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"Sophia, it's Chloe. Please, for my sake, come out and have some lunch with us."
My parents had always taught me to be polite to guests.
I sighed and opened the door.
At the table, Ethan was silent, but he was piling food onto Chloe's plate. Soon, it was a small mountain.
"Ethan, darling, Sophia is right here," Chloe cooed.
"She's already upset about last night. You're going to make her even more jealous."
Ethan shot me a cold look.
"What's there to be jealous about? You're the one I'm going to marry. I see her as a sister, just like Jake does."
I said nothing, forcing down mouthfuls of rice that tasted like ash.
My brother opened his mouth, thought better of it, and exhaled a heavy sigh.
A bit of food was left on the corner of Chloe's lips.
Ethan reached over to wipe it away, but she stopped him with a playful smile.
"No, silly. I want you to kiss it off." She leaned in, offering her lips.
Ethan hesitated for a second, then smiled and leaned in to kiss her.
Chloe turned to me, her eyes glinting with triumph.
"Don't mind us, Sophia. Ethan's had a taste of it now, you know. You're still single, but you'll understand when you get a boyfriend."
The meal was torture. I put down my chopsticks. "I'm full. You two enjoy."
After lunch, my brother finally exploded.
"You idiot! You had the perfect opportunity last night! Why did you just hand him over to that two-faced witch?"
"Ethan might be blind to her games, but I'm not! That whole display at the table was just to spite you! I told you there's something between you two…"
"Jake, stop," I interrupted. "Don't say things like that anymore."
He stared at me, bewildered.
I smiled. "I don't love Ethan anymore. Jake, can you set me up on a date?"
His expression shifted from confusion to immense relief.
My brother was, above all, my protector.
"Finally, Sophia! You finally see the light! I told you not to waste your life on one guy. Ethan's a great catch, but there are plenty of other fish in the sea."
"I'll call Daniel White right away. You know, the one you turned down last year? His family's company is way bigger than the Millers'."
" He's handsome, and just like you, he's never been in a serious relationship. Just meet him. You might actually like him."
I dutifully added him as a contact.
Letting go of Ethan felt less like a fresh wound and more like a quiet, hollow ache. This time, I could change everything.
"Ethan, darling, can you help me take my suitcase up to your room?" Chloe's voice chirped from the hallway.
She turned to me.
"Sophia, Ethan's villa isn't ready yet, and he wants me around all the time, so I'll be staying here for a few days. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not," I said, shaking my head. I watched Ethan haul her luggage, a bitter smile on my face.
In my past life, after our one-night stand, Ethan had sent Chloe abroad under the guise of "furthering her studies" to keep her from being hurt.
After our rushed wedding, he had joined her, leaving me to give birth to our daughter, Olivia, alone.
I waited for years, only for him to return holding Chloe's hand.
His eyes, when they looked at me then, were always cold.
Not like now, when they looked at Chloe with such warmth.
I turned to leave and bumped into something hard. Chloe, who had been carrying a basin of water, let out a startled cry as it splashed all over her.
"Chloe!" Ethan's head snapped up. He rushed over, pulling her into his arms and glaring at me.
Chloe sobbed against his chest.
"Sophia, if you didn't want me to stay, you could have just said so. This dress was a gift from Ethan. It was very expensive, and I cherished it. Why did you have to ruin it on purpose?"
"I didn't! It was an accident…" I stammered.
"Enough!" Ethan's voice was sharp.
"Sophia, I told you to stop with these games. If you don't want Chloe here, we'll move out the day after tomorrow."
He didn't give me a chance to explain, simply scooped Chloe into his arms to go change.
As he carried her away, she hooked her arm around his neck and shot me a victorious smirk.
