Chapter3
1364 Words
Seeing the man she didn’t want to face, Gracia was shocked and angry.
“I’m home, Mom,” Ethan said with a smile.
Even though he had overheard the hurtful conversation between his in-laws and Walter, he tried not to let it show.
Ethan understood. After all, he had disappeared for five years. Now that he was back, he hoped his in-laws would call off the engagement between Lily and Walter.
“You bastard! Worthless man! Why did you come back?” Gracia raged.
Ethan’s return was the last thing she wanted, especially now that Walter was here to marry Lily.
Her eyes widened as her face flushed, breathing heavily. “You disappeared for five years, and now, when Lily is about to get married again, you show up. Are you here to destroy her happiness all over again?”
Hearing the commotion outside, Duncan rushed to the front of the house to see what was going on.
The moment he saw Ethan’s face, his temper exploded. Without hesitation, he threw a punch toward Ethan.
“Damn you! How dare you come back!”
Just inches before the punch landed, Max intercepted Duncan’s fist.
“If you touch my brother Ethan, I’ll break both your arms!” Max threatened.
Max’s towering frame, bulging muscles, and fierce expression made Duncan stop and lower his hand.
“Get out of here!” Ethan commanded. “You have no right to interfere in my business unless I say so.”
Max turned and saw Ethan’s dark face and piercing eyes. He realized he had made a mistake.
“I’m sorry, Brother Ethan. This is my fault. I’ll leave,” Max said, stepping away.
Duncan and Gracia were shocked. They could feel the cold, menacing aura radiating from Ethan.
Both of them sensed that Ethan was different from five years ago.
But the change they noticed wasn’t a positive one. In their minds, it was for the worse.
“Ethan! Even if you’ve become a thug or the leader of some gang, I’m not scared of you at all. I have friends in the police force. So you’d better leave now, or I’ll have you arrested!” Gracia’s voice trembled.
Gracia had a friend who was a police captain. She thought Ethan, being a thug, would fear the police. She hoped this would make him leave.
A sly smile crept across Duncan’s face. He had a plan.
“Dear, let him stay. His presence will make things easier,” Duncan said.
Gracia frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
Looking down on Ethan, Duncan replied, “With him here, we don’t need to go through the trouble of making a death certificate. Just have him sign the divorce papers. It’ll make everything quicker and easier. That way, Lily and Walter can get engaged in a day or two.”
A wide grin spread across Gracia’s face. She liked Duncan’s thinking.
“You’re right. Now we just wait for Lily to come home so they can sign the divorce papers,” Gracia agreed.
Ethan’s anger flared as he heard this. His in-laws didn’t respect him at all.
But he held back his emotions. He knew he was in the wrong. Five years was not a short time.
Besides, Ethan still wanted to be with Lily. He wanted to make up for his mistakes and make her happy. So, he couldn’t lash out at his in-laws.
Gracia glared at Ethan. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house.
“Come in! Let’s settle this inside!”
Ethan didn’t resist. He simply followed Gracia’s lead.
Once inside, Ethan was surprised to see so many people. There was even a banquet table full of luxurious dishes.
But Ethan’s attention was drawn to a stranger he didn’t recognize. He quickly deduced that this man was the one his in-laws wanted to marry Lily.
The people in the room, except for Walter, were startled by Ethan’s arrival. They still remembered his face clearly.
Harsh whispers began to circulate among them. They thought Ethan had come to ruin Walter and Lily’s wedding plans.
“Ethan, let me introduce you. This is Walter, a young entrepreneur and the son of the famous Martinez family, known for their influence in politics. He’s going to be Lily’s husband,” Gracia said, introducing Walter.
Ethan said nothing in response, choosing instead to stare coldly at Walter.
“Walter, it seems this shameless man came back because he knows that making a death certificate takes time. He’s here to sign the divorce papers,” Duncan said with a smile.
Walter smirked, looking Ethan up and down.
“Don’t stare too long, Walter. You might hurt your eyes,” Gracia said. “He’s a poor man. This is how he dresses. Clearly, he’s nothing like you.”
The room erupted in laughter. They mocked Ethan for wearing a plain black t-shirt and jeans.
“So, you’re Lily’s husband? Where have you been for the last five years? Were you working overseas?” Walter asked.
Everyone laughed, knowing Walter’s question was a joke.
“Don’t give him too much credit, Walter. He’s just a thug. His thug friend is outside waiting. Besides, he’s poor and dumb, so there’s no way he worked overseas,” Gracia said between laughs.
Walter smiled, amused.
He took out a check, wrote down $500,000, and signed it.
“I know you’ve come back because you heard I’m proposing to Lily. I understand that you feel entitled to some compensation since you still see yourself as Lily’s husband, even though you’ve been irresponsible all these years. So, here’s a check. You can cash it at any bank in Lunaris City,” Walter said seriously, holding out the check to Ethan.
“But before that, sign the divorce papers with Lily,” Walter added.
Everyone’s eyes lit up at the sight of the check. They all hoped Ethan would take it.
“Walter, why are you giving him a check? He doesn’t deserve money just for signing divorce papers,” Gracia protested.
Walter smiled. “It’s fine, Auntie. Money means nothing to me. What matters is that this is settled quickly.”
The people in the room admired Walter even more.
Suddenly, Ethan grabbed the check and tore it in half.
Everyone was shocked. They couldn’t believe Ethan had ripped up the check.
“You ungrateful fool! How dare you tear up the check Walter gave you! Is the money not enough? Worthless man!” Gracia fumed.
“Poor and jobless, and you reject free money? i***t!” Duncan snapped.
The crowd joined in, insulting Ethan and calling him ungrateful.
If not for his love for Lily, Ethan might have taught them a lesson.
“I don’t need your money. I already have plenty,” Ethan said.
How arrogant!
“The only person who decides whether I’m still worthy of being Lily’s husband is Lily herself. If she wants me to divorce her, I’ll sign the papers. But if not, I’ll never divorce her, no matter what!” Ethan declared firmly.
At that moment, the front door opened, and a woman’s voice rang out, the voice Ethan had longed to hear.
“Walter! What are you doing here? I told you not to see me again!” Lily protested, seeing Walter in her home.
Ethan slowly turned around. The woman who had been in his heart and on his mind stood before him.
Lily was stunned to see Ethan standing there. She even took a step back.
“Dad?” Emma gasped, surprised to see her father had returned. “Mom, Dad’s home.”
Ethan smiled at Emma, then turned his gaze to Lily, his smile fading slowly.
A storm of emotions swirled inside him. Taking a deep breath, Ethan said, “Lily, I’m back. I’m going to make up for everything and make you happy.”
*****
Author’s Note:
Thank you so much for reading and being part of this journey!
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