Chapter 18
Those words hit Tiffany like ice water, her face turning deathly pale: “How can you do this to me?”
Ethan couldn’t be bothered to care why she was upset and dismissed her coldly: “Come on, isn’t this what you wanted? Some rich guy to take care of you? There’s plenty to choose from here, and they’ll treat you well. Consider it me finding you a good setup.”
His friend had already noticed what Tiffany was–or wasn’t–wearing under that coat, and asked with obvious interest:
Ethan, you serious about this?”
“Dead serious. Take her home if you want–starting today, she and I have nothing to do with each other. Oh, and I’m going to pick up Claire from the hospital. If you guys are gonna fool around in my office, try to keep it down.”
Ethan was clearly done with her. If she’d had any novelty value before, the moment she’d pushed for more, she’d become just another discarded toy.
After all, besides Claire–who was his true love–other women were just disposable. Bros before hoes, as they say.
The office door closed slowly behind him, and no matter how much Tiffany cried and pleaded, he never looked back.
Click.
The office door created two completely different worlds–inside and outside.
Tiffany stared at the closed door with crushing regret, her ears filled with the disrespectful laughter from Ethan’s sleazy friends.
Realizing her dream of becoming Mrs. Thompson was completely dead, she felt sick with regret. But to maintain her current lifestyle, she had to grit her teeth and bear it.
If Ethan didn’t want her anymore, these playboys in the office were her best remaining option. Even knowing she’d only keep sinking lower, she chose to stay.
Meanwhile, Ethan was driving himself to the hospital, desperate to see Claire.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and just thinking about seeing Claire again made him feel like he was back in their honeymoon phase.
He’d already rehearsed a whole speech and even called home to tell Martha and Pete to stay away while they recovered–he didn’t want anything interfering with his alone time with Claire.
Martha and Pete’s reactions seemed unusually cold and distant, but he didn’t really care what they thought. He still stopped by a flower shop on the way.
After all, Claire was crazy about him–even if she was a little upset, these flowers would be enough to smooth things over.
What Ethan didn’t expect was to push open the hospital room door and find complete strangers. He looked at the unfamiliar elderly patient and the nurse preparing an IV, snapping irritably: “Who are you people?”
The old man in the hospital gown was clearly settled in for a long stay, looking at Ethan with complete confusion.
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Two Chances, One Bullet: How His “Next Life” Promise Failed
02.104.
Chapter 18
The nurse recognized him but seemed equally surprised: “Mr. Thompson, what are you doing here?”
Seeing even she was confused. Ethan asked: “Why wouldn’t I be here? I came to take my wife home. Where is she?”
His own rapid fire questions were inaking him anxious.
The nurse looked even more shocked: “Your wife was cremated, wasn’t she? Her funeral was almost a week ago–how do you
not know about this as her husband?”
Ethan was completely stunned.
laire? Cremated?
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