The return of General Ethan

chapter seven

Chapter seven.

Ethan was shocked by their absurdly dramatic display.

He couldn't believe they would go to such great lengths to frame him for something he didn't do. He felt a surge of indignation and hurt, wondering if this was how much Rose hated him now.

He thought to himself, “Have I ever wronged her, even for a day?” He knew Rose loved money, but he never thought she was so consumed by greed that she would change her behavior so drastically.

Ethan shrugged, thinking, "I guess nothing will surprise me anymore after what they just pulled.”

Rose tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for Ethan to apologize, but he remained silent. His expression was unreadable, his eyes fixed on some point beyond her.

“Get down on your knees and apologize now!” Rose demanded, her voice rising. “Otherwise, you'll face the consequences, and I promise you, you won't like it.”

Ethan didn't flinch, his gaze never wavering. Rose pressed on, her voice taking on a deadly tone.

“We both know the Edward's family isn't one to mess with. They might make you spend the rest of your life in prison or worse, kill you.”

Caleb stepped forward, his eyes fixed intently on Ethan.

“I'll make it easy for you,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Kiss my shoes, and I'll pay you half of the money. I'll also help you beg the Edward's family to let you pay the remaining half without pressure.”

Ethan asked calmly.

“Is that so?” Rose and Caleb nodded eagerly, thrilled that he seemed to be backing down.

But instead of cowering, Ethan folded his arms across his chest.

“I'm eager to see how the Edward's family will react to this,” he said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Rose and Caleb were stunned. They couldn't believe Ethan wasn't trembling with fear. Any normal person would be terrified of the Edward's family.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Victoria was searching for her car keys. She headed to her brother's room to check if she had left them there.

Just then, they heard a commotion coming from downstairs.

“Who's there?” Old master, Edward asked Victoria.

“I don't know,” Victoria replied. “I left Ethan alone in the sitting room.”

Just then, Victoria spotted her car keys. Edward told his older brother to follow Victoria downstairs and investigate the noise.

As they descended the stairs, they were met with a shocking sight: their priceless, ancestral jug lay shattered on the floor.

The jug had been passed down through generations and was one of the family's most treasured valuables.

Victoria's older brother clenched his fists, his face reddening with rage.

“Who the hell did this?!” he thundered.

Victoria placed a calming hand on her brother's arm, trying to restrain him.

“What's going on here?” she asked, her voice firm but controlled, as she surveyed the scene before her.

Caleb and Rose chimed in unison, pointing accusingly at Ethan, who stood calmly, seemingly unfazed.

“Ethan broke the jug,” Rose said, her voice dripping with false concern. “We saw him trying to steal it, and he dropped it when we caught him red-handed.”

Victoria's eyes widened in shock as she turned to Ethan, expecting him to defend himself.

But Ethan remained silent, his expression unreadable, leaving Victoria wondering what had really happened.

Rose noticed that Victoria and her family were inclined to hear Ethan's side of the story.

Determined to prevent that, Rose began to fake sob, drawing attention to herself.

“I know Ethan,” she started, fabricating a story. “This man is a murderer. He killed our neighbor over a minor disagreement, and that's why he was sent to jail.”

Rose's fake tears flowed freely as she continued. “I've visited him in jail countless times, begging for a divorce, but he refused to grant me my freedom. I'm heartbroken. Don't I deserve to be free from this monster?”

Rose's voice rose, her words dripping with melodrama.

"Now he's here, in the Edward's family home, stealing from them. What's next? He's ruining my reputation and destroying my life.”

Victoria's confusion deepened as Rose continued to berate Ethan, who remained eerily silent. Rose sniffed back tears, her voice trembling with rage.

“Haven't you ruined my life enough?” she spat. “Why can't you let me be happy? I hate you. All you've ever brought me is pain. I curse the day you were born, the day we met. You're a devil, worse than a devil.”

Rose's words were laced with venom, her eyes blazing with anger. “I won't let you ruin everything I've worked for. I'm here to invite the Edward's family, and I'm getting a divorce, whether you like it or not!”

Rose's words had only added to Victoria's confusion. Something didn't feel right.

Victoria's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with doubts. She knew exactly whose side to be on – or so she thought.

Victoria's thoughts were a jumble of confusion and doubt. She remembered Ethan as a miracle doctor who had cured her father's illness and rejected a hefty sum of twenty million dollars.

It didn't add up that he would steal a five-hundred-dollar jug.

She looked at Ethan, and her impression of him didn't match Rose's portrayal of him as a murderer.

Victoria's older brother finally spoke up. “If it's as you say, we wouldn't want to disrespect Mr. Ethan. So, respectfully, we declined the wedding invitation. No need to invite us.”

Rose and Caleb were stunned. The Edward's family hadn't even glanced at the invitation card.

Caleb couldn't take it anymore. “Like it's the Sawyer family's wedding invitation – one of the biggest weddings in the city!”

Victoria's brother struggled to suppress an eye-roll.

“I know,” he replied curtly.

Caleb, still reeling from the rejection, stepped forward and handed the invitation card to Victoria's brother, shaking his hand.

He began to boast, “We've booked the best hotel in the city, and a special seat has been arranged for the Edward's family. I think you should reconsider.”

Caleb's voice dripped with disdain as he turned to Ethan. “Why would you even respect a low-life bumpkin like Ethan? A worthless trash?”

Victoria's eyes flashed with anger. She dragged Caleb from behind and slapped him across the face.

Rose gasped, her eyes widening in shock. Rose was stunned, her eyes wide with incredulity.

She couldn't believe Victoria had slapped Caleb for defending her and her family's honor, all because Caleb had insulted Ethan.

Caleb seethed with rage, his face burning with indignation. If Victoria weren't a member of the esteemed Edward's family, he would have slapped her back.

His hands were tied, however, and he could only simmer in silence, feeling utterly disrespected.

Ethan, meanwhile, remained impassive, his expression unreadable.

He stood calmly, his eyes fixed on some point beyond the commotion, as if detached from the scene unfolding before him.

Victoria snatched the invitation card from Caleb's hands and thrust it into his face. Before anyone could react, she tore the card into pieces and let out a fierce yell.

“How dare you both walk into our home and break our jug!” she thundered. "Do you know what that jug means to us?! It's a priceless family heirloom! Who gave you both the audacity to do such a thing?! Who?! Answer me right now.”