01
Ella POV
The soft beep of the heart monitor was a constant companion as Ella lay in the sterile hospital room. The IV drip in her arm was a reminder of the physical pain that didn't even compare to the devastation in her chest but even the sterile surroundings couldn't cool the heat of betrayal burning in her veins.
The message was still fresh in her mind. She couldn't stop replaying it. Her adoptive mother had posted a picture on her social media account about her biological daughter, whom Ella had only just learned existed—wrapped in Ethan's arms who was her fiance. It was as if a sucker punch had hit her square in the stomach. She couldn't even think straight as she stared at that photo. The woman he was holding, her smile so natural, so at ease was a stranger to her, yet Ethan looked like he'd been waiting for her for years.
"Too busy for me, huh?" She muttered bitterly to herself, closing her eyes, as if blocking out the world would somehow help.
She could still hear his voice in her mind, the one he used when he'd tell her he couldn't make it—work, stress, you name it. "I'm at work, I'm very busy Ella," he'd say, sighing like she was the problem.
She was no longer the one he came home to. No longer the one who made him laugh, who held him when he needed support. He was too busy. Too busy to show up for her, but apparently not too busy to be there for someone else. His new "someone else" was her adoptive mother's biological daughter—the woman who had only recently come back into the picture. It felt like a cruel joke.
The betrayal gnawed at her insides, but she couldn't even get angry at Ethan anymore. The anger had long been replaced with a hollow emptiness. He hadn't answered her calls. Her voicemails were left unheard, her texts unread. Every message she sent was met with silence. He wasn't just absent physically; he was absent emotionally and even upto this evening, he was still busy.
She sat up in bed, reaching for her phone beside her. She scrolled to his contact, her fingers shaking. She didn't even know why she was still holding onto this—this hope that he would somehow explain, somehow apologize.
But the phone buzzed in her hand, cutting through her spiraling thoughts.
It was Nora. Her best friend. She knew something was off. She always did.
["Hey Ella, hope you're you still coming to the party? I'm going to need a plus one. Let me know".]
The words felt like a slap to the face. She had almost forgotten about the party. She had even been excited about it earlier this week, their friends, and her in the same room with all of them celebrating. It was supposed to be a happy occasion. But now? Now, all she could think about was the picture, his neglect, and the fact that he hadn't even bothered to respond.
She swiped the phone to respond but paused, her fingers hovering over the screen. What wa she supposed to say? How could she lie to her? She let out a shaky breath and typed back, "I don't think I can make it tonight, Nora. I don't think I can do any of this anymore.
She hit send before the fear of breaking down could stop her. She couldn't pretend anymore. Not for him. Not for anyone.
A knock at the door made her jump, and she quickly wiped the stray tears that had slipped down her cheeks. The door creaked open, and a nurse walked in, young, with a soft face and a look of practiced sympathy.
"How are you feeling, Miss?" she asked, walking toward Ella with a clipboard in hand.
She blinked at the young nurse, not sure how to answer. Physically, she was fine, just exhausted from the IV drip and the medicine. Emotionally? She was breaking. But she couldn't say that. She couldn't be that vulnerable.
"I'm okay," Ella replied flatly. "Just a little tired."
"Well, that's normal after the procedure. The doctor will be in shortly to check on you. How are you managing the pain?" The nurse inquired again, adjusting the IV in her arm.
"Pain's not the problem," She muttered, her voice almost bitter. "It's... everything else."
The nurse glanced at her, hesitating for a moment before speaking again, "I know it's not easy, but remember, you're here to heal. Whatever's on your mind, don't let it get to you. You have to take care of yourself now." The nurse's words hit her in a way she wasn't prepared for. They were so simple. So obvious. But she couldn't stop thinking about how they contrasted with Ethan's behavior. Where was the care she needed? Where was he when she needed him most?
"Right," Ella murmured, looking down at her hands, feeling the sting of reality. The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile before leaving, but she wasn't ready to be alone yet. She couldn't stop thinking about the post. It kept playing over and over in her mind. Her fiance was clearly not the man she thought he was.
What had she missed? What had she ignored all these time? All those times he was "busy." All those nights when she waited for him to come home, to hold her. Ella had told herself it was nothing. That he was just under stress. But now she knew better.
She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as the tears began to fall.
Then, with a sharp breath, she wiped her face. She was done crying. It was time to confront him. She wasn't going to let this man destroy her. Not anymore. Seven years wasn't seven days.
She pulled herself out of the bed, her legs shaky, but she ignored the weakness in her body. The heartache? That was worse.
She dressed quickly, ignoring the nurse's warnings that she wasn't supposed to leave yet and grabbed her things and walked out. She didn't care if it was too soon. She didn't care if the doctor had told her to rest. She needed to leave. She needed answers. And if Ethan wasn't going to give them to her, she'd find them on her own.
Finally, she gathered the courage and hired a cab and left, to face what awaited her at home.
The moment she stepped inside, everything felt wrong. The apartment, once a haven, now felt like a tomb. Her eyes scanned the familiar surroundings, each corner of the space now tainted by the realization that this wasn't the life she thought it was.
She went to the kitchen, hoping maybe a glass of water would help clear her head. But that's when she saw it.
The earrings.
They were sitting on the counter, a pair of delicate, gold hoops. Ella knew instantly it didn't belong to her. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She didn't need to inspect them closely to know they weren't her style.
She turned, her breath shallow, her pulse quickening as she walked toward his suit jacket, which he had left carelessly over the back of the chair. And then she found it, an open box of condoms.
She froze, her hands shaking as she looked down at the evidence of betrayal. It felt like her entire world was crumbling around her.
How long had this been going on? How long had he been lying to her? And why didn't she see it sooner?
The truth was clear now. Seven years together, and yet, it was never enough, not for him and it was then, the realization dawned on her; he had been here with a woman while she was in the hospital!
She stood there, motionless, the weight of everything crushing her but no more. This was the end. She would not let him continue to break her. Not anymore.
Ella dialed his number. He picked up after the third ring, his voice a cold, indifferent tone.
"Hello?" "Ethan," she said, her voice trembling, "we need to talk."
He sighed loudly on the other end, as if the mere sound of her voice was an inconvenience. "What is it now? I'm busy."
"Busy with who? Busy with her?" Ella hissed, the image of him with her adoptive mother's biological daughter flashing in her mind. "I saw the post. You've been lying to me, Ethan."
There was a long pause. She could hear him shift on the other end, and the sound of muffled voices in the background. "Look, can we talk about this later? I'm caught up with something. I don't have time for this drama."
"Drama?" Her voice rose, anger flaring up inside her "You've been seeing her, haven't you? Behind my back. All those excuses about work, lies! It was her all along."
"Ella, stop it. I'm not dealing with this right now. I don't have the energy to go back and forth with you," he replied, his voice dismissive, unbothered by the chaos he had caused.
"You don't get to do this," Ella shot back, her heart hammering in her chest. "You don't get to lie to me for years and then pretend like it doesn't matter and you what? I'm done." She finally declared and hung up, not wanting to hear his reaction.
She quickly swiped back to the message Nora sent her earlier and typed out " Changed my mind, I'm coming to the party." But then, it didn't take upto a few minutes, the door kicked open and Ethan strode in, he was back but he wasn't alone, he came back with her! To think that she have seen the greatest shock, their hands were linked with each other's.