Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

When I saw those two pics pop up in the message, I totally lost it.

The first one showed Lacey helping Ethan into a hotel, and the second one had them going into a room together.

Ethan looked wasted in the photos. When he's that drunk, anything could go down. If something did happen, it was game over. My worst nightmare was coming true. Right then, it felt like a sharp knife was cutting into my heart.

"What's up?" Jason must've seen my face and asked.

"Nothing." My voice was barely there, and I probably looked like a mess.

A bit later, another text came in from a different number.

It had the hotel's name and room number.

Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and bolted, not even changing my clothes.

"Emily, where you headed?" Jason called after me.

I didn't answer and ran into the rain.

Lightning lit up the sky, and thunder boomed like it was gonna tear the world apart. But I wasn't scared. I was more freaked out that things were already too far gone. Soon, a car pulled up next to me, and the window rolled down. Jason shouted, "Emily, get in!"

I didn't think twice, opened the door, and jumped in.

"Where to?" Jason asked.

I told him the hotel's name, and we sped through the storm.

Rain pounded on the car, making a racket like it could destroy everything.

I was soaked but didn't feel cold. The pain in my chest was all too real. Maybe there were already cracks between Ethan and me.

So, all the recent stuff-my medical report, that dress, the anniversary party he left me out of just pushed him into someone else's arms.

Given Ethan's status, he probably needed a sweet, understanding, capable woman who wouldn't cause him any trouble.

Like that night when I was being a pain, he must've regretted it and thought he picked the wrong girl.

The car stopped at the hotel entrance, and Jason was about to get out. I grabbed him. "You should go back. I'll handle this. Don't worry."

I got out and rushed into the hotel. Ignoring the weird looks from the staff, I headed straight for the elevator.

When I finally got to the room from the message, I wrung out my hair and clothes, took a deep breath, and was about to knock when the door opened. Lacey stood there. She wasn't a mess, so I guess I got there just in time.

Lacey looked me up and down, surprised. "Why'd you come dressed like that?"

I looked down at myself. I was in my pajamas, soaking wet, looking pretty pathetic.

I thought she was mocking me, but her tone and face didn't seem like it.

"I know Ethan's in there, Lacey. He's married, and you know that. How can you wreck someone else's family?" I was super upset but tried to keep it together. Lacey crossed her arms and smirked. "I sent the message, so yeah, I knew you'd find out."

I was stunned. "You sent it? So you wanted me to come just to mess with me?"

Lacey played with her hair. "If I wanted to mess with you, you wouldn't have seen this when you got here."

I was confused. She walked inside and sat on the sofa.

I followed her in and smelled the lingering booze. A dim lamp was on, and Ethan was out cold on the bed.

Lacey took a sip of water, then looked at me. "Last time in his office, I was just messing with you. Didn't think you'd take it seriously."

She must've meant when she was tying Ethan's tie. But she seemed so serious that day; I didn't think she was joking.

She continued, "Did you really think I wanted him? Even if I did, you should hold onto him tight instead of fighting with him. Isn't that dumb?"

I stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Then Lacey dropped a bombshell that totally flipped my view of her. "My mom and his dad want me to be with him, and I'm sure you've noticed. But that's their wish, not mine. I'm an adult with my own thoughts and pursuits, not a child waiting for my parents to arrange my fate. Besides, my mom ditched me and my dad years ago. Now she wants to use me as a pawn. She's dreaming. I won't be like her."

Lacey glanced at Ethan lying on the bed. "Ethan is a great guy, no doubt. But I'm not the type to lower myself to please a man. Plus, he's not the only good guy out there."

I was speechless for a long time. Lacey seemed genuine, but this was all too much to take in. "Then who sent me the photos?"

"What photos?" She looked genuinely clueless.

I pulled out my phone and showed her the two pics.

She laughed after seeing them. "Isn't it obvious? It was either my mom or his dad. They'd do anything to break up your marriage. To be honest, my mom booked this room. I knew what she was planning, but I didn't expect her to take photos and send them to you."

Victor had said he'd find a way to make me leave.

Lacey stood up, tidying her clothes after picking up her bag, and looked around. "This room is pretty nice. Since it's already paid for, you might as well enjoy it."

She took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned to smile at me. "By the way, when I helped him in earlier, he kept calling a name."

My heart skipped a beat. "What name?"

The first name that came to my mind was Fiona.

Lacey looked at me, my reaction seemingly within her expectations. She smiled faintly. "Emily, you know, the most important thing in a relationship is trust."

She might be right. Trust was the most important thing in a relationship. I didn't trust Ethan enough, and the root cause might be my lack of confidence.

Lacey left. I walked to the bed and looked at Ethan lying there. His face was super red, and he was sleeping soundly. I helped him take off his shoes and covered him with a blanket.

The wet clothes clinging to my body were super uncomfortable, so I decided to take a shower. As I was almost done, I heard a loud noise outside the bathroom.

I quickly turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and opened the door, only to find Ethan sitting by the door. "Why are you sitting on the floor?"

I thought he was awake, but he was weakly leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He was touching his crotch area with one hand.

I got what he meant and awkwardly helped him to the bathroom.

Afterward, I helped him back to bed. He was heavy, and when he fell onto the bed, he pulled me down with him, then wrapped me in his arms.

When drunk, Ethan was like a child. I couldn't argue with him in this state, so I used my foot to pull the blanket over us.

"Emily, I love you." His slightly slurred voice came from behind me.

I was shocked and immediately turned to face him. "Ethan, what did you say?"

Because I had turned, changing our comfortable embrace, he frowned and snuggled closer to me, falling back asleep.

Whether it was drunken talk or sleep talk, that sentence moved me. Perhaps in his sober state, I would never hear such words.

When I woke up again, it was dawn, and Ethan was still asleep. I didn't know when the rain had stopped, but dim light was coming in through the window.

Seeing the scar on his face, I felt a pang of guilt and heartache. At 26, I still hadn't learned to stay calm in critical situations. I couldn't help but lean in and gently kiss the scar.

I must be crazy because the urge to kiss him was incredibly strong at that moment. Or perhaps my heartache, sadness, and guilt were mixed, and I expressed these emotions through a kiss.

The lingering scent of alcohol in Ethan's breath made me half-drunk, and I couldn't help but lightly touch his lips.

A shallow kiss wasn't enough, so I kissed him again. This time, I couldn't pull away because he suddenly held my head.