Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Even though we'd already slept together, it was just a drunken accident.

We rushed into marriage too quickly. I wasn't ready for a second marriage. Standing at the villa's door, I couldn't move.

Ethan grabbed my hand, intertwined our fingers, and led me inside.

In the spacious living room, he set down my suitcase, looked at me, and said, "You're the mistress of this house now. Everything here is yours." It felt like a dream, too unreal.

Ethan walked over, held my shoulders, and whispered, "Including me."

I blushed and stepped back. Was he hinting we should share a bed?

Not sure if he noticed my embarrassment, he said, "I'll take your things upstairs. You can organize them however you like."

He carried the suitcase upstairs, and I followed nervously.

"Where do I stay?" I asked as we reached the top.

Ethan paused, set down the suitcase, and walked back to me. His approach made me nervous, and I instinctively stepped back, almost slipping.

He grabbed my waist, and I clung to his clothes. He laughed, "Emily, it's funny how you're shyer than a young girl."

I regained my balance and gently pushed him away, feeling awkward. I tucked my hair behind my ear and whispered, "It's just too fast."

"Isn't faster better? Most women like it fast. Do you prefer it slow? We can try that another day."

Ethan twisted my words on purpose. He had many sides: serious and distant, or flirty and teasing, always catching me off guard.

"Can you be serious for a moment?" I rolled my eyes.

He laughed. "I am serious. This is a normal topic for married couples. I'm very serious."

I took a deep breath, feeling almost suffocated by his presence.

Ethan stopped teasing, picked up my suitcase, and led the way. He opened a door, walked in, and set the suitcase down. "You can stay here. It's the room you slept in last time. But feel free to choose any other room." I sighed in relief. "No need, this room is fine."

Ethan leaned against the wall, lit a cigarette, and took a puff. "I'm right next door. If you get scared or lonely, my door's always open."This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

His serious expression made his words sound almost sincere, despite their suggestiveness.

Before leaving, Ethan said he had to go out and told me to rest.

Not long after, Bella called. It was past ten.

"Emmy, where did you and Ethan go? You weren't here when I woke up," Bella asked.

"Do you even need to ask? They probably wanted more privacy," Oliver's voice chimed in.

If Bella knew Ethan and I had already gotten married, she'd be shocked. It was too much to explain over the phone, so I'd tell her later. "I wasn't feeling well, so Ethan took me home."

"Are you okay? Did you catch a cold?"

"I'm fine," I replied, hearing Oliver complain in the background. "I'm the one who caught a cold because of you. You hogged the blanket all night. When I tried to get my half back, you fought me for it. I didn't want to argue, so I let you have Oliver kept sneezing, clearly having a bad cold.

it."

Bella retorted, "Who knows what you were thinking last night. Sharing the blanket? Be glad I didn't kick you."

Oliver sighed, "Fine, I'm just unlucky."

After hanging up, I tossed my phone aside and collapsed onto the bed, feeling exhausted.

From the call, it was clear Bella and Oliver didn't sleep well either. But Bella's strong personality made it hard for Oliver to get close to her.

So, it was tough for men and women to just chat under the covers. The attraction and hormones made it hard for even strangers to do nothing.

I got up and organized my things, leaving only a cassette tape of The Thorn Birds Band. It seemed like a decoration here. I doubted there'd be an old tape recorder in such a fancy villa. When Ethan came back in the evening, I was watching TV.

"Have you eaten?" I asked.

"Yeah, what about you?" He changed his shoes and sat on the couch, looking tired.

"I made some fried eggs and toast," I said.

Ethan leaned back, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "Is that all you can make?"

I realized he was teasing me. "Don't underestimate me. I can cook."

He laughed. "So, I can look forward to some great meals?"

I sat cross-legged on the couch, hugging a pillow. "But my cooking might not suit your taste."

"No worries," he said. "Tomorrow we'll buy groceries, and you can show off your skills."

We chatted, nothing special but it felt homely. Arthur and I rarely had such peaceful moments.

Today was the first day Ethan and I were legally married, and this felt more real than the two years with Arthur.

Ethan smoked, sitting a bit away from me. When we weren't talking, we both stared at the TV, and the silence wasn't awkward.

I mentioned wanting to find a job. Ethan flicked ash into the tray, his faint smile puzzled. "I can support you."

"I know," I said, looking at the TV. "But I want to be self-reliant. I don't want to depend entirely on you. If I did nothing, it would really be like Vivian said, trying to change my life through marriage."

Ethan chuckled. "Emily, you're not in a bad spot. With that eminent domain compensation, you're practically rich."

I smiled noncommittally. "Sure, $400,000 is a lot for me, but it's not that much these days. Plus, my dad always said we can't just live off others. Money runs out, and we can't rely on anyone forever. So if you ever meet someone you truly like, just tell me. I'll willingly divorce you. I don't want to be a freeloader and need to stay self-reliant."

I made my point clear, but Ethan stayed silent for a long time. I didn't dare look at his face.

"I'm a man of principles. I won't abandon you," he finally said. His words moved me.

After a while, I went to bed. Ethan said he'd stay up a bit longer to smoke.

Lying in bed, I soon heard footsteps passing my door, then fading away, followed by a door closing.

That night, I couldn't sleep, probably because of the new environment. I didn't fall asleep until late.

The next morning, Ethan had already left for work.

I thought about the things I still had at Arthur's place. Since he took back what he bought, I should get my stuff too. It was not about their value; I was just used to them, and I was sentimental.

I called Arthur to explain. He was surprisingly gentlemanly and didn't make it difficult. He said he had changed the locks, so my key wouldn't work. He'd leave the key with the security guard for me.

I took a cab, got the key from the security guard, and went to the elevator. I used to come and go from here every day, but now, everything felt different.

To my surprise, the key didn't work. 'Did I go to the wrong place?' I checked again; it was 703, no mistake.

'Is Arthur playing a trick on me?' I looked closely at the key and noticed the number on it.

This was Unit 703, East Wing, Building 8, but the key was for Unit 701, West Wing, Building 8. Both were on the 7th floor, but this was 703, and the key was for 701.

I didn't think the security guard made a mistake because the key had a pendant with Arthur's name, so it couldn't be wrong.

Confused, I walked to 701, nervously inserted the key, and the door opened.

Just then, Arthur called. I pushed the door open and was stunned. I never expected to uncover the hidden truth this way.