“Lily, let me take you to the hospital.”
I waved my hand. “I have more important
things to do.”
I looked at Chloe. “Let’s go to the police
station.”
Chloe shook her head.
“I’m pregnant. This is Ethan’s baby.”
She grabbed Ethan’s arm. “Ethan, this is your
child.”
Ethan looked at her. “Lily, let it go. You’re not
hurt. And Chloe’s having my baby.”
I rolled my eyes. “What does this have to do
with me? You told me to take responsibility
Г
I looked at him. He didn’t say anything.
I knew what he meant.
I’d once admired him. But not anymore.
I folded my arms. “One hundred thousand
dollars.”
Ethan looked at me.
He nodded.
Years ago, when I followed Ethan around, he
said, “You’re wasting your time on me. You’re
young. Live your life.”
I said, “Then I’ll ask you for a hundred
thousand dollars and buy my youth back.”
く
I never saw Ethan again.
I moved on, never looking back.
Ethan’s Side Story
Ethan didn’t like Lily when he first met her.
She seemed weak and defenseless.
One day, he saw the bruises on her wrists.
He didn’t want to get involved.
But something made him help her. When he
kicked open the bathroom door, she looked at
him with big eyes.
She followed him everywhere.
Г
He thought, maybe it would be nice to take
care of her.
Then, she got older.
He knew she had a crush on him, but he was
her brother.
He avoided her.
He even convinced himself that he hated her.
Then, he met Chloe. She looked a lot like Lily.
After Lily left, he realized he missed her.
But it was too late.
He finally found her.
Г
He knew she would never be his.
He took Chloe home. She was different. She’d
sit on the couch and stare at nothing.
Then, one day, he left the door open, and she
ran into the street and got hit by a car. She
lost the baby.
Ethan felt relieved.
He could finally divorce her.
Chloe stared out the window, not saying
anything.
“Are you going to leave me, too?”
He went home to sign the papers. She
handed him a glass of water.
He didn’t say no.
As he lay in the fire, he thought, maybe this
was the end of the line.
Then, he remembered the first time he saw
Lily.
I’m sorry, Lily, he thought.