He seemed to be very close, and after a few footsteps, a figure in white and blue appeared beside me.

The girl had shiny black hair, with two braids pinned at the back of her head, tied with a bright red silk ribbon in a bow. Her big eyes were full of life and energy.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the braids were slightly messy.

It looked like someone who wasn’t very practiced at braiding.

Ethan helped her with her bag, his eyes full of tenderness.

He used to look at me the same way.

I should be happy for him, happy that he found someone who is a good match for him.

Isn’t this what I always wanted?

But the bitterness in my heart weighed down on me, making it hard to breathe.

“Grace, I’m going to the bathroom.”

I almost fled, the mirror reflecting my red eyes, already showing signs of swelling.

If I go out now, it’ll be such an embarrassment.

After calming myself down, I was about to leave, but I unexpectedly saw Ethan again.

He was standing under a tree, holding a leaf and flipping it in his hand, right by the path I had to take.

He sneered, "Lily, are you sneaking off again?"

"Just a friend of my sister’s, why are you being so petty?"

I didn’t want to engage with him, especially now that he had a girlfriend.

People should know how to avoid awkwardness.

I didn’t respond to him and continued walking outside.

Ethan grabbed my wrist with enough force that it hurt. He pushed me against the tree trunk. Instinctively, I could tell that he was very angry.

I didn’t understand what he was angry about.

We had broken up a year ago, and he had already found someone new.

"Ethan, watch your manners," I said, trying to remind him.

Getting tangled up with an ex is never a good thing, especially if it’s seen by others.

"Watch my manners? What manners?"

I said, "You’re with someone now."

Ethan let out a cold laugh. "Oh, we broke up."

I widened my eyes, not understanding how he could say something like that.

He had just introduced me to Hannah, and now he was casually saying they broke up.

"Ethan, don’t be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? What’s ridiculous?" Ethan leaned down, his warm breath brushing against my face as he softly spoke, "If it’s not working out, we break up."

"Isn’t that right, Lily?"

My heart jolted, coldness spreading from my head to my feet.

So, what does Ethan want to do?

I stood there, staring at the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, unable to make a sound.

"Rather than you sending a text saying we’re not a match, don’t you think it’s more considerate for me to say it to your face?"

Ethan was still smiling, but there was no warmth in his eyes. I was trapped in his shadow, every breath feeling like it was being squeezed out of me.

Now I understood what he was angry about.

Because we broke up, I sent that text saying we weren’t suited for each other, then came Arden City.

If I had told him face-to-face, with his stubborn personality, he definitely would’ve pressed me for answers and wouldn’t have let me leave.

But isn’t it just that we weren’t a good match? What else is there to discuss?

Ethan gripped my chin, questioning me, "Lily, the day before we were sweetly dating, and the next day you just disappear with a text saying we weren’t a match."

"Don’t you think that’s absurd?"

His voice was icy, each word sending a chill down my spine. I avoided his sharp gaze, remaining silent.

"Lily, speak!" He nearly shouted, veins bulging on the back of his hand. His outburst startled me, and I couldn’t help but let tears spill from my eyes.

Great, now I had lost my voice.

My throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making it hard to breathe.

Tears kept streaming down uncontrollably.

I really hated this. I didn’t want to cry at this moment, but I just couldn’t stop…

Ethan froze for a moment before quickly releasing me. In a panic, he tried to wipe my face with his sleeve.

It felt like he was rubbing my skin off.

"It hurts... Ethan," I grabbed his hand and pushed him away with all my strength.

"Oh, let me hurt you then, since you never learn."

Afterward, he dragged me back to his house.