Eight years after my husband Ethan died, I finally agreed to the blind date my sister arranged. Before the date, I went to the salon for a new hairstyle and bought a new dress at the mall. My sister had set fire to Ethan's belongings. I ignored my burns and snatched our wedding rings from the flames. I held the rings and arrived at the restaurant where I was supposed to meet my blind date, Noah. Through the glass window, I saw Noah chatting with a friend. When Noah lowered his head, I caught a clear view of his friend's face. In that instant, I nearly stopped breathing. That man was Ethan—the same Ethan I had pushed into the cremation furnace with my own hands. And beside him sat a woman with a stunning figure, clinging close to him. I didn't have the courage to push open the door. I leaned silently against the wall, listening to the conversation inside. "Noah, the woman you're meeting is already half an hour late. You think she stood you up?" That voice—I would never forget it, even in death. It was Ethan. My Ethan, the one I'd missed desperately for eight years. But why was he still alive? And why was there a woman I didn't recognize sitting beside him? Why hadn't he come back to find me all these years? Why hadn't he told me he wasn't dead? Too many questions clogged my chest until it felt suffocating. Then another voice spoke—Noah's. "Women like to dress up. It's natural for them to take a little longer." Then Noah changed the subject. "Ethan, I really envy you. You married a beautiful woman like Ivy and she even gave you such an adorable son. You two must have been together for many years." Ethan's cheerful voice drifted out. "Ivy and I have been together for nine years." How ridiculous. For the past eight years, not only had Ethan not died—he'd gotten married and had a child with someone else. He'd been living carefree in a world I knew nothing about, while I'd nearly lost half my life from missing him. Eight years ago, one rainy night, I'd insisted on having pizza. Even though the rain was pouring, Ethan grabbed an umbrella and went out without hesitation. I curled up on the couch, but instead of pizza, I received news that he'd died in a car accident. By the time I arrived at the scene, his car had burned to a hollow shell. The downpour had doused the flames, leaving only a few streams of foul-smelling black smoke. Ethan in the driver's seat was burned beyond recognition. If not for the wedding ring on his left hand, I wouldn't have been able to identify him at all. In the years that followed, I drowned in endless guilt. I kept thinking. If only I hadn't insisted on pizza that night. If only I'd gone out with him. If only... Ethan were still alive. I turned gray overnight at such a young age. I became a shell of myself. I gave up my social life, quit my job, and locked myself indoors all day. Ethan's death turned my life completely upside down. If my sister hadn't pulled me out of that abyss, I probably wouldn't exist in this world anymore. Tears fell heavily onto the ground. My sobbing finally drew the attention of those inside. Noah slowly opened the door and looked surprised to see me. "What happened? Did something go wrong on your way here?" I shook my head and followed him inside. Noah stood by my side, staring at my red, swollen hands. "If you don't treat those wounds, they might get infected." I tucked my hands behind my back, my gaze locked onto Ethan's face. That face I'd missed day and night now appeared before me like something from a dream. "Ethan, you lied to me so cruelly." Ethan looked equally shocked. Disbelief flashed in his eyes. "You're Noah's blind date?"
At this moment, did it even matter who the blind date was? I just wanted answers for the past eight years. I couldn't have spent eight years grieving over a man who was still alive. Searing pain shot through my palms. My throat choked up as I shouted at Ethan. "Ethan, tell me—why did you lie to me?" "Do you know what these eight years have been like for me?" "What happened that night? Tell me!" Ethan took a deep breath and glanced at the woman beside him. Then he stood and walked up to me, his gaze settling on my face. "I had no choice." "That car accident—I planned it." One phrase—"I had no choice"—to justify his enormous lie. One phrase—"I couldn't help it"—to turn my past eight years into a joke. I laughed coldly and raised my hand, slapping Ethan hard across the face. "Ethan, you know that's not the explanation I want!" "This slap is for those eight wasted years." Then I raised my hand again and struck the same spot. "This slap is for the apology you owe me for lying." My palm burned with pain. Blood began seeping from my burn wounds. Ethan's eyes turned cold. He casually wiped the blood from his lip. His fists clenched slightly. "That's enough, Stella. I told you—I had no choice." "You always said a man needs to take responsibility. So when Ivy got pregnant, I chose to step up. I couldn't let the child be born without a father. I couldn't let people think Ivy was some irresponsible woman." "What I did was just fulfilling a man's duty." "Are you satisfied with that explanation?" "But you cheated on me! How can you talk about cheating like it's something honorable?" "You couldn't bear to hurt another woman, but you could let me live like a ghost for eight years and make me feel guilty for the rest of my life." "Ethan, is this what you call responsibility?" I laughed and staggered backward, remembering that the day after Ethan left, I discovered I was pregnant. I'd wanted to die, but the baby's arrival gave me a reason to keep dragging myself through life. I never imagined that the belief I'd clung to so desperately would end like this. Ivy, sitting nearby, walked over to Ethan with concern. Her delicate hand gently touched his face. Then she looked at me with an expression full of guilt. "I'm sorry, Stella. We didn't mean to hide this from you." "But now Ethan and I are married and we have a child. About the past... could you maybe—" I stared at her seductive face. "Not hold it against us? Not pursue it?" "Ivy, if you were in my position, what would you do? If I told you to be generous, could you actually do it?" "It's only because you're not the one who got hurt." With that, I threw the wedding ring I'd been clutching into a nearby trash can. I turned, opened the door, and walked straight out. So this was how my eight years with Ethan ended—with a period. All that devotion and guilt finally turned to ash in this moment. Noah caught up with me, holding gauze and iodine. No one had expected today to turn out this way. As Noah cleaned my hands, he spoke. "I didn't know you and Ethan had that kind of history." "I'm sorry I didn't warn you they'd be here." I couldn't bring myself to smile, staring at the raw red flesh on my palms. "Noah, we can be friends." His hand paused mid-motion. He looked at me intently. "Stella, I don't mind your past." "Don't shut me out just yet."
This blind date was my sister's arrangement. Noah and I weren't really familiar—we only knew each other's names. My sister wanted to help me move on from Ethan's death, and I truly did need to start a new life. Noah was worried, so he took me to the hospital. On the way back, he placed the gift he'd prepared for me on the seat beside me. "Stella, I can wait for you." His gaze was sincere and warm, rekindling something in my deadened heart for just a moment. When I got home, I hid the fact that I'd seen Ethan from my sister. I knew her temper. If she found out Ethan had deceived me, she'd definitely go after him. But now, I didn't want to see Ethan anymore. The real Ethan had died eight years ago. A week later, I agreed to Noah's pursuit and we planned our wedding date. Everyone said we were rushing things, that we should take more time to get to know each other. But I just didn't want to keep drowning in those old memories. I didn't want the memories of Ethan to slowly devour me. News of the wedding eventually reached Ethan's ears. It was the first time he sought me out alone. In the park downstairs. "Stella, you can't marry him." The Ethan before me was dressed in a sharp suit, tall and handsome, but his eyes no longer held the warmth I remembered. "Who are you to me? What business is it of yours whether I get married?" "Ethan, please keep your distance. Don't let your wife get the wrong idea about our relationship." My deliberate coldness displeased the possessive Ethan. He stepped forward and gripped my shoulders tightly. "Stella, wait for me another ten years. In ten years, my son with Ivy will be an adult. Then we can remarry, okay?" "I really had no choice." I laughed. "Ten years? How many decades does a woman have? I already gambled away eight years. You want me to gamble another uncertain ten years?" "Do you think I'm still that stupid?" "You had the right to cheat. I have the right to pursue happiness." I stepped backward. Ethan's hand hung suspended in midair. Anger shadowed his brow. "Stella, you could marry anyone else. Why does it have to be Noah?" "How am I supposed to face you two after this?" "How to face us? You seem pretty good at adapting." "Let me tell you—it's Noah or no one." Without giving Ethan another chance to speak, I turned and left the park. The night before the wedding, Noah invited many friends to his house. The living room and bedrooms were packed with people. Noah was smiling, holding an air pump and inflating balloons. By the time I arrived at his place, the bridal suite was already decorated. I just didn't expect Ethan and Ivy to show up uninvited. Ethan held a gift box and casually tossed it onto the coffee table. "Noah, are you really going to marry a divorced woman? As your friend, I need to warn you—it's not too late to back out." Ethan said this only because of what happened in the park. He was just bitter. Even though he'd deceived me, even though I'd thought he was dead, in his mind I was only allowed to remain faithful to him. Even if he didn't want me anymore, I had no right to marry anyone else. Noah stepped forward and took my hand, as if declaring ownership to Ethan. "I don't mind Stella's past. What matters is the present." "Ethan, don't forget to come drink at our wedding tomorrow." Ethan flew into a rage, his sharp gaze landing on Noah. "You're really going to throw away our brotherhood over a woman?" "You've got so many women around you. Why does it have to be Stella?" "Noah, let me make this clear—if you dare marry her, we're done as brothers."
That night, I received a message from Ethan. "Can't even wait ten years? Stella." "Since you insist on getting married, I'll send you a big gift tomorrow." It wasn't that I couldn't wait. I just didn't see the point anymore. I didn't reply. I blocked the unfamiliar number. On the wedding day, Noah invited many relatives and friends. He said he wanted more people to witness our happiness. The large screen behind us displayed our wedding photos. They flashed by one after another. I suddenly remembered that when I married Ethan, we never even took proper wedding photos. He made excuses—too tired, too busy at work—always finding reasons to put me off. Later I understood. He wasn't too busy. He was spending all his time with Ivy and simply couldn't get away. As the last wedding photo faded, the guests thought it was over. But then more photos appeared. They showed me half-naked, my cheeks flushed, eyes unfocused, completely drunk and unconscious. Whispers spread through the guests below. "This woman has no shame. Look how exposed she is." "Could she be a prostitute?" "How inappropriate to show photos like this at a wedding. She's disgraced the entire family." A bolder relative stood up and advised Noah directly. "Noah, I think you should call off this wedding." "I'll introduce you to someone better later." "This woman is clearly no good. That kid is probably some illegitimate child she's too embarrassed to admit to, so she's calling it her sister." "Still involved with her ex-husband, and now a child appears out of nowhere. If you really marry her, you'll regret it." Noah quickly had the staff turn off the screen and apologized to me repeatedly. I knew whose doing this was. Utterly despicable—just like his fake death eight years ago. Noah still held my waist tightly. "Stella is a wonderful woman. Those photos must be someone's malicious prank." "And our wedding is not for outsiders to comment on." I scanned the crowd and spotted Ethan sitting in the corner, his eyes fixed on me. A faint smile played at his lips, as if mocking me on stage. I lifted my wedding dress and walked up to Ethan. "Is this all you know how to do—these underhanded tricks? Now and eight years ago." "Ethan, the biggest regret of my life was marrying you." Ethan let out a scornful laugh, his gaze shifting to Noah behind me. "Noah, you really want to pick up my leftovers?" "You saw it yourself—what Stella looks like in those photos, didn't you?" Then Ethan withdrew his gaze, his eyes crinkling. "Stella, do you like the gift I sent?" "Actually, if you'd just been nicer to me, I would've given you a proper explanation for those eight years." "I could even bring you home to live with Ivy." "I know how heartbroken you've been these eight years without me." He deliberately leaned closer, a wicked smile on his lips. "Do you dream about me every night? Do you miss me so much you can't sleep?" "You're disgusting!" Furious, I slapped Ethan across the mouth. Ethan immediately straightened up. Every eye in the room turned to him. "Stella, you're insane!" Ethan grabbed a wine glass and hurled it at me. Just as the glass was about to hit, a small voice called out from behind me. "You bad man! Don't bully my sister!" Ethan froze mid-motion, staring hard at the little girl. "What did you call her?" Emma said fiercely, repeating herself. "She's my sister." Ethan suddenly threw the wine glass at his feet and frowned. "Stella, you don't even have parents. Where did this sister come from?" "Who is this girl?"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "385794", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster