Chapter 5 A Web of Lies
979 Words
Half-asleep, Ethan heard muffled voices drifting into the room.
"Miss Sterling, we looked into the equestrian club incident. Someone swapped out his usual reins for discarded ones. That day, only Mr. White touched the horse Mr. Chase usually rides."
After a long pause, Mindy's warning voice broke the silence. "That's enough. This ends here. I don't want a third person knowing about this."
She paused for a second before adding, "Have someone bring over the signature dishes from The Zenith."
The assistant seemed taken aback. "But didn't you always say you wanted to cook for Mr. Chase yourself?"
He choked on his words halfway through. He had probably caught the murderous glare in Mindy's eyes and hurriedly backpedaled, "I spoke out of turn."
As the assistant's footsteps faded away, a man's guilt-ridden voice quickly followed. "It's all my fault. I swear I didn't mean to. If I hadn't gone to the golf course, you wouldn't have been distracted, and you could have focused on protecting Mr. Chase."
Then came the soft click of a thermos being opened. "I stayed up all night making this soup. Consider it my apology to Mr. Chase."
But Mindy suddenly grabbed his hand, frowning at the red marks on his skin. "Hubby, who told you to hurt yourself like this? Come on, I'm taking you to put some ointment on this. And while we're at it, I'm going to punish you for not taking better care of yourself." With that, she dragged him toward the door.
Julian asked softly, "But what about Mr. Chase?"
She said, "Hubby, I am furious right now. I don't have the energy to care about anyone else."
Once their footsteps completely disappeared, Ethan slowly opened his eyes, a single tear slipping down from the corner of his eye.
He tested his limbs. Thankfully, the injuries weren't too severe.
When the young nurse on rounds saw he was awake, her eyes lit up, and she started gushing with a smile. "Your wife is so amazing to you. She brought in several top specialists to examine you and even put them up in the hotel next door just to be on standby. While you were getting checked out, she stayed on her knees outside the whole time and wouldn't get up until she was absolutely sure you were okay."
Ethan's eyes remained completely deadpan as he spoke flatly, "She's not my wife."
The young nurse was right in the middle of looking shocked when Mindy hurriedly pushed the door open, cutting the conversation short. "Babe, you're awake? I went to get some food. Are you hungry?"
Ethan looked at the takeout bags in her hands, his gaze briefly sweeping over the glaring hickey on her neck. He didn't call her out. Instead, he simply lifted his eyes and asked, "Did you look into what happened at the equestrian club?"
Mindy handed him a glass of water, her voice betraying absolutely nothing. "I had them check. The riding gear was old and worn out, and the new batch of hay didn't sit well with the horse. It was just an accident. The person in charge has already been fired."
She kept her head down, her thumb unconsciously rubbing the knuckle of her index finger. It was her tell whenever she was lying. "Ethan, Julian came to ask me about work at that exact moment, which was why I couldn't shield you in time. He feels really guilty about it. Can we just let this go and not point fingers?"
Ethan closed his eyes.
In a daze, he remembered a time in high school when some blind fool had poked the back of his hand with a pencil tip. It barely broke the skin, but once Mindy found out, that kid's entire family was run out of Shamanya within three days.
Now, after Julian had systematically ruined him, she had the nerve to look him in the eye and casually tell him to let it go.
Ethan's chest felt heavy, as if stuffed with cotton that made every breath a struggle, but the sharp agony of the past few days had finally dulled.
He let out a soft breath, his gaze landing on the drifting clouds outside the window.
Soon, he would be able to live his own free life.
Three days later, Ethan was discharged from the hospital.
Mindy specifically dragged him to a stylist for a sharp look before pulling him all the way to Shamanya University. "It's Shamanya University's graduation ceremony today. The dean invited me. I figured I'd take you out to get some fresh air."
Sitting beside Mindy, Ethan watched Julian stand at the podium, delivering the valedictory address as the outstanding graduate.
Mindy's gaze was completely focused, the doting admiration in her eyes practically overflowing.
In reality, this opportunity to speak was supposed to be Ethan's.
When Blair had initially asked Ethan to give the outstanding graduate speech, Ethan was absolutely thrilled. He had pictured Mindy sitting in the audience, looking completely stunned, and then swelling with pride for him.
But ever since he stumbled upon that proposal, he had turned it down.
He was going to leave quietly. Mindy was no longer worthy of the surprise he had prepared.
As soon as Julian stepped off the stage, Mindy made an excuse to go to the restroom and slipped away.
Taking the opportunity, Ethan pulled the graduation gown he had just picked up over his suit and quickly found Blair to take a photo together.
When Blair saw him, her eyes were full of approval. She handed over the flight ticket and documents. "Ethan, I wish you a brilliant and shining future."
Ethan had just said goodbye to Blair and turned around when Mindy walked over.
Seeing him dressed like that, she looked surprised. "Ethan, why are you wearing a graduation gown? What's that in your hand?"
- Writer
