CONTRACTED: His Dangerous Obsession

Get Rid Of Her

"Ethan, stop," a woman's voice came through the door.

Phoebe's smile faded slightly as she stopped at the stairs. She had come in quietly, out of habit more than intention, the velvet box in one hand and the Lane Holdings proposal in her bag. Three weeks of late nights were in that bag, a future she had built for both of them.

She took another step forward.

"Why?" Ethan's voice came from the bedroom. He sounded amused. "Are you scared someone will walk in on us?"

The woman laughed. "Isn't that part of the thrill?"

Phoebe's stomach tightened. She knew that voice.

Scarlett.

Ethan's distant cousin. At least, that was what Ethan had always told her. She had never had a reason to question their relationship.

Until now.

She slowly climbed the remaining steps. The bedroom door was closed, but light spilt through the small gap beneath it. She stood outside for a long time before heading to open the door.

"When are you going to marry me, Ethan?" Scarlett asked.

Phoebe's hand froze on the doorknob.

"Soon, my love," Ethan replied.

"You keep saying soon."

"And I mean it." Ethan's voice was low. "Just be patient a little longer."

Phoebe's fingers tightened around the box until the velvet bit into her palm. She had known that man's voice for four years and never for once had she thought it would be so easy for him to destroy her.

"I am tired of hiding. Do you know how annoying it is pretending to be your cousin around her and acting nice to her? I am sick of it." Scarlett said.

Phoebe stopped breathing. Four years. Every late meeting she had made excuses for. Every proposal she had written and let him present as his own. Every night she had told Ama she was wrong about him.

"I promise. I need to close this deal with Yates Corporation first. Once that is done, I will be set. Then I'll get rid of her and marry you." Ethan said in a smooth voice.

The velvet box slipped from Phoebe's fingers. Neither of them heard it over their own laughter. Her hand slowly moved to the laptop bag on her shoulder.

Four years.

She had defended him when people questioned his decisions. She had worked late because he needed something done. She had sat beside him through difficult meetings and helped him prepare proposals when the company was struggling.

She had never thought of any of it as a sacrifice. She had loved him. A small sound escaped her throat, and she covered her mouth immediately.

Inside the bedroom, the laughter stopped.

She stepped back. She didn't wait to hear whether they had noticed her.

She turned and hurried down the stairs. Her hand missed the railing once, and she grabbed it quickly to steady herself.

She didn't remember opening the front door. She didn't remember closing it. She just kept walking, past the gate, past the street, until her body gave out on a curb two blocks from the house that used to feel like half hers.

Her laptop bag slipped from her shoulder and landed against her leg. She looked around. People passed her without a second glance.

Everything looked normal, but her world wasn't. She stared at the laptop bag beside her. She had worked so hard on the proposal. For him.

A tear finally rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, but another one rolled down again and again.

She pulled out her phone with her hand that wouldn't stop shaking and called Ama.

"Phoebe?" Ama sounded sleepy.

Phoebe opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Phoebe?" Ama became alert immediately. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Can you come and get me?" Her voice broke. "I can't go home."

"Where are you?"

Phoebe told her.

"I'm coming. Stay where you are."

Phoebe lowered the phone. She sat quietly, staring at the passing cars while the tears continued falling. Her mind kept replaying Ethan's voice.

I'll get rid of her.

She pressed her lips together to stop herself from crying out. She had spent four years believing she was his future. Apparently, he had been waiting for the time to throw her out.

Thirteen minutes later, a car pulled up beside the road. The driver's door opened before the engine had fully stopped and Ama stepped out. She looked around until her eyes found Phoebe sitting on the curb. One look at Phoebe's face and she could immediately guess what had happened.

"Oh no."

Phoebe looked up at her, and when she saw Ama, she burst into fresh tears again.

Ama walked over quickly and pulled her up from the curb without saying anything. Phoebe buried her face into Ama's shoulder and cried properly this time.

Ama held her tightly. "It's okay," she murmured. "I'm here."

Phoebe's shoulders shook harder.

Ama rubbed her back gently before pulling away enough to look at her face. "Let's get in the car. It is getting cold."

She guided Phoebe into the passenger seat and shut the door behind her before hurrying around to the driver's side. She turned the heating on and adjusted it before starting the car and pulling out onto the road.

For a while, none of them spoke.

Phoebe stared out the window silently. She had stopped crying, but her chest still felt tight. She could feel Ama glancing at her every few minutes.

"Just say it," She finally said.

Ama glanced at her twice, then sighed. "You know I am going to say it."

"Say it then."

"I warned you about him." Ama started. "I told you not to go all out for that man. I told you something was off. And you were so blinded by love you almost made me the enemy for saying so."

"But I genuinely loved him," Phoebe said. Her voice cracked on the last word.

"But did he love you?" Ama asked, her eyes on the road. "When I told you he was using you, what did you do? You defended him. You told me I did not understand your relationship. You told me he was different and that he's the best thing that happened to you after—"

"Ama—" Phoebe cut her off.

"No." Ama's voice was firm. "Do not Ama me right now. I sat and watched you give that man everything. And I kept quiet because I did not want to keep fighting with you about it. But I was right, wasn't I."

It was not a question, but Phoebe pressed her lips together and nodded.

Ama exhaled slowly. When she spoke again, her voice had lost the anger. "What happened?"

And this time, Phoebe told her the rest in pieces, the velvet box, Scarlett's voice, get rid of her, until there was nothing left to tell. By the time she finished, her face was wet again, and her hands were folded in her lap.

Ama said nothing for a long moment. Her jaw had tightened, and her eyes stayed on the road.

"I'm sorry," Phoebe said quietly, looking down at her lap.

Ama gave her a long look, then looked back at the road. "I will accept that apology only if you never go back to him. Not for anything. If you ever go back to that man, I will personally end your life and walk myself in for it."

Phoebe let out a weak laugh that sounded more painful than amused. "I promise."

"Better." Ama turned into the private driveway of her house and slowed the car to a stop. "Because I cannot be managing my own life while your love life stresses me at the same time." She glanced over. "I hope he rots."

"Do you really hate him that much?"

"Despise. Loathe. Worse." She pulled the key from the ignition. "I always wondered what you saw in him. But love is blind, I suppose." She opened her door. "Come on, get down."

By the time they entered Ama's apartment, Phoebe's tears had dried up. She went to shower while Ama searched through her closet.

By the time Phoebe stepped out wearing only a towel, Ama had already laid a dress neatly across the bed.

Phoebe looked at the dress. Then at Ama. "Are you going somewhere?"

Ama looked up. "We're going out. You and I."

"Tonight?"

"Especially tonight. You are not spending tonight crying over that idiot." She pulled a seat out. "Sit down."

Phoebe didn't argue. She let Ama do her makeup in silence, let herself be dressed and turned toward the mirror like a doll being finished.

"Isn't this a bit much? My legs are literally outside," she tugged at the hem.

"It's exactly enough." Ama had a satisfied look. "Four years with that i***t and you forgot what you look like when you're not shrinking for him."

Phoebe looked at the woman in the mirror. She had even forgotten how clothes could fit. The dress hugged her body perfectly. Her makeup was soft and clean, and her curls framed her face beautifully.

She barely recognised herself in the mirror. Strangely, she didn't hate it.

Ama folded her arms proudly behind her. "Like what you see?"

"Mhmm," Phoebe nodded, her eyes suddenly filled with tears again.

"Don't you dare, Phoebe Quinn." Ama pointed a warning finger immediately. "If those tears smudge that makeup, I will give you something to cry about, really."

Phoebe laughed through the tears and let Ama pull her toward the door.

She had no way of knowing that somewhere across the city, a stranger was about to walk into the same club they were heading to, and that in a few hours, she would do something so out of character it would follow her for the next eighteen months of her life.