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Days later, Chloe called, hesitant. “Viv, are you
mad at me?”
I was mixing paints. “Mad about what?”
She sighed. “Viv, can I ask you something? Do
you still have feelings for Ethan?”
I almost fell off my chair. “What makes you think that? Tell me, so I can fix it.”
“Well… it seems like Ethan regrets marrying
Lily. And… he asked me about you several times before you came back.”
She filled me in on the gossip. After I left, Ethan’s mom refused to accept Lily. But Ethan, head over heels, stayed in the States, went to college with Lily, and started his own business after graduation, refusing any help from his family.
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“Honestly, even though we were all on your
side, we were kind of impressed by his grand
gesture. True love, you know?” Chloe said.
“Eventually, his family gave in and they got
married.”
The wedding was a disaster. Lily’s family, eager to show off, turned the reception into a chaotic free–for–all. Kids were running wild, relatives were bragging about how Lily had snagged a
rich husband. One of her uncles even tried to
make Ethan kneel and bow to him. Ethan’s mom
ended up in the hospital that night.
That was just the beginning. Lily’s family constantly used Ethan’s name and connections for their own gain. Her brother got a DUI. Her uncle needed a down payment on a house. Her
cousin needed tuition. Her disabled father
needed a job.
It all chipped away at Ethan’s love for Lily until nothing remained.
<
I listened, unmoved. I remembered Ethan
explaining why he loved Lily. “Viv, you’re a
spoiled princess. Lily has nothing, yet she has
this fire, this resilience.” He was mesmerized by
her “strength of spirit,” he’d said.
Now what? Had her spirit dimmed? Was she no
longer resilient? It was pathetic.
I cut Chloe off. “I don’t care about him or Lily. If you mention him again, our friendship is over.”
“Okay, okay,” Chloe apologized. “I just wanted what’s best for you. After all, you…” She trailed off.
I knew what she meant. I had loved Ethan, once. But that was over. Who only loves one person in their life? Especially someone who hurt them so badly. I was only civil to Ethan now because I was mature enough to move on. He meant nothing to me.
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<
I wanted nothing to do with either of them. But
they clearly didn’t feel the same way.
