Chapter 4

Ethan is my fiancé. Our families have been close for generations.

When we were ten, our parents had dinner together and basically decided our future on the spot.

If you scroll up our SnapChat history, the last message before this was "Happy New Year" from months ago.

"Evie, is Sophia your roommate?"

"You know her?"

"She's a scholarship student my family has sponsored since high school. She called me crying for a long time a few days ago."

I picked at my nail, casually asking:

"And?"

"She said you gave her very expensive things, and she didn't dare refuse for fear of being isolated. Later, she mentioned in the dorm that she felt a lot of pressure, and then you gave her a hard time in class."

Ethan sighed, his tone reproachful:

"Evie, her family isn't well-off. Those things are a burden to her. Can you just tone it down a bit? Just interact normally, don't make such a show."

"I'm telling you this for your own good. Your personality makes it too easy to offend people."

I pretty much understood.

Sophia dared to spread rumors behind my back because she had someone backing her up.

But she got one thing wrong.

Ethan Hayes, he wasn't in a position to lecture me.

I found it amusing.

"Ethan, you should know, if I truly wanted to target someone, she wouldn't even be able to get into Los Angeles."

Ethan was choked up. He was about to speak, but I hung up the phone.

Someone who hadn't bothered to send a holiday greeting in ten years was calling me from overseas just to lecture me over a scholarship student.

I tossed my phone onto the table. Chloe leaned over, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Evie, who was that?"

"An arrogant idiot."

The next afternoon, Ethan was leaning against his car by the school gate.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his features carrying the cultivated air of someone accustomed to luxury.

Sophia stood beside him, head bowed, eyes red, looking utterly aggrieved.

As I walked out of the school gate, Ethan stepped forward and blocked my path.

"Evie, let's talk."

I glanced at the curious stares around us and simply hummed in agreement.

In the cafe next to the school, Sophia sat beside Ethan.

She kept her eyes downcast, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.

Ethan got straight to the point:

"Evie, what I said on the phone yesterday might not have been clear enough, so I'm telling you face-to-face today."

"Sophia hasn't had it easy. She fought tooth and nail to get into this university. Whether it's those gifts or the way you speak, it's all pressure for her."

I leaned back in my chair, took a sip of my lemon water, and remained silent.

Seeing no response from me, Ethan's brow furrowed even deeper.

"You grew up pampered by your family, so you can't understand the struggles of ordinary people. But since you're my fiancée, I hope you can show some empathy."

"Sophia has cried to me several times, saying she's afraid to speak or move in the dorm, terrified of upsetting you again."

Sophia looked up, her voice trembling:

"Ethan, please don't say anymore. Evie wasn't targeting me. I'm just too sensitive, it's my fault..."

As she spoke, tears welled up again, but she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve, her face still defiant.

Ethan's expression darkened even further. When he turned to me, his voice held anger:

"Evie, look at what you've driven her to! Can't you just apologize to her?"

I finally put down my cup and looked at Ethan seriously.

"Ethan, how old are you this year?"

He paused.

"What?"

"Twenty-five, right?"

I chuckled softly.

"A twenty-five-year-old man, swayed by a young girl's few soft words, flying all the way from abroad to stand up for her. Don't you find that ridiculous?"

Ethan's face darkened.

"Evelyn Reed, what is your attitude?"

I tilted my head, my gaze sweeping past him to Sophia.

"Sophia, I'm asking you one last time: did I bully or humiliate you?"

My voice was calm.

Sophia bit her lip.

"You... you gave them in front of the whole dorm. I didn't dare refuse..."

I scoffed.

"You didn't dare refuse, but then you turned around and told everyone I was giving you charity and humiliating you?"

"Fine. If you didn't dare refuse, then give the items back to me. Go get them now, I'll wait."

Sophia's face turned pale.

"What? You don't want to give them back?"

I tilted my head, looking at her.

"Or have you already opened and used that skincare set? Did you boot up the Apple laptop? Did you swatch the lipstick kit?"

Sophia's tears welled up again. She turned to Ethan, her voice tearful:

"Ethan, I didn't... I didn't open them. I didn't even touch the packaging..."

Ethan reached out and patted her shoulder, then turned and glared at me.

"Evelyn Reed, that's enough! How much is a skincare set? Do you really have to be so aggressive?"

"Sophia's from a less fortunate background, what's wrong with her being a bit sensitive? Can't you be more magnanimous and understanding?"

His words made me laugh, and my eyes turned cold.

"Ethan, I used real money to buy harmony in the dorm, to ensure four years of peace for four people. Am I in the wrong for that?"

Ethan took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions.

"Evie, no matter what, your condescending attitude is truly problematic. You've always been..."

"My childhood pampering is a privilege my family affords me. I don't owe her anything."

Ethan suddenly stood up.

"Evelyn Reed! Don't be too much! I came here with good intentions to mediate, and you're making it so awkward?"

"Sophia is just a girl. Can your conscience really be clear after humiliating her in front of so many people?"

Sophia tugged on his sleeve, sobbing softly:

"Ethan, it's okay, let's just go. It's my fault, I shouldn't have told you..."

Ethan glared at me, his chest heaving several times, then suddenly picked up the coffee in front of him and splashed it on me.

"Evelyn Reed, I'll make you beg Sophia for forgiveness."

I was stunned for a few seconds by the coffee splash.

When I looked up at them, Sophia's eyes held undisguised triumph.

Coming back to my senses, I blinked hard, letting my eyes redden.

Then I took out my phone, snapped a selfie, and sent it to the family group chat with a tearful voice message.

"Daddy, Ethan hit me because of a scholarship student! My eyes are all swollen from crying~"

Ethan still scoffed from across the table.

"Our families go way back! Do you really think selling a sob story will get me punished? You really think you're a princess!"

Three. Two. One.

The urgent screech of tires came from outside, followed by the sound of the door being violently pushed open.

"Who's tired of living, daring to lay a hand on my darling?!"