Chapter 3

Since I'd already decided to leave, there was nothing here worth clinging to.

I took out my phone and dialed the real estate agent directly.

"That apartment under my name—list it as soon as possible."

"It's fine if the price is a bit lower. I want it fast."

With that, I hung up and prepared to go home to get the paperwork and documents.

But when I got to my front door, no matter how I entered the password, I couldn't get in.

The lock had been changed.

I called the police directly, then called a locksmith.

The two groups arrived almost at the same time.

The locksmith had just crouched down when the door opened from inside.

Ethan stood behind the door, his face gloomy.

"Claire, are you sick?"

"Why call the police?"

I looked at him, calm.

"My house, and I can't get in. If I don't call the police, should I stand at the door and beg you?"

Ethan was left speechless, his face uglier still. He turned and squeezed out a smile to explain to the police.

"It's a misunderstanding. It was too noisy in the house just now, I didn't hear the knocking."

Daniel was in the house too, his tone impatient.

"Claire, that's enough."

"You had to make a scene and call the police—don't you feel ashamed?"

I looked at him, my throat tight.

"Brother, this is my home."

"I came back to my own home, and had my password changed and was shut out."

The police glanced at us, their expressions turning a few degrees more serious, and finally demanded that Ethan change the password back on the spot.

I walked into the house and, at a glance, saw Noah playing with Mia in the living room.

Noah looked up, saw me, immediately gathered up his toys, and turned toward the bedroom.

Before closing the door, he threw out one line:

"I don't want to live with this woman."

Mia looked at me and gave a soft sigh.

"Claire, what you said at the restaurant today really was too hurtful."

I watched her quietly.

"What are you trying to say?"

Mia pursed her lips, as if greatly troubled.

"You know Noah's health can't take shocks. How about you go stay somewhere else for a few days?"

I looked at her and suddenly laughed.

"Sure."

"Since Noah doesn't want to see me, then you move out."

Mia's face stiffened.

"That's not what I meant..."

"Then what did you mean?"

I looked at her.

"Live in someone else's house long enough and you really start thinking it's yours?"

Her mouth opened, and for a long while she couldn't get a word out.

Ethan finally couldn't hold back, his voice full of suppressed anger.

"Claire, do you have to make everything sound so ugly?"

"Ugly?"

I looked at him.

"You brought her into my home, changed my door lock, and told me to get out. And now you think I talk ugly?"

Ethan's face went livid, staring hard at me.

"Then how do you want me to say it?"

"It's you who despises us, father and son, as a burden. Should we be grateful to you instead?"

"You think I don't despise you? Claire, go look in a mirror!"

My fingertips went rigid.

But as if he thought that wasn't enough, he sneered on.

"Your figure's gone, your skin's slack, you're lifeless from head to toe. Who'd want to look at that?"

The living room went instantly silent.

Even Mia was taken aback for a moment, then lowered her eyes and said nothing.

There was a roar in my ears, like something had exploded.

Figure gone, skin slack.

But he knew perfectly well.

When I was pregnant, I hemorrhaged badly, the C-section wound got infected, and afterward I cared for Noah day and night.

Night after night I couldn't sleep, my hormones went out of balance, I gained over ten pounds and couldn't lose it no matter what.

To save them, I'd been running nonstop between lab and hospital for five straight years, and almost all the money I earned went to treatment and research.

He knew all of this.

I stared at him, my eyes slowly heating, my voice light and trembling.

"Ethan, say that again."

"Did I say anything wrong?"

Ethan looked at me coldly.

"Mia is at least gentle and presentable, she knows how to take care of herself, not like you—"

"Enough!"

Daniel suddenly spoke up, as if he felt that had gone too far.

But Ethan was in the heat of anger and didn't stop at all.

"Even Noah won't get close to you. You think it's just because your temper's bad?"

"A woman who lives herself into this, and lives her marriage into this—who else is there to blame?"

I was shaking all over.

"Get out."

I cut him off, my voice not loud, but cold as ice.

"Take them and get out."