At 2:00 AM, my ex-boyfriend called and said he wanted to get back together. With red, tear-filled eyes, I agreed. But on the other end of the line, the room erupted into thunderous, mocking laughter. "I told you guys. This woman, Chloe, is so pathetic that all I have to do is crook my finger, and she'll come crawling right back to me." I didn't get angry. I just asked him if what he said a second ago still counted. "Ethan, as long as you come back, you can do whatever you want to me..." Dead silence fell over the other end of the line. "Chloe! I'm Liam! What the hell are you talking about? Who the fuck is Ethan?!" 1 In the middle of the night, I was running a fever. Through my hazy, dizzy state, I heard my phone ring. I answered it. There was a lot of background noise and rowdy shouting. After a long moment, a man's magnetic voice finally reached my ear. "Chloe, I miss you." That familiar voice instantly brought tears to my eyes. For the past few months, I had only been able to fall asleep with the help of sleeping pills. Hearing his voice again, I couldn't help but choke on a sob. "I miss you too." Soon, the voice on the other end spoke again. "Chloe, let's stop fighting. Let's get back together." His voice was like aged, rich red wine, instantly intoxicating me. My feverish body broke out in a sweat, soaking through my pajamas. My long fingernails dug into the edge of my phone case. Barely able to suppress my crying, I eagerly nodded and agreed. But immediately after, the other end of the line erupted in roaring laughter. "Liam is the absolute man! Two words and he gets his ex-girlfriend kneeling and begging like a dog!" "Does anyone actually fall for the '2 AM let's get back together' routine? Liam, where did you find this freak? When you guys were together, she served you like you were royalty. It's been three months since you dumped her, and she's still obsessed with you." "That's just the irresistible charm of our guy Liam. When they were dating, he'd tell her to get lost, and she'd roll over like an obedient puppy." "One time Liam was out on a date with another girl, and with one phone call, Chloe literally drove over to deliver him condoms." "How can someone be that pathetic?" "Like I said, Liam's charm is unmatched. I'll take the penalty drink for this round." The phone line was filled with their unbridled, cruel mockery. Finally, Liam's voice sounded again: "I told you all. Chloe is completely pathetic. All I have to do is crook my finger, and she'll come crawling right back, begging for attention." Liam's voice was still deep and magnetic, but now it was laced with smug arrogance. Then, he addressed me: "Chloe, we're playing Truth or Dare. Thanks for taking the penalty for me." His tone was completely dismissive. He was ready to hang up. But I didn't want to miss this incredibly rare opportunity. I hurriedly asked: "Did you mean what you said just now?" The other end froze. Even the background music seemed to lower in volume. "Chloe, are you mentally ill? Did you honestly think I called you at 2 AM because I actually wanted to get back together?" Liam cursed at me. I ignored it, insisting: "You said it, and I agreed." Saying that, I couldn't hold back my cries anymore. My voice filled with desperation as I lowered myself to the absolute dust: "Ethan... as long as you come back, you can do whatever you want to me..." No response. For a long, long time, it was dead silent. And then, came Liam's furious, explosive roar: "Chloe! You better explain yourself right now! Who the fuck is Ethan?!" 2 Ethan. That name accompanied me through my entire youth. In a daze, I was transported back to the summer I was sixteen, the first time I ever saw him. Those were the darkest days of my life. My grandmother, the only person I had left in the world, had passed away. I became an unleashed, rabid dog, completely letting myself rot in the mud. After getting caught in yet another violent fight, my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Davis, gave me an ultimatum. If my parents didn't show up, she was going to report me to the school board and have me expelled. I didn't care. I leaned lazily against the wall and said dismissively, "My dad's in Canada, my mom's in Mexico. Neither of them can be reached. How about I summon my dead grandma's ghost for you instead?" "Chloe!" Mrs. Davis was so furious with my attitude that she grabbed my arm, fully intending to drag me to the office to process my expulsion. That was exactly when Ethan appeared. He rushed into the hallway and stood protectively in front of me. His very first words were: "I apologize for being late. I am Chloe's older brother." Brother? I froze. Mrs. Davis froze too. Mrs. Davis froze because the man standing in front of her radiated a clean, sharp, and intimidating aura. Standing next to my frizzy, dyed hair and heavy, cheap makeup, we looked like we belonged in entirely different universes. I froze because I never knew my parents had a secret love child who was this old. So, I was immediately hostile toward him. "Bullshit! I don't have a damn brother!" I started screaming and charged at him to push him away. But Ethan, who looked lean and intellectual, effortlessly restrained me with just one hand. At the same time, he calmly and politely apologized to Mrs. Davis. He promised her that from now on, he would keep me on a very tight leash. Thanks to his earnest pleading, Mrs. Davis decided to give me one last chance. Ethan physically dragged me all the way home. On the way, he shoved me into a hair salon. He had them chop off my messy, dyed hair and scrub off my heavy makeup. The mirror revealed my natural, original face. He stared at me for a moment, then smiled and ruffled my hair: "This looks so much better for a student." I didn't dodge. Taking advantage of the proximity, I lunged and bit down hard on the webbing of his hand. I didn't succeed. Instead, he pinched my chin. "Tsk, such a fierce little girl?" "Get lost! I'm calling the cops! You're a kidnapper!" I yelled at him, my words muffled. Even though Ethan was incredibly handsome, it didn't stop me from hating him. Especially when he smiled—it was so bright it physically stung my eyes. I cursed, kicked, and fought. Ethan didn't get angry. He let me throw my tantrum until I finally ran out of energy. Only then did he slowly explain: "I'm not a kidnapper. Your parents entrusted me to take care of you." "Bullshit! They don't give a damn about me! If they did, why didn't they even show up when Grandma died?!" I tried to act like I didn't care, but as I screamed at him, my voice broke. I glared at him with red, tear-filled eyes. My cheeks felt itchy, and then wet... Ethan fell silent. He let go of my chin. After a long pause, he promised me: "Once you get into college, they'll come back." I thought about it for a second, then replied: "In their dreams." 3 Whether I agreed or not didn't matter. Ethan aggressively moved into my apartment. I tried calling the cops on him once, but Ethan somehow produced a legally binding guardianship document, physically signed by my parents. It left me completely speechless. I gave up. I decided to treat him like he was invisible. It was a two-bedroom apartment. I had one room, and Grandma used to have the other. Now he lived in Grandma's room. He actually started preparing three meals a day and taking over all the household chores. A free maid? Why not. Once I rationalized it, I accepted his presence without any guilt. But one thing was incredibly annoying. He demanded I come home immediately after school every day. No matter which shady internet cafe I hid in, he would always track me down and drag me out. As soon as I got home, he checked my homework. When I said I didn't understand it, he actually sat right next to me and tutored me. Whatever I didn't know, he knew how to teach. "Ethan, tell me the truth..." After being dragged home from an arcade yet again, I couldn't help but ask: "Are you part of some secret reality show where you get a million dollars if you get me into college? Or is this the cure to a terminal illness you have?" Ethan flicked me hard on the forehead. "Going to college is for your own future." "What's the point of college?" I rubbed my forehead and complained: "It's not like I actually want them to come back..." "Do you really not want them to come back?" Ethan cut me off. He looked at me, his tone dead serious: "Don't you want to prove to them that even when you're entirely on your own, you can still become something amazing?" My fingers curled inward. My heart swelled in my chest. He had a tiny tear mole at the corner of his eye. I looked into his eyes, and it felt like they held an entire galaxy. They were so, so bright... 4 Midterm exams. I went from being the second-worst student in my grade to the top fifty. When the grades were posted, no one could believe it. I was ecstatic. All I could think about was how I was going to tell Ethan the good news that night. I planned to lie to him, tell him I was still second-to-last, and use it to extort a massive plate of his homemade BBQ ribs to comfort me. Ethan's BBQ ribs were genuinely incredible. I was happily plotting my deception, but before the school day even ended, Mrs. Davis called me into the office... She suspected me of cheating and threatened to void my scores. That night, I went straight to a club. 5 Ethan was the one who bailed me out of the police precinct. According to the officers... They raided the club and rounded up a bunch of underage drinkers. I was the most obvious one—wearing a high school uniform, completely wasted, grinding on the dance floor with a bunch of shady guys, having the time of my life. Ethan's face was completely black. I saw him speaking quietly with the officers, then signing a document before walking over to lead me out of the precinct. Honestly, I hadn't drank that much. Plus, standing in the freezing, drafty hallway of the police station had sobered me up considerably. The entire ride home, Ethan didn't say a single word to me. Seeing his stone-cold face ignited my own temper. I stubbornly marched toward my bedroom door, but he stopped me: "Hold it! Do you not have anything to say for yourself?" That single command triggered every rebellious bone in my body. "I don't need you to manage me! You aren't my dad, and you aren't my mom! Do you really think a piece of paper gives you the right to control my life?!" Ethan strode toward me. Even though he was lean, when his face went cold, his aura was absolutely terrifying. He stopped right in front of me. He was a full head taller than me. Looking down at me, his face was like ice, and his voice was harsher than it had ever been: "Do you have any idea how disappointed your parents would be if they saw you like this?!" Hearing that, I violently hurled my backpack at him and screamed hysterically: "How disappointed could they possibly be?! The grass on their graves is probably taller than me by now! They don't know shit!" I watched Ethan's icy facade shatter into a million pieces. The atmosphere stagnated for a long, agonizing moment before his low voice finally broke the silence: "Since when did you know?" I clenched my fists so tight my nails dug into my palms. The adrenaline and alcohol surged back to my head, making my entire body burn. Biting my lip, I stared directly into his eyes and enunciated every single word: "Don't treat me like a child. I understand everything. I know my parents are dead! You hid it from me, Grandma hid it from me... I know a lot of things. I know they were undercover cops. And I know you're a cop too!" 6 My head was spinning. The memories of the past flooded my brain like a tidal wave, making my already throbbing head feel like it was going to split open. Through the phone, Liam was still demanding an answer. I snapped back to reality and replied purely on instinct: "Where are you? I want... I want to see you right now." I missed him so much. I truly, desperately wanted to see him right now. The other end went silent. I could hear the mocking, teasing voices in the background. Some said I was shameless, others said I was playing hard to get, and some laughed, asking if Liam was getting anxious. Finally, Liam texted me an address. I didn't even bother getting dressed up. I rushed out the door. When I arrived at the bar, Liam's group hadn't left. Seeing my pale, sickly face, Liam, who was sitting in the center of the booth, froze for a second. "Chloe, it's only been a few months. Do you... look like you're about to drop dead?" I didn't care. I ignored the sneering, judgmental stares of everyone in the room and walked straight up to him. But as my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and I got a clear look at Liam's face, a surge of indescribable fury exploded in my chest. "Where is your tear mole?" I reached out, grabbed his chin, and frantically inspected his face. It had only been a few months. Liam's face was different. The corner of his eye, the bridge of his nose... but most importantly, the tear mole at the corner of his eye—the exact same mole Ethan had—was gone. He didn't look like Ethan anymore! Annoyed by my grabbing, Liam shoved me away roughly, his tone impatient: "That mole was ugly as hell. I've been wanting to get it lasered off for a long time. I look way better now." He touched his own face, smiling confidently. But I suddenly lunged at him like a maniac, tearing at his clothes. "Who gave you permission to remove it?! You don't look anything like him anymore!" I had searched so hard and finally found an existence so similar to him, and now Liam had ruined it! I projected all my rage onto the man in front of me. I stood up to leave, but my arm was grabbed violently. "What the hell do you mean? Like who? This 'Ethan' guy? Chloe! You better explain right now, who the fuck is Ethan?!" Liam finally remembered his earlier question, his voice sharp with interrogation. Someone tried to break it up. "Liam, calm down. Chloe is definitely just playing mind games..." "Yeah, this guy definitely doesn't even exist." Hearing this, Liam's expression relaxed slightly. The way he looked at me grew even more contemptuous. He said: "If you want to get back together, show some sincerity. Don't just make up some random name, using a nonexistent ghost to try and play me..." Liam didn't get to finish his sentence. I slapped him across the face as hard as I physically could. With one hundred percent of my strength. "Who are you calling nonexistent?! Ethan isn't dead! HE ISN'T!" "Chloe, have you lost your fucking mind?! Are you crazy?!"
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