He Called Me Difficult, I Left Him

Chapter 3

"Ethan, why aren't you answering my messages?" Vera asked.

A hint of helplessness crossed Ethan's face. "Sorry, Vera," he said. "Something came up that delayed me."

Vera flicked a long, meaningful glance my way.

Vera said, "We're meeting my parents tonight."

"I don't care what games you play in your free time, as long as you don't cause any scenes," she added.

"And don't let any of your little flings parade in front of me," she said.

Ethan's gaze darkened with unreadable emotion, and he glanced at me before explaining. "Vera, you've got the wrong idea," he said. "This is Jasmine Lane, our wedding dress designer."

Hearing that, the sharp edge of Vera's expression softened a little.

She tilted her chin up in haughty arrogance.

Vera said, "I'll leave this in your hands then, Jasmine."

Desperate to get out of this whole situation as fast as I could, I pulled all-nighters, working myself ragged to finish the dress in just a single month.

The day I met Vera for her fitting, she glanced at the dress with pure disdain.

Vera asked, "Didn't you win an international design award?"

"How did you churn out something like this?" she continued.

"Are you still hung up on Ethan, taking your anger out on my wedding dress?" she demanded.

I held the gown in my hands, a little stunned.

"Miss Bennett, if there's anything you don't like about it, I can rework any part of it," I said.

Vera side-eyed me, flicking her hand dismissively.

Vera said, "I hate everything about it. Start over from scratch."

I dropped my gaze to the floor and nodded.

Seeing how meek I was, Vera went on with another warning.

"Know your place," she said.

"Although I don't love Ethan, I still don't like anyone coveting what's mine," she added.

I sucked in a slow, steadying breath.

I said, "Don't worry. Once this dress is done, I'll be gone for good."

Satisfied with my answer, Vera nodded and started wandering aimlessly around my studio.

Suddenly, she spotted a wedding dress in the corner, and her eyes lit up.

"Wait a minute," Vera said.

"Forget starting over, I want this one," she declared.

I followed the line of her pointing finger, and my blood ran cold.

The dress she was pointing at was the one I had designed for myself.

It was my very first piece ever since I became a designer, and still the one I was proudest of.

I could still remember exactly how I felt when I made it.

Back then, I daydreamed nonstop about walking down the aisle to Ethan in that very gown.

When I did not answer right away, Vera called my name again.

I snapped back to the present.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bennett," I said. "I can't sell this one. It's not for sale."

Vera's face hardened instantly, and she let out a sharp, mocking snort.

"There's no such thing as truly not for sale," Vera said. "You just haven't been offered enough money yet."

"Name your price, Jasmine," she added.

I got a headache because she was being so stubborn.

Before I could get another word of refusal out, the sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance of the studio.

The moment Vera saw it was Ethan, she dragged him straight over to the wedding dress.

Vera asked, "Ethan, what do you think of this one?"

Ethan gave the wedding dress a lazy once-over and nodded absently. "Whatever you like is fine," he said.

Hearing his answer, a bitter, mocking laugh slipped past my lips.

Of course he had forgotten.

Back when I had first finished designing this dress, I had happily put it on to show him.

We had even daydreamed together about walking down the aisle, hand in hand.

But now, everything had changed.

I would no longer dream of marrying him.

When Vera saw I still did not respond, she spoke in a sharp, snide tone. "Looks like your little fling here is really attached to this dress," she said. "She says it's not for sale."

Ethan's brow furrowed slightly.

"If it's not for sale, just pick another one," Ethan said.

Vera's expression turned cold.

"Ever since I was little," Vera said, "I've always gotten everything I wanted."

Ethan let out a heavy sigh and turned to face me.

"It's just a wedding dress," he said. "Why can't you sell it?"

Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he huffed a cold, mocking laugh.

"Besides," he said, "weren't you dying to get away from me as fast as you could?"