty and unsafe,that nothing compared to my cooking.But now,I was telling him to go out and buy it himself.

He sensed something was off.Taking a step closer,he reached out to check my forehead,but I instinctively swatted his hand away.

Our eyes locked,and I could see the shock in his.He must have felt the caution radiating from me.I tried to mask my feelings,forcing a smile.“You scared me.”

Ethan straightened up,hurt flashing across his face as he tucked his reddened hand into his pocket.

“Cassandra,the project your company is working on with us was your idea.And now,you’re pretending to be sick to avoid it.You clearly don’t care about it at all.I regret being soft-hearted with you!”

His words hit me like a slap.I watched him turn away,his back disappearing through the doorway,my heart aching from the weight of his anger.

I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly at the absurdity of it all.The project he was talking about was something I had believed in;it had potential,a future worth pursuing.I had pushed him to cooperate because I could see the market for it.

In the past,every project he had ever undertaken was something I had handled,something I had helped him navigate through the pitfalls.But now that his company had grown,he had forgotten my role in it all.

As I lay there,my heart felt heavy.I hadn’t asked for this—for us to be in this situation.I wanted to share my joy of being pregnant,but all I felt was the bitterness of betrayal.

By the time I finally pulled myself out of bed,my phone rang,breaking the heavy silence of the room.It was my manager,reminding me about a document he had forgotten at the office.I cursed under my breath and climbed out of bed,reluctantly making my way to Ethan’s company.

As I stepped into the building,every pair of eyes in the lobby fell on me,a wave of judgment washing over me.I let out a bitter laugh,pretending to be unaffected as I walked toward the meeting room.This wasn’t the first time I had faced this kind of scrutiny since Lily became Ethan's assistant.It was as if every time I entered,I had to endure a silent examination of my worth.

When I knocked on the meeting room door,all those gazes finally retreated,and the tension eased a little.My manager greeted me with a smile,beckoning me to sit beside him.I handed him the USB drive,trying to focus on the business at hand.But I could feel Ethan’s eyes on me,a mixture of confusion and something else I couldn’t quite decipher.

As my manager spoke passionately about our project,I barely noticed Lily approaching with a cup of coffee.

In a moment of distraction,I raised my hand,accidentally spilling the hot liquid all over myself.

“Ah!”I cried out,as I tried to shake the burning liquid off.Lily stumbled back,landing on the floor,her face pale with shock.

The meeting room erupted into chaos.Ethan was the first to rush over,scooping Lily up into his arms and rushing out without even a glance back at me.

My heart sank,the pain of it echoing in my chest.My hand throbbed from the burn,but the emotional wounds cut much deeper.

My manager pulled me out of the room,leading me toward the parking garage,his face grim.I could feel the eyes of my coworkers boring into my back,sensing the drama unfolding.They were waiting for something—anything—juicy to spill from this encounter.

But all I felt was the hollow ache of betrayal…

As we waited in line at the clinic,Ethan finally noticed that I had been injured too.He loosened his hold on Lily for a moment,his face conflicted,but she clung tightly to him,her tear-streaked face turned upward as she sobbed pitifully.

The manager leaned closer,whispering in my ear,“Look at her—she’s really good at crying.Maybe you should try it.You need to stay strong,and now your boyfriend’s running off to comfort someone else.”

I glanced at Lily,watching her play the damsel in distress,and then noticed Ethan’s burning gaze fixed on me.His eyes were filled with anger,as if my calm demeanor irritated him.

I leaned closer to the manager,matching his whisper,“I’m not pretending.I just think it’s pathetic.”

The manager chuckled softly.“You’re not wrong.Everyone walking by can’t help but stare at them.”

I laughed too,but the humor never reached my eyes.Across from me,Ethan’s face darkened,his expression growing stormier with each passing second.

When Lily finally went in for her appointment,Ethan was forced to leave the room.He marched over,grabbing my wrist and dragging me to a quieter part of the hallway.His grip was firm,his jaw clenched.

“Cassandra,have you forgotten that you have a boyfriend?You seem pretty cozy,laughing with another man.”

I blinked at him in disbelief.“My boyfriend was just holding another woman in his arms.”

Ethan frowned,his brow furrowing deeply.“Lily’s like a sister to me.”

I gave a small,understanding nod.“And my manager is just my boss.”

He opened his mouth to argue further,but just then,my name was called for my appointment.I carefully pulled my wrist from his grasp,not wanting to aggravate my burn.Ethan,however,tightened his hold,his grip becoming painful.

I dropped my smile,my voice growing cold.“Let.Go.”

The nurse called my name again,and only then did Ethan reluctantly release me.As I passed by Lily on my way in,she bumped into me,making sure I noticed her dramatic entrance as she flung herself back into Ethan’s arms.

“Ethan,the doctor said I might have a scar.I’m so scared…”Her voice trembled,thick with tears.

I hurried into the exam room,shutting the door behind me and letting the sound of her whiny voice fade into the background.The doctor inspected my burn,and after treating it,gave me a stern warning.

“You’ve recently had a miscarriage,and your immune system is still weak.Now,with this burn,you’re at a higher risk of infection.If you develop a fever,come back immediately.”

I nodded my thanks,and as I stepped outside,I saw Ethan waiting for me.I wasn’t sure if he’d overheard the doctor or not.

He reached out to steady me.“Let me take you home.”

Before I could answer,Lily’s soft cry broke through the moment.She collapsed to the ground,her voice rising once more.“Ethan,my leg hurts so bad.I can’t walk…”

Ethan hesitated,torn between us.I sighed,stepping aside so he could make his choice easier.Without a second thought,he scooped Lily into his arms again.But this time,he glanced back at me.

“Follow us,”he instructed,as if I had any other option.

I wasn’t about to cause trouble by asking my manager for a ride.I gave him an apologetic look,and he waved me off,disappearing with a carefree smile.

Ethan placed Lily in the front passenger seat with a practiced ease,as if this had become second nature to him.Not caring much,I climbed into the backseat without protest.

It wasn’t until the car door slammed that Ethan seemed to remember I was there.He quickly offered an excuse,“Lily gets car sick.”

I rolled my eyes at the cheap lie.How convenient.

Lily tugged on his sleeve,her voice soft and pleading.“Ethan,can you recline the seat for me?I’m still feeling dizzy…”

She turned to me with wide,innocent eyes.“You don’t mind,do you,Cassandra?”

Her act was nauseating,but I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.Without a word,I shifted further back,away from the conversation.Ethan leaned over,adjusting her seat as she practically melted into him,their proximity far too intimate for comfort.

I turned my head to the window,closing my eyes to shut out the sight.Out of sight,out of mind—or so I hoped.But the ache in my chest only grew heavier with every passing mile.

The car came to a stop in front of Lily's apartment.She didn’t say a word,but her large,glistening eyes stared at Ethan,full of unspoken longing.

Ethan turned to look at me.“Cassandra,wait here in the car.I’ll just take Lily upstairs and be right back.”

As usual,he didn’t wait for my response.He had already stepped out of the driver’s seat,leaving me alone.Lily shot me a smug,triumphant look before getting out of the car.

“Ethan won’t be quick,”she teased,her voice dripping with sweetness.

I couldn’t help but laugh.So this is the“innocent sister”Ethan had been talking about all this time?

After they disappeared,I glanced down at the burn on my arm.Was it really that painful?Painful enough that she couldn’t walk?

I made a face at myself in the rear-view mirror and pulled out my phone,starting up a game to kill time.True to Lily’s word,they were taking their sweet time.I had already lost four rounds in a row,and Ethan still hadn’t emerged from her apartment.

Groaning in frustration,I muttered to myself,“Who’s even winning this game?”

Determined not to lose again,I started another round.But after my fifth consecutive loss,I’d had enough.I slammed my phone down,threw open the car door,and hailed a taxi,heading home on my own.

Later that night,Ethan’s text arrived.

‘Cassandra,did you head home already?Lily’s leg injury is pretty serious.I’ll be staying here for a few days to take care of her.’

I let out a bitter laugh,my fingers hovering over the screen.I didn’t reply.

Half an hour later,another message pinged through.

‘Cassandra,why aren’t you responding?Are you mad at me?’

Mad?I raised an eyebrow.Was I supposed to be angry?I had stopped feeling anger a long time ago.

A year ago,when Lily first appeared in Ethan’s life,it had been obvious—painfully so.He was a man who never mentioned other women,yet he couldn’t stop talking about how sweet and innocent Lily was.He let her get closer and closer,lowering his defenses,bending his boundaries for her.

At the time,I had cared too much.My jealousy and hurt had stripped away all my sense,turning me into a raving lunatic.I’d confronted him like a fool,yelling and crying.

And he had looked at me with nothing but disdain in his eyes.

“Cassandra,stop acting like a crazy person.You’re embarrassing yourself.”

In that moment,my passion for him froze solid,just like the love I had once nurtured for him.The only thing left between us was a faint echo of warmth,barely keeping our relationship alive.

Since then,I hadn’t been mad at him—not once.

I treated myself to a long bubble bath that night,though holding my arm up the whole time made it a bit of a chore.Still,I managed,and I was relieved that none of the complications the doctor had warned me about had set in.I slept soundly for the first time in what felt like ages.

The next morning,I woke up early,refreshed.After ordering breakfast,I used the extra time to pack up the rest of my belongings to send back to my hometown.

I hailed a cab to the office,figuring I could eat my breakfast on the way.I hadn’t felt this lighthearted in a long time.

As soon as I arrived at work,I headed straight to the manager’s office and handed in my resignation letter.The manager read it over,sighing three times in quick succession.

“You’re really giving up your career for a guy like him?Is it worth it?”

I quickly shook my head,realizing he had misunderstood.“It’s not because of Ethan.I’ve decided to move back home to be closer to my family.”

He studied me seriously.“Is that really what you want?”

I nodded firmly.“My parents are getting older.They’ve been wanting me to come home.”

Seeing my resolve,he didn’t press further.With a swift motion,he signed the letter.“Alright,given your injury,there’s no need for you to work out the one-month notice.You can wrap things up whenever you're ready.”

He gave me a knowing look.“Once you’ve handed everything over,you can leave.But if you need more time,you’re welcome to stay a bit longer.”

I smiled,appreciating his understanding.“Thanks,but I’m in a bit of a hurry to get back home.Don’t worry,I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

With the manager’s approval,I quickly delivered my resignation to the HR department.Thanks to his help,I completed the handover in just one day.

When I got home,I packed the remaining items into my suitcase and booked a flight for the following morning.My brother had offered to buy the ticket for me earlier,but I hadn’t been sure when I would be ready to leave.Now,the timing was perfect.

However,I never expected Ethan to come back in the middle of the night.

He slipped into bed quietly,wrapping his arms around me from behind.Startled,I nearly screamed.

He spoke quickly,“Cassandra,don’t be scared,it’s just me.”

But his words didn’t ease my tension.My body remained stiff in his arms.Ethan didn’t seem to notice anything wrong;he just held me close,murmuring under his breath.

“Cassandra,you’ve changed.It’s like you don’t care about me anymore.No matter how late I stay out,you don’t call or text to check on me.You’re...different now…”

His words trailed off as he fell into a deep sleep,exhaustion taking over.

I gently freed myself from his embrace and,to my surprise,saw his eyelashes were wet.Is he crying?The sight stirred something inside me,but sleep was impossible after that.

I sat by the window,watching as night turned into dawn,the sky breaking with the first light of morning.

Quietly,I blocked Ethan on every contact platform.Then,when the sun was fully up,I left him a note:

Ethan,you’re right.I don’t care anymore.The love is gone,and we’ve reached the end.

Goodbye—forever.