"Forgot who you're working for?" Ethan's voice was icy. Doubt flashed in his eyes, but he was firm in his choice. He knew the consequences of his decision today but felt he had no other option. "She'll get it," he told Leyton, then drove off from the office.Leyton pursed his lips, deep in thought. 'I hope Mr. Arnold doesn't end up regretting this. If Ms. Jent had other options, she might not have chosen to get engaged to him. She's just trying to escape her current situation. With her talent, she made it into Ventropolis College of Art. Someday, when she no longer needs him, he's going to really regret it.'The highway was a mess. There were two wrecked silver cars, but the driver who caused the crash was nowhere to be found. A police officer said, "Mr. Arnold, by the time we arrived, one of the cars had already exploded."Ethan, with wild eyes, grabbed the officer by the collar. "Who told you to chase her?"Other officers quickly stepped in to break them apart. One of them said,

After the exam, Madelyn waited at the school entrance, her umbrella shielding her from the rain that had dampened her long stockings. Ethan usually picked her up and was rarely late. When ten minutes passed without seeing him, she tried calling him. Her phone indicated that his number was out of service. With a shiver, she sent him a text but received no reply. 'We had our engagement photo shoot today. There must be a good reason for him being late.' She considered contacting Ethan's assistant, Leyton, but then remembered she did not have his number.As the rain intensified, Madelyn took shelter in a convenience store and pulled out her homework from her backpack. After a while, an employee approached. "Excuse me, it's almost eight. We're closing.""Sorry, I lost track of time. I'll head out."Madelyn quickly packed her things, amazed at how much time had passed. Outside, it was already dark. Apart from a few Ventropolis High School students leaving their evening classes, the street

Madelyn paused to take a sip from her glass. The weight of Ethan's words dispelled her sleepy haze, and her mind began to race.The soft ticking of the living room clock filled the brief silence. After a moment's reflection, she met Ethan's eyes, her lips pursed thoughtfully. "Alright then, should I move out?" she asked.There was an eerie calm to her demeanor, no trace of irritation discernible in her voice.She had observed, of late, that the warmth once evident in Ethan's eyes when he looked at her had dwindled. It was as though he now regarded her as a stranger, his gaze searching, almost as if he sought to peer into her very soul. This shift in his attitude hadn't come out of nowhere. His frequent late-night returns and prolonged absences were clues she couldn't ignore.Madelyn wasn't naive, nor was she oblivious on the matter. She had experienced what it was like to love someone deeply and unconditionally. She figured that he would not easily forget Donna, whom he had loved s

Ethan's temper blazed. He sped to school, jamming the gas pedal down with every ounce of his vexation.Madelyn was baffled by the sudden shift in his demeanor. The air in the car was thick with tension."Out. Now."Madelyn unbuckled her seatbelt and silently got out of the car.As she walked further away, Ethan's eyes followed, seething with anger and jealousy. 'How could she betray me like this? Should I even consider forgiving her? How am I expected to just overlook this and go on? Despite everything, my love for her is undeniable, yet she's deceived me more times than I care to count,' he pondered.In a fit of frustration, Ethan's hand crashed against the car window. The impact was so forceful that the skin at the base of his fingers split open, letting a few drops of blood escape.For what felt like an eternity, Ethan's car stood idle at the school's entrance. Inside, he grappled with his tumultuous emotions, trying to calm the internal tempest. Clasped in his hand was a ring

Ethan forcefully pushed Madelyn away, causing her to stagger backward and fall, her hand landing on scattered glass shards. Pain surged through her as her palm began bleeding, the crimson hue staining her clothes and widening rapidly.A fleeting glimmer of regret appeared in Ethan's eyes, prompting him to move slightly toward her. But just as quickly as it came, the emotion receded, and he froze.Purposefully turning his back to her, he grappled with his internal conflict. Gazing out the French windows, he closed his eyes, and his voice, filled with restrained emotion, whispered, "You should go."He didn't want to cause her any more harm, but the sting of her betrayal was too fresh, too raw. In his mind, thoughts swirled. 'I loved her with everything I had, ready to lay the world at her feet. But she made a fool out of me, deceiving me at every turn. Did she laugh at my expense while with Zach, sneering at my naivety?'Madelyn endured the pain as she carefully extracted the glass p