Chapter 3

The officer looked confused.

Melanie immediately lunged forward, throwing the paper and pen at my face:

"Stop acting! Who else would stalk me besides you?"

"You're just jealous! You're jealous that Ethan actually cares about me! You're jealous that all I have to do is say one word, and he will drop everything to come to my side!"

"Chloe, why can't you just be honest? What did you gain from taking those photos? The rumors about Ethan and me online last week—was that your doing too?"

She was hysterical, her eyes red and puffy.

Ever since her grandfather passed away, Ethan had begged me more than once:

"Please don't provoke Melanie. Just do it for me, okay?"

I didn't know in what capacity he was begging me on her behalf.

Even now, Ethan shielded her without hesitation:

"Chloe, when did you become so petty?"

"Melanie just released her new artwork. You made a huge scene online just to ruin her career, didn't you?"

"I never realized you could be so calculating."

A month ago, Melanie's new painting, The Two of Us, was unveiled.

She openly admitted that the painting was dedicated to her lover, who had stayed by her side during her darkest days.

Though she only painted two silhouettes from behind, the crescent-shaped scar on the man's hand made my eyes sting.

It was Ethan's most distinctive physical mark.

The painting caused quite a stir online.

Everyone was guessing who the young, beautiful artist's mysterious boyfriend was.

The comments were flooded with praises like "match made in heaven" and "soulmates."

Yet, throughout all the online buzz, Ethan had remained completely silent.

One day, I printed out the painting and placed it in front of him.

I wanted to see his reaction, so I asked, "What do you think of this painting?"

He let out a cold scoff, his mockery evident:

"It's great. She painted me beautifully."

He thought I was just looking for a fight, so he simply admitted it to spite me.

Around that time, a thread went viral on social media:

The Beautiful Artist Melanie and Her Childhood Sweetheart.

Netizens matched their silhouettes and travel schedules, proving that she and Ethan had been traveling together frequently.

Someone commented:

"Wait, I heard Ethan is already married. Is it really him?"

"So what? They're childhood sweethearts. If they finally realize they love each other, they can just get a divorce, right? Melanie isn't the type to steal someone's husband."

Overnight, countless people rooted for them.

And I, his lawful wife, became the most irrelevant obstacle in their grand love story.

Ignoring them both, I calmly turned to the police officer:

"I was near 5th Avenue all day today. You can check the surveillance cameras."

"I didn't do any of the things they're accusing me of, so I won't sign."

A female officer immediately went to pull up the street camera footage.

The video showed the exact time I left Ethan's office building, how long I sat in the café, and me catching a cab home around midnight.

As the footage played, Ethan's expression shifted instantly.

"You... came to my office today?"

His voice trembled.

I didn't answer. We only heard the officer say:

"Since you all know each other, you should settle your personal issues privately. Dragging this to the station without knowing the facts is a waste of our time!"

The officer turned to me:

"What's your relationship with them? I need to log it so we can handle things quickly if this happens again."

"Nothing," I replied calmly. "Just acquaintances."