Chapter 3

The piercing sound of brakes rang out.

I stopped just a few centimeters away.

But Ethan didn't retreat at all, staring at me with hot, crazy eyes.

This time it was my turn to grit my teeth. "This lunatic!"

I fled in panic, turning to leave in another direction.

A few days later, I received another message from Summer.

Unexpectedly, her attitude this time was surprisingly humble.

"Aria, I'm here to apologize. I really know I was wrong."

"I know I made you angry. Give me a chance to make it up to you, okay?"

She sent an address, saying she wanted to invite me to relax.

And apologize in person.

I went.

An enormous rose garden appeared before my eyes.

Summer stood in a white dress in front of intensely red rose bushes, waiting for me with a smile.

Like a hostess, she used a key to open the estate's gate.

When I glimpsed the huge photograph by the flower bushes, my body stiffened.

In the photo, Summer and Ethan held hands, lying in the flowers kissing.

The scene was beautiful and warm.

And the date it was taken was five years ago.

Before I lost my memory.

Summer's pretentiously proud laughter came from beside me.

"Aria, actually I knew about you long ago. I even helped Ethan come up with ideas to pursue you."

Only then did I learn that Summer had known Ethan much longer than I had.

She was a poor student he sponsored.

Ethan brought her out of the mountains. When she had nowhere to live, she stayed at his place.

The corridor was filled with photos, every single one of Summer and Ethan together.

This rose garden was built by him for her.

Listening to Summer introduce their past photo by photo.

My palms actually went a bit numb.

She smiled as she looked at my wedding ring.

"Every gift Ethan gave you, I helped him choose."

"Including this wedding ring—he only bought it because I liked this style."

I knew she wasn't telling the whole truth, or rather not telling it completely.

The wedding ring was something Ethan first selected from dozens of styles.

He brought them to me and let me choose personally.

But that didn't stop me from being disgusted.

Expressionless, I pulled off the ring and casually tossed it into the rose bushes.

Seeing this, Summer's eyes curved with satisfaction.

"Mr. Cross really likes you. I'm so unwilling to accept it."

"But it's okay. People always get tired, right! I acted understanding in front of him, saying I didn't want anything, just that when he thought of me, he could spare me a little of the love you didn't want."

"Guess what?"

Summer laughed exaggeratedly, as if remembering something happy.

"He took the initiative to sleep with me!"

"You, the white moonlight, became a mosquito blood stain after he caught you. He's tired of you!"

"So I advise you to be smart and get lost. Mr. Cross will be mine sooner or later!"

I stared at her for a while, then suddenly smiled sweetly.

"If you're this cheap, then I feel relieved."

Summer froze, looking at me suspiciously.

I raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"This way I won't feel any guilt."

Under her confused gaze, I kicked over the shelving.

Collectible wine shattered all over the floor.

I pulled out a lighter. The flickering flame illuminated Summer's terrified face.

The next second, fire engulfed the entire estate.

Ethan arrived quickly.

Seeing me and Summer in the flames, his eyes nearly split with rage.

Summer screamed at the top of her lungs:

"Ethan, save me! The fire's about to reach me!"

"I just lost two children for you!"

I watched Ethan with interest and mouthed words to him.

"Between the two of us, who will you save first?"