7 Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
7 Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
He launched into a monologue about how no one else would ever put up with me, how I was lucky to have him. I held the phone away from my ear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, faintly in the background, I heard it. Chloe\u2019s voice, bright and fake-surprised. \u201cEthan! Surprise, baby! I found you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew what would happen next. He\u2019d choose her. He\u2019d forget me. He always did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So this time, I chose first. I ended the call. I\u00a0<\/p>\n
blocked the new number.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pulled up the photos my mom had sent of Gus. My goofy, loving dog, rolling in the grass,\u00a0<\/p>\n
perfectly healthy. I sent my parents a huge \u201cjust because\u201d Venmo and texted them I\u2019d be home for\u00a0<\/p>\n
a visit soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their joyful reply, a string of heart emojis and a promise to make my favorite apple pie, filled my\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
7 Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
own heart. *This* was love. Unconditional. Easy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was meeting an old college friend, Rachel, for dinner. When I arrived at the upscale waterfront restaurant she\u2019d picked, she was practically vibrating with excitement at the host stand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLauren! Over here!\u201d She pulled me to a table. It was then I noticed the place was eerily empty. And Rachel was wearing a dress suspiciously\u00a0<\/p>\n
close to bridesmaid material.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The lights dimmed. A string quartet I hadn\u2019t noticed began to play. A path of LED candles\u00a0<\/p>\n
flickered to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Ethan emerged from the kitchen, pushing a cart with a towering arrangement of red roses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My body moved before my mind caught up. I shoved my chair back, ready to bolt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was in front of me in an instant. He looked\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
nervous. Determined. He got down on one knee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLauren, I know I\u2019ve been distracted. I know I\u2019ve\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
7 Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
::.\u00a0<\/p>\n
hurt you. I promise, from now on\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t let him finish. I swatted the massive\u00a0<\/p>\n
bouquet out of his hands. Roses scattered across the floor. I stumbled back, covering my nose and mouth, a violent sneeze tearing through me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor God\u2019s sake, Ethan! I\u2019m *allergic* to roses! Deathly allergic! Have you *ever* listened to\u00a0<\/p>\n
me?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His face paled. He scrambled to kick the flowers away. \u201cI\u2026 I\u2019m sorry. I forgot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t forgotten. He\u2019d never known. In five years, he\u2019d never bought me flowers. I\u2019d assumed it was because he knew about my allergy. Turns out, he\u2019d just never cared enough to think about\u00a0<\/p>\n
He tried to speak again, but I held up a hand. \u201cThere is nothing left to say.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI saved your life,\u201d he hissed, the mask of romance slipping. He lunged forward, grabbing\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
7 Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
::.\u00a0<\/p>\n
my wrist, his grip tight. \u201cYour life is *mine*. You don\u2019t get to walk away. Not without my permission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stopped struggling. I looked him dead in the eye, my gaze steady and cold. \u201cYou used that to let her humiliate me for five years. That debt is paid.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He flinched, his grip loosening. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t like that. Chloe is fragile, she needs-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot my problem,\u201d I said, yanking my arm free. I\u00a0<\/p>\n
turned and walked toward the exit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind me, I heard the crash of the dessert cart. Then his footsteps, frantic, chasing me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He caught me on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, breathless. He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box. Inside, a diamond solitaire glinted under the streetlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he panted. \u201cFor last year. For not doing this right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
7 Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
:.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at me, expecting joy, tears,\u00a0<\/p>\n
forgiveness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All he saw was weary disgust.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A year ago, his \u201cproposal\u201d had been a grumbled \u201cI guess we should get married then\u201d as he fell\u00a0<\/p>\n
asleep watching TV. No ring. No question. Just a\u00a0<\/p>\n
statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now he was offering the show. But the audience\u00a0<\/p>\n
had left the theater.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEthan,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cThat\u2019s a size five. I\u2019m a seven. That\u2019s Chloe\u2019s ring. You\u2019ve been carrying around a ring for her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shook his head violently. \u201cNo, it\u2019s for you, just try it-\u201d He grabbed my left hand, trying to force the ring on. The metal bit into my knuckle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I cried out, snatching my hand back. Before he could react, I plucked the ring from the box and threw it in a high arc over the railing behind him. A tiny *plink* sounded as it hit the dark water of\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
7 Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
the Puget Sound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared, dumbfounded. \u201cYou\u2026 you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comment 0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leave the first comment for this chapter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vote\u00a0<\/p>\n
47\u00a0<\/p>\n
Swipe left to continue >\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u56fe\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send Gift\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
8 Chapter 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
8 Chapter 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI what, Ethan?\u201d My patience snapped. \u201cI\u2019m not playing your games anymore.\u201d@\u00a0<\/p>\n
His face contorted with rage. \u201cYou ungrateful bitch! I\u2019ve put up with your shit for years! You could never be half the woman Chloe is! Sweet, gentle, *feminine*. You\u2019re just a cold,\u00a0<\/p>\n
sharp-edged bore. You think you\u2019re in her league? You\u2019re not even on the same planet!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He grabbed my arm again, dragging me toward the railing. \u201cYou\u2019re going to get it back. This is your last chance. Get the ring, and I\u2019ll forget this ever happened. We\u2019ll get married next month.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As he tried to push me toward the water, instinct took over. I drove my knee hard into his thigh. As he buckled with a grunt, I fisted my hand in his perfectly styled hair and yanked his head up, forcing him to look at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fate Rolls Dark by Mark Twain 7 7 Chapter 7\u00a0 :\u00a0 7 Chapter 7\u00a0 He launched into a monologue about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gave-up-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21976\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}