Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

My heart skipped a beat. Seeing me freeze, Ethan smiled, pulled me to sit, and wrapped his arm around my waist, making my head rest on his shoulder. "Then stay with me." The recliner was only big enough for one, so I had to lie on my side, pressed against him, to fit.

Ethan's lingering scent of nicotine made me a bit intoxicated, mixed with a faint sadness from him.

Even though Ethan and I had been intimate before, lying so close now still made me nervous and sweaty.

We lay there silently for a long time, the only sounds were his steady breathing and our heartbeats, the only melody in the moonlight.

His embrace was so comforting that I didn't realize when I fell asleep. I woke up to slight movement; Ethan was carrying me upstairs. "What's going on?" I asked groggily.

"We're going to bed; it's cold outside," he said.

He carried me to the room, placed me on the bed, and trapped me with his hands on either side of my body.

The room was dark, and his eyes seemed to swirl with something, like an invisible net that easily ensnared me.

I felt like I understood his unspoken words, and my heart started racing.

We didn't stay like that for long. Ethan lifted the blanket, slipped in, and pulled me into his arms.

"I just want to hold you while we sleep, nothing else," he whispered hoarsely, sending a jolt through me.

My back was pressed against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing. His breath was hot against my neck, both ticklish and warm.

We were legally married, so it was reasonable for him to hold me while we slept, and even if he had further requests, it wouldn't be too much.

I realized I didn't mind his closeness; in fact, I was a bit addicted to his embrace.

Realizing this scared me. It was a dangerous signal. I knew I shouldn't fall for it, yet I couldn't help but be drawn in.

Ethan just held me all night, and nothing inappropriate happened. He didn't explain much about the guitar, and I didn't bring it up again. We both ignored the matter.

In the morning, the faint smell of tobacco woke me up. I opened my eyes to see a firm chest. I jolted awake, all traces of sleep gone.

Ethan was leaning against the headboard, holding a cigarette in one hand and flipping through a cassette tape with the other. It was the album by The Thorn Birds Band that I had left on the bedside table. "You're awake?" He glanced over at me.

"Yeah," I said, eyeing his solid chest and swallowing quietly.

Even though nothing had happened between us, the scene was enough to make one's imagination run wild.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

"Too bad there's no tape player; this cassette is just for show," I said, trying to steer the conversation away from anything suggestive.

He didn't say anything, but I suddenly looked at his face in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I propped up my head and stared at his face without blinking.

Ethan seemed a bit uncomfortable under my gaze and, for once, a hint of shyness appeared on his face. He reached out and pinched my cheek. "Did you just realize how handsome I am?" "I discovered something amazing," I said.

Ethan stared at me, waiting for me to continue.

"I suddenly realized you look a bit like the lead singer of The Thorn Birds Band. Although I've never seen him, I think there's a photo of him on this cassette. Let me see it."

I reached for the cassette in his hand, but he raised it high out of my reach.

"I'm obviously more handsome than him," Ethan said arrogantly.

"Let me see. You really do look alike, except the lead singer of The Thorn Birds Band has long hair. How did I not notice this before? Let me see it."

To get the cassette back, I climbed onto him to reach his hand. Ethan seemed to be teasing me on purpose, holding the cassette even higher.

My desire to conquer was fully aroused. To get my cassette back, I straddled him to grab it.

"You're being so forward?" His sudden teasing made me realize how inappropriate my position was. I scrambled off him in a panic, too embarrassed to look at him. But Ethan suddenly flipped me over, pinning me beneath him. "You're testing my patience," he said in a low, hoarse voice, his eyes intense.

I held my breath, flustered. "I...I won't take it. I'll go make breakfast," I said, trying to push him off.

But he pressed down on my shoulders, pinning me with his weight.

"Is that okay?" His hoarse voice pierced through my ears.

With my hands on his chest, I mustered the courage to look at him and asked softly, "Who am I?"

Ethan, panting heavily, looked at me and laughed hoarsely. "Are you stupid? Emily, you're my wife."

He was right. We were married. So his request was reasonable. But that night, his words "Happy Birthday" were etched in my mind. I knew he loved someone else. Even in a state of confusion, he didn't forget to bless someone who clearly held a very special place in his heart.

It turned out that a man's desire sometimes had nothing to do with love. But for women, it was different. Women preferred to have love first, then sex.

I pushed him away, avoiding his gaze. "I need to get up. I have to go job hunting today."

I was afraid he would force himself on me, but I was also a bit afraid he would be unhappy because of my rejection.

Ethan didn't speak for a long time, but his breathing gradually calmed down. He didn't force me and pinched my cheek. "Do you really want to be self-reliant?"

I responded, "One can't rely on anyone else for a lifetime. Only oneself is the most reliable. Just like you said, trust only myself."

Ethan seemed surprised that I used his own words against him. It took him a while to smile faintly. "Emily, I'm more reliable than you are."

I stared at him in shock. The weight of his body suddenly lifted as he got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a cold shower," he said as he closed the door.

Hearing the sound of water, I quickly got up to change clothes. But just as I took off my clothes, the bathroom door suddenly opened again.

Instinctively, I covered my chest. Ethan poked his wet head out and laughed at my reaction, giving me a mischievous once-over. "Wait for me. I'll drive you."

I replied, "No need, I'll just take a cab."

Ethan didn't respond, nor did he close the door to continue his shower. He just stood there watching me.

I closed my eyes in frustration and whispered, "Alright then."

Only then did he close the bathroom door again, continuing his shower. I noticed he really liked taking morning showers.

After breakfast, Ethan drove me out. After dropping me off downtown, he left.

I visited various hospitals, even several private medical institutions, but I deliberately avoided Benevolence Hospital. Even if they had a suitable position for me, I wouldn't go.

I didn't want to see Arthur and Vivian anymore, nor did I want them to humiliate me again. But sometimes life was just so dramatic. The more I didn't want to see someone, the more they appeared in front of me.

By noon, I was a bit hungry, so I bought a piece of bread and sat on a bench in the pedestrian street to eat.

At this time, most people were eating inside. There weren't many people on the pedestrian street.

As I ate my bread and looked around, I soon saw Arthur and Vivian. They were right in front of me, at a bridal photography studio. Through the transparent glass, I saw Vivian wearing a wedding dress, looking at herself in the mirror. A female staff member was helping her adjust the dress and hairstyle. Arthur stood in front of Vivian, smiling, probably complimenting her. Vivian's face was beaming with joy.

I had seen their wedding photos before, so they were definitely not there for a photo shoot today. It wasn't hard to guess that they were there for a makeup trial, and their wedding day was probably not far off.

I really didn't care about their affairs, but for some reason, maybe out of boredom or exhaustion from walking all morning, I sat there watching for a long time. Even when they came out, I still had half a piece of bread left. They soon saw me. Arthur seemed reluctant to come over, but Vivian insisted on dragging him towards me.

Vivian, holding Arthur's arm, walked up to me with a fake smile on her face, but her eyes couldn't hide her arrogance. "Emily, Arthur and I have set our wedding date for August 1st. We were colleagues after all, so you must come." The piece of bread in my mouth suddenly felt hard to swallow. I quietly swallowed it and took a deep breath. I thought to myself, 'Fine, I'll give them a big gift.'

In fact, there really was a "big gift" waiting for them, one they couldn't afford. But at that time, I didn't know it yet.