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Skipped Seven Marriage Signings, I Chose My Bestie's Brother Episode ENGSUB Fake Marriage, Billionaire Romance, Revenge ASM
Transcript
00:01Do you vow to take Chloe as your legal partner to stand together and honor one another?
00:10Ethan Carter and I were at the Suffolk County Court Marriage Registry.
00:14We were just one photo away from getting our marriage license when he was called away by a phone call.
00:19He left me alone at the marriage registration counter, stuck between a rock and a hard place.
00:25I called him, but he didn't answer. I texted him, but he didn't reply.
00:30Finally, I found the number of his childhood friend, Lila Moore, and called only for Ethan to pick up.
00:35Chloe Bennett, please stop calling and disturbing.
00:38Leela sprained her ankle and I have to take care of her today.
00:40Could you stop calling to bother her rest? We'll reschedule our license appointment.
00:44This is the seventh time we've rescheduled.
00:47So what? The court is right there! It's not going anywhere!
00:53My face was expressionless, but my heart felt like it was being torn apart.
00:57Are you sure you want to do this, dear?
01:01The clerk asked me sympathetically if I still wanted to proceed. I nodded gently.
01:08Yes, I do.
01:11I called my best friend Zoe Parker's brother and agreed to his request.
01:15After hanging up, I told the clerk to give me a moment.
01:20Just as I was still stunned, Zane arrived.
01:23As he rode a matte black Harley Davidson motorcycle and stepped inside wearing his helmet,
01:28he immediately caught the attention of many people.
01:41It was too late.
01:41It's time only for me, I knew you were enough.
01:41I'm sorry.
01:48I was terrified of theé³¥ was this.
01:49It's time only for you and he was just so alone.
01:54It's time only for you but I didn't want to wear it.
01:55I think it was very enjoyable.
01:55It's time only for you.
02:00And the first time we gave you many things.
02:02Do you understand now?
02:03Are you willing to enter into a sham marriage with me
02:06just to deal with the family problems?
02:07I nodded faintly.
02:09Truth be told, it was not merely to evade family pressure to get married.
02:13The core reason for this marriage was to ease my grandfather's worries
02:15before he passed away.
02:17Grandpa Arthur's health had rapidly deteriorated half a year prior.
02:21He stayed in the general hospital every single day,
02:23and every time he saw me, he would keep asking when I planned to marry.
02:27When will you get married?
02:30I want to see you in a wedding dress
02:33and witness you walk down the aisle with my own eyes.
02:38That way, even if I'm gone,
02:41there will still be someone to love and cherish you.
02:45Yes, I'll get married as soon as possible.
02:50That was why I had been pressing Ethan to marry me starting half a year ago.
02:54We'd made intermittent trips to the courthouse seven times,
02:57yet every single attempt ended in failure for one reason or another.
03:01The last time, Lila got her period and suffered severe menstrual cramps,
03:05so he had to rush home to buy her hot cocoa.
03:07The time before that,
03:09Lila locked her car keys inside her vehicle
03:11and couldn't get back home,
03:12so he needed to deliver a spare set of keys.
03:14The occasion prior to that,
03:17Lila grew hungry and craved Quincy's lobster rolls,
03:20forcing him to rush over and queue up for the food.
03:22All seven cancellations were down to Lila,
03:25each time prompting Ethan to abandon me without a second thought.
03:28Ironically, I had given him seven separate chances.
03:31This time around, I was done compromising.
03:34Ethan, I gave you your chances.
03:36Seven in total.
03:37All preliminary formalities went smoothly
03:40when Zane and I applied for our marriage license.
03:43Just as we prepared to take our official wedding photo,
03:46my phone pinged with an incoming message.
03:48It was from Ethan.
03:55Zane shot a glance my way and asked lazily,
03:58Do you want to continue?
04:00I drew a deep breath and replied with an impassive expression.
04:03Yes.
04:04Once all paperwork was finalized,
04:06I said to Zane,
04:08How are you tomorrow?
04:09I have something I'd like you to come with me on.
04:13Please contact me by phone if you need anything.
04:15Who knows, in just a couple of days,
04:17my grandfather might need your help too.
04:22My seven-year romance with Ethan,
04:24four years in college plus three years after graduation,
04:27had ultimately fallen apart.
04:29Meanwhile, I'd gotten married to my best friend's brother
04:32after only meeting him once.
04:34On the ride home,
04:35Ethan messaged me again alongside an attached photo.
04:38The dining table was laden with an abundance of delicious dishes.
04:42Sure enough, upon arriving home,
04:45the table was in a messy state
04:46with every last scrap of food completely eaten up.
04:49Standing nearby,
04:51Lila put on an innocent, pitiful look and spoke to me.
04:53Sorry, sister.
04:55It was all because I was too hungry
04:57and couldn't resist eating first.
05:00Even slow-witted as I was,
05:02I could tell she was deliberately provoking me.
05:05Blood rushed to my head in an instant.
05:07My hands clenched into tight fists
05:09with sharp fingernails digging deep into my palms.
05:12Lila and Ethan had been childhood sweethearts
05:14ever since they were little.
05:15That explained why Lila always occupied
05:17the top priority spot in Ethan's eyes.
05:19In the beginning,
05:21our relationship from meeting to falling in love
05:23had progressed seamlessly.
05:25We rarely argued.
05:27On the rare occasions we did,
05:29Ethan was always the first to back down and comfort me.
05:32He would take full responsibility instantly,
05:34even when the fault wasn't mine.
05:36My best friend Zoe had envied me repeatedly
05:38for landing a man who doted on me as much as Ethan did.
05:42But that envy came to an abrupt halt half a year ago.
05:44Ever since Lila entered the picture,
05:47his affectionate treatment toward me
05:49had shifted entirely.
05:50Chloe, why are you just coming back now?
05:53I remember I reminded you a long time ago.
05:56I was delayed by something on the way,
05:58so I'm back late.
05:59What could be so important that you missed me time?
06:05No problem.
06:06The company asked me to travel to New York on business
06:09and to pack my luggage upon return.
06:11I had no intention of telling him about my recent marriage.
06:15Now that I'd resolved to leave him,
06:16Ethan was nothing more than a stranger
06:18from that moment onward.
06:19But the second I pushed open the bedroom door,
06:22I was stunned by what met my eyes.
06:24The neatly made bed I'd tidied before leaving
06:26was all rumpled,
06:27and the closet had been ransacked in disarray.
06:30I could overlook all of that,
06:31but the handcrafted Cape Cod lighthouse ornament
06:34my grandfather gifted me,
06:35sitting on the nightstand,
06:36had snapped clean in half.
06:38Tiny shards scattered all across the floor.
06:40I could no longer hold back
06:41and called out Ethan's name sharply.
06:43Who has been in this bedroom?
06:45Who knocked over my things?
06:48It's just a handmade item.
06:50I'll ask someone to put it back together for you later.
06:53I froze for a split second.
06:55That indifferent tone
06:56sounded exactly as if I meant nothing to him at all.
06:59From that single sentence,
07:01I knew for certain Lila was the one
07:02who'd wrecked the ornament.
07:04Only she warranted such blind,
07:06unreserved protection from Ethan.
07:08Was broken by Lila, right?
07:10My calm single line was like tossing a lip match
07:13into Ethan's keg of gunpowder.
07:15Do you have evidence to prove
07:17that it was Lila who broke it?
07:18Maybe it just fell down on its own
07:19because it was not properly installed.
07:21Don't just open your mouth
07:22and falsely accuse others.
07:24Before you say it was Lila,
07:25you should at least present some evidence,
07:26or I'll sue you for slander.
07:28I nearly bit through the soft flesh inside my mouth,
07:31the thick metallic tang of blood flooding my tongue.
07:34He really would go to any lengths to shield her.
07:36One casual remark from me
07:38and I was already facing a defamation charge.
07:41But Ethan hadn't always been this way half a year prior.
07:44I fell head over heels for him on a rainy night.
07:47I was involved in a car crash
07:49and he sprinted all the way to the accident site
07:51without so much as an umbrella.
07:52That refined, well-mannered man
07:54cast aside all restraint that night,
07:57shouting by the roadside
07:58and getting into a physical fight
07:59with the driver who'd hit my vehicle.
08:01What had happened to turn him into this person?
08:04I chose not to escalate the fight further.
08:06Just as Ethan claimed,
08:08I possessed zero evidence
08:09to prove Lila had broken the lighthouse.
08:11I crouched carefully on the floor
08:13to gather the broken fragments
08:14and collected the two separated halves
08:16of the lighthouse figurine.
08:18Brother Ethan,
08:20please don't quarrel with your sister.
08:21It wasn't my doing,
08:23but if you want to blame me,
08:24sister, go ahead.
08:25No one has ever liked me since I was a dild,
08:28so it's only natural that you don't like me either.
08:32I did it.
08:33So what?
08:35Rage surged through my head
08:37and I shoved Lila away.
08:39Yet before my hands made contact with her body,
08:41she tumbled onto the floor with effortless ease.
08:44Her gauze-wrapped injured foot
08:45smacked precisely against the nightstand.
08:47The next second,
08:49Lila burst into tearful sobs.
08:52Sister, I just want to help you.
08:57Before I could process what was happening,
08:59Ethan grabbed fistfuls of my long hair roughly.
09:02He glared at me with a ferocious expression
09:04and piercing eyes as if he wanted to kill me.
09:07Even if you don't like Lila,
09:08there's no need to hurt her like this.
09:10Besides, she's still ill right now.
09:12With my hair painfully pulled,
09:14I was forced to crane my neck upward to stare at them.
09:16I didn't touch her at all.
09:18I didn't touch her at all.
09:25You're still lying even now?
09:27Chloe, do you think I'm blind?
09:29I was right behind you and I saw it with my own eyes!
09:32First you framed Lila,
09:33and now you've pushed her down.
09:34How come I never knew before
09:35that you're such a heartless and cruel woman?
09:37You're simply vicious.
09:38My breath caught in my throat,
09:40leaving me unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.
09:42Nothing I said would convince Ethan at this point,
09:45regardless of my explanation.
09:47No excuses now, Chloe.
09:49You're truly a venomous woman.
09:51Ethan stared at me with evident disappointment.
09:54Contrarily, I felt immense relief.
09:56Any last shred of hope I'd clung to for him
09:59was finally gone for good.
10:02How dare you compete against me.
10:05Lila, lifted into Ethan's arms,
10:07shot me a triumphant glance,
10:08and mouthed a silent phrase I read clearly.
10:13I staggered to my feet,
10:15catching sight of my burning red cheek
10:16marked by the slap reflected in the dressing table mirror.
10:19The handprint remained sharply defined.
10:21It was plain to see how furious Ethan had been,
10:24and how much force he'd used to strike me.
10:26I let out a bitter laugh,
10:28and wiped away blood trickling slowly
10:30from the corner of my mouth.
10:31That single slap shattered every last fantasy
10:33I'd once held onto.
10:35I took advantage of his absence
10:37to gather all my clothing,
10:38and pack them into a suitcase.
10:40I took every belonging I could carry,
10:42and tossed all leftover junk
10:44straight into the trash bin.
10:45Before leaving,
10:47I contacted a real estate agent,
10:48and listed the apartment online for sale.
10:51This property belonged solely to me.
10:53My grandfather had purchased
10:54the South Boston apartment
10:56using his pension fund.
10:57I'd originally planned to use it
10:59as my marital home.
11:00Now there was no reason to keep it.
11:02Anything tainted and spoiled disgusted me.
11:06I planned to spend all my remaining time
11:09by my grandfather's side
11:10for his final days.
11:11On our way to the hospital,
11:13Zane and I pre-planned lines
11:15to fool my grandfather.
11:16I'd brought Ethan to visit Grandpa previously,
11:18so Grandpa knew Ethan was supposed to be my fiancé.
11:21To spare Grandpa unnecessary worry,
11:23I'd asked Zane to pretend to be Ethan
11:25and hide our real marital arrangement.
11:27I never anticipated he and Grandpa
11:29would hit it off so well.
11:31They chatted about life
11:32from Grandpa's younger years
11:33all the way to modern
11:34artificial intelligence technology.
11:36Grandpa was visibly reluctant
11:38to see us leave
11:39when our visit wrapped up.
11:40He held my hand
11:42and patted the back of my palm gently.
11:44It's much more reliable than Ethan's.
11:49Grandpa, did you get it wrong?
11:51He is Ethan.
11:54Your grandpa here isn't senile yet.
11:57I still know whether it's a person or not.
12:01Grandpa doesn't know if he can hold on
12:04until the day of your wedding banquet.
12:09Grandpa, don't worry.
12:11We'm easing married
12:12and the wedding banquet is being prepared.
12:14You definitely make it.
12:20I knew it.
12:21It's not that kid Ethan
12:22but Zane Parker, right?
12:24That's a great name.
12:27I shot Grandpa
12:28in annoyed, playful glare
12:29before stepping out of the hospital ward.
12:31Zane waited for me in the corridor,
12:34appearing to have just gotten
12:35into an argument with someone.
12:36Stepping closer,
12:37I saw his opponents
12:38were none other than Ethan and Lila.
12:40What did my girlfriend do wrong?
12:42I apologize to you on her behalf.
12:44But as a grown man,
12:45how can you bully a woman like this?
12:47Have you no shame?
12:49If you've done something wrong,
12:51you should admit it.
12:51If everyone were like you,
12:52what we need the law for.
12:54Just because you're a woman,
12:55does that mean you can do wrong?
12:57Ethan and Lila were left speechless
12:59by his retort.
13:00Ethan spotted me
13:01the moment I stepped into view.
13:03A flicker of panic
13:04flashed across his eyes,
13:05yet he quickly suppressed it,
13:07putting on a casual front
13:08and hurrying over
13:08to grab my arm
13:09to speak first.
13:12Chloe,
13:13you came just in time.
13:15Just now,
13:15Lisa accidentally spilled coffee out here
13:16and he'd you only claim
13:17that this suit was worth
13:18over a thousand.
13:19You think this is extortion?
13:20Don't you have a sister
13:21who's a lawyer?
13:22Let's sue him for extortion.
13:25Lila nodded matter-of-factly
13:26without an ounce of remorse.
13:28We will sue him for extortion
13:29and demand compensation
13:31for our mental damage!
13:33Zane looked at me
13:34with an amused grin,
13:35and I couldn't help blushing.
13:38Your friend.
13:41I shook my head immediately.
13:43No.
13:45His clothes are worth
13:46over ten thousand
13:47and the lawyer you mentioned
13:49is his sister.
13:50With that,
13:50I strode out of the hospital,
13:52wanting zero further
13:53interaction with Ethan.
13:55Whatever negotiations
13:56followed between them
13:57were none of my concern.
14:00In the weeks afterward,
14:02Zane busied himself
14:02arranging our wedding reception.
14:06Meanwhile,
14:06Ethan texted daily
14:07asking when I'd return
14:09from my supposed business trip.
14:11I've picked a time
14:12and want to invite you
14:13to go get our marriage certificate.
14:18I'm busy on a business trip.
14:21It was too late.
14:22I no longer needed
14:23that commitment.
14:25The wedding day
14:25arrived quickly.
14:27I stood inside the church venue
14:28dressed in my wedding gown.
14:30A familiar voice
14:31sounded from behind me,
14:32tinged with surprise
14:33and unease.
14:36Chloe,
14:36aren't you on a business trip
14:37in New York?
14:38Why are you here
14:39wearing a wedding dress?
14:41Zane walked over to my side.
14:43I glanced at him indifferently.
14:45I had no doubt
14:46he'd long since figured out
14:47my messy history with Ethan.
14:49Isn't that the man we saw
14:50at the hospital the other day?
14:51Should we go and have a chat?
14:53If you want to watch a play today,
14:54it can be arranged now.
14:57Ethan sprinted up to me,
14:58pointing at me furiously
14:59and roaring.
15:00Chloe, I know it's you!
15:01Stop pretending
15:02you don't recognize me!
15:04What is this game
15:05you're playing?
15:05Leading me on as your boyfriend
15:07then marrying another man?
15:08Leading you on?
15:10Ethan, how dare you
15:11utter such shameless words?
15:12Since you always choose
15:14Lila over me,
15:15I'm granting your wish.
15:17You can stay by her side
15:18day and night from now on.
15:20The sight of Ethan
15:21dragged back memories
15:22of my ridiculous seven years
15:23spent loving him.
15:25Ethan tried to argue further,
15:27yet security guards
15:27summoned by Zane
15:28dragged him away forcibly.
15:30He screamed my name
15:31all the while,
15:32rambling nonsense
15:32about wanting to marry me.
15:34Zane clicked his tongue.
15:35I didn't expect you
15:36to leave him speechless.
15:37I shot him a cold glare.
15:38Don't mention him again.
15:39The last thing I wanted
15:40was for anyone to link
15:41my name with Ethan's
15:42ever again.
15:43With the disruption removed,
15:45our wedding ceremony resumed.
15:47Grandpa was too unwell
15:48to attend in person,
15:49but Zoe held up
15:50a high-definition laptop
15:51for a live video feed
15:53so Grandpa could watch
15:54every wedding moment.
15:55Unfortunately,
15:56Grandpa's health
15:57deteriorated rapidly
15:58as the ceremony went on.
16:00I left the church
16:01mid-wedding,
16:01still wearing my bridal gown
16:02after receiving an urgent
16:04hospital call informing me
16:05Grandpa was on his deathbed.
16:07He'd clung on to life
16:08solely to witness my wedding,
16:09and now,
16:10his final wish fulfilled
16:11his breathing grew shallow
16:13and faint.
16:14I sprinted toward the hospital
16:15only to get blocked
16:16by Ethan downstairs.
16:18He grabbed my wrist
16:19with bloodshot eyes.
16:20When you can, I did.
16:21Chloe, you cannot marry that man.
16:23He's obviously no good for you.
16:26Let go of me!
16:27I have an emergency to attend to!
16:29We'll discuss us later!
16:31Luckily,
16:31Zane arrived promptly
16:32to hold Ethan back for me.
16:34Zoe pressed the elevator button,
16:35and I rode up to the third floor.
16:37I arrived too late.
16:38Grandpa lay covered
16:39under a white sheet,
16:40having already passed away.
16:42The doctor shook his head at me.
16:43I'm sorry you missed
16:44your chance to say goodbye,
16:45but your grandfather
16:46departed extremely happily.
16:47It's rare for our medical staff
16:49to see patients pass away
16:50with a smile.
16:54I'd lost my last opportunity
16:55to see Grandpa alive.
16:57I reached out numbly
16:58to touch his cold hand.
16:59Zoe wrapped her arms around me
17:00and whispered comforting words.
17:02Don't grieve too hard, Chloe.
17:03You fulfilled his final wish,
17:05and the doctor confirmed
17:06he died happy.
17:07I wiped endless tears
17:09from my eyes
17:10and stroked Grandpa's face
17:11gently through the fabric
17:12of the sheet.
17:13Yes, Grandpa must be overjoyed.
17:16That's good.
17:17A light drizzle fell on the day
17:18of Grandpa's funeral.
17:20Zoe held an umbrella over me
17:21while Zane oversaw
17:22the burial of Grandpa's ashes.
17:25Don't be too sad.
17:27I nodded my head.
17:28Grandpa had departed
17:29without a single regret,
17:30even satisfied
17:31with the hastily chosen
17:32husband I'd found.
17:33I glanced upward at Zane,
17:34sprinkling the last mound of soil
17:36over the grave amid raindrops.
17:38Unable to deny
17:38my heartfelt gratitude,
17:40I owed everything
17:41to the brother and sister
17:42who'd stood beside me
17:43through my darkest hours.
17:44Zane, thank you for helping me
17:46fill Grandpa's last wish.
17:48We can file for divorce
17:49paperwork tomorrow.
17:50What's the rush?
17:52Your troubles are settled,
17:53but mine aren't.
17:54Leave our marriage
17:55as is for now.
17:56I'll reach out to you
17:57in a few days.
17:58He left immediately
17:59after speaking.
18:00I looked toward Zoe
18:01in confusion,
18:02noticing her evasive gaze.
18:04My dad's been pressuring
18:05Zane into marriage
18:06and he can't find
18:07anyone suitable.
18:08Chloe, help him out
18:09by staying married
18:10to fool our family.
18:11Something felt off
18:12about her explanation,
18:13yet I couldn't pinpoint
18:14the problem right away.
18:15Still, Zane had done
18:17so much for me.
18:18I couldn't turn my back
18:19on him after his kindness.
18:21Upon exiting
18:21the cemetery grounds,
18:23I found Ethan
18:23waiting by the gate.
18:26Chloe,
18:27since Grandpa
18:28where he's buried,
18:28I should have
18:29paid respects to Grandpa.
18:30I had no desire
18:30to converse with him,
18:32yet out of respect
18:32for Grandpa,
18:33I declined politely.
18:35Thank you, Mr. Carter,
18:36but I'll pass.
18:36Given your relationship
18:37with my grandfather,
18:38there's no need for you
18:39to pay respects
18:39at the grave.
18:40I apologize to you.
18:43I didn't know anything
18:45about Grandpa's condition
18:46that day.
18:47I just loved you
18:48too deeply
18:49and wanted to win you back,
18:50so I stopped you
18:51in the hospital lobby.
18:52Chloe, forgive me.
18:54This time,
18:55we will definitely
18:55get married
18:56and God will bless us.
18:58You see,
18:59I've accompanied you
19:00to visit your grandfather
19:01several times before,
19:02and your grandfather
19:03really likes me.
19:04When Grandpa
19:05is no longer around,
19:06I will be the one
19:07to protect you.
19:08I wondered when exactly
19:10he'd developed
19:11such shameless thick skin.
19:12Ethan had once
19:13carried quiet dignity
19:14and self-respect,
19:16never overly arrogant.
19:17Now, his presence
19:18filled me with revulsion.
19:20Before I could reply,
19:21a black Bentley
19:22pulled up beside us.
19:23Zane climbed out
19:24and pulled me firmly
19:25into his embrace.
19:27My wife doesn't need
19:28you to protect,
19:29and Grandpa doesn't like you.
19:31The one he likes
19:32is me.
19:32He acted exactly
19:33like a jealous man,
19:34eager to claim
19:35exclusive ownership
19:36of his partner.
19:37Ethan's features
19:38contorted with rage.
19:40His eyes glued to Zane's arm
19:41wrapped around my waist.
19:43Chloe, these wealthy men
19:44only play around for fun.
19:45Don't let him trick you.
19:47He put on an overly
19:48affectionate expression.
19:50Chloe, my so-shit.
19:51I'm different.
19:53Seven years of up
19:54and downs together
19:55make you irreplaceable
19:56in my heart.
19:57No matter how you change,
19:59my love for you
19:59will never waver.
20:00His empty declarations
20:02churned my stomach
20:03with disgust.
20:04Recalling the day
20:05he'd brutally snatched
20:06fistfuls of my hair
20:07sent a phantom ache
20:08across my scalp.
20:09I sneered at him openly.
20:11Is loving me
20:12dragging my hair
20:13and striking me
20:14without hesitation?
20:15Is loving me
20:16slapping my face hard?
20:18Ethan, your version
20:19of love terrifies me.
20:20I want absolutely
20:21no part of it.
20:23My cutting remark
20:24drained the colour
20:25from Ethan's face.
20:26Memories of his cruel deeds
20:28flooded his mind.
20:29He stumbled backward
20:30two paces
20:30and nearly toppled
20:31onto the ground.
20:32I almost laughed aloud.
20:34Had he developed
20:34selective amnesia
20:35that required me
20:36to remind him
20:37of his own
20:37terrible actions?
20:38How else could he
20:39spout such
20:40shameless falsehoods?
20:41Final notice,
20:42I'm selling this apartment.
20:44Move out with Lila promptly
20:45or I'll call law enforcement
20:46to remove you.
20:48Ethan stared at me
20:49in stunned disbelief
20:50for a long moment.
20:51You're selling our home?
20:52I refuse to allow it.
20:53This was meant to be
20:54our marital property.
20:55Where will I live
20:55if you sell it?
20:56Your living arrangements
20:57are none of my concern.
20:58You're a complete stranger
20:59to me now.
21:00Vacate propolentarily
21:01before I involve police
21:02and create an ugly scene.
21:03I ignored his further protests
21:05and climbed into
21:06Zane's departing vehicle.
21:07Ethan chased the moving car,
21:09screaming frantically.
21:10Chloe, we can still get married.
21:12You can't kick me out.
21:13Zane remained in a foul mood
21:15for the entire drive.
21:17Exhausted from days
21:18of emotional turmoil,
21:19I leaned against the car seat
21:20and fell fast asleep.
21:22I woke up inside
21:23a small apartment.
21:24Unable to keep living in hotels
21:26while Ethan and Lila
21:27occupied my old home,
21:28Zoe had arranged
21:29for me to move
21:30into Zane's residence.
21:31All my luggage
21:32had already been transported here.
21:34Zoe sat on a nearby sofa,
21:35typing furiously
21:36on her laptop
21:37with an angry expression,
21:38unsure what messages
21:39she was firing off online.
21:41Zoe, what are you doing?
21:43Fright at my sudden question.
21:45She slammed the laptop
21:46shut quickly and answered.
21:47Nothing much,
21:48just watching online shows
21:49and leaving casual comments.
21:51I eyed her suspiciously,
21:52but chose not to press further.
21:54Strange incidents started cropping up
21:56over the next few days.
21:57Every time I stepped outside,
21:59passersby pointed fingers
22:01and whispered gossip about me.
22:05My supervisor called me
22:07into his office
22:07during work hours,
22:08dropping subtle hints
22:09about the online controversy.
22:11After leaving his office,
22:13I searched TikTok and Twitter
22:14to uncover the full truth
22:15someone had launched
22:16a vicious online smear campaign
22:18against me.
22:19I instantly recognised
22:20the account as Ethan's.
22:22Its profile picture featured
22:23a man in an expensive tailored suit
22:25with no face visible,
22:27yet I'd bought that exact suit
22:28as Ethan's 30th birthday gift.
22:30I pieced together
22:31his motives easily.
22:32Unable to accept
22:33being evicted from the apartment,
22:34Ethan painted himself
22:35as an innocent victim online.
22:37He spread lies
22:38claiming I was a gold digger
22:39who abandoned our
22:40seven-year relationship
22:41for a rich husband's fortune,
22:43stole our shared marital apartment,
22:44and plotted to drive him homeless.
22:46Hoards of internet trolls
22:47swarmed social media
22:49to harass and cyber-bully me
22:50shortly after.
22:51Strangers recognised me
22:52on my walk home
22:53and chatted maliciously.
22:54That's the woman right there,
22:56dumped her seven-year boyfriend
22:57without a second thought,
22:58cold-hearted to the core.
23:00Marrying into wealth
23:00is the ultimate win.
23:01Romance feeds the soul,
23:03but not the wallet.
23:03I'd pick money too.
23:05Gold digger poster child.
23:06Women like her
23:07ruin social morality.
23:09Out of nowhere,
23:10a black cashmere overcoat
23:11draped over my shoulders.
23:12Zane's stern face
23:13radiated icy anger.
23:18Mind your own business.
23:20Slander is illegal.
23:21One more word
23:22and my lawyer will send
23:22a cease and desist letter.
23:24The onlookers scattered immediately
23:26and Zane escorted me
23:27safely back to the apartment.
23:29I heard Zoe cursing
23:30and clacking away on her keyboard
23:31before even opening the front door.
23:33These trolls only dare
23:35to show off online!
23:36She closed the laptop
23:37and pretended innocence
23:38upon seeing me walk in.
23:40Don't pretend.
23:41I already know everything.
23:43What?
23:45You knew all along?
23:48It's all Ethan's doing.
23:50He's jealous you married my brother
23:51and wants to ruin you.
23:53I wasn't as fragile as she assumed,
23:55yet her care warmed my heart.
23:57Though certain Ethan
23:58orchestrated the harassment,
23:59I had no immediate solution
24:00to fix the online chaos.
24:02My single attempt
24:03to defend myself online
24:04triggered thousands
24:05more hateful comments,
24:07leading my company
24:08to suspend my job
24:08for a week
24:09pending damage control.
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