The Future Texted Me the Truth, the Exam Bell Called Me to the Lies Chapter 05

The Future Texted Me the Truth, the Exam Bell Called Me to the Lies Chapter 05

The confident smile on Ethan’s face froze, then slowly fell apart.

The red roses trembled violently in his hand. His hand shook so hard that a few rose petals scattered across the floor.

“You… what did you say?” He tried to deny it, eyes darting everywhere but mine. “Lila, did someone tell you some crazy rumor?”

I looked at his pathetic attempt at lying and felt nothing but disgust.

“Want me to refresh your memory?” I stepped back, putting distance between us, my voice ice cold. “She’s the only one who gets to be my wife, but only you can satisfy my body.’ She’s too innocent, like a doll…”

“Ethan Caldwell, when you were talking about me like that on that cheap motel bed, did you think about our eighteen years together at all?”

All the color drained from his face.

The roses slipped from his hand and hit the floor. He lunged forward like he’d lost all strength, trying to grab my hand.

“Lila! Let me explain!” His eyes reddened at the rims, and his voice broke. “It was an accident! A total accident! Everyone was so hyped after the SAT. Soph kept crying about how badly she did and how she didn’t deserve to be with us. I was just trying to comfort her…”

“Comfort her all the way into bed?” I shoved his hand away, pure revulsion in my eyes.

“Lila, I’m only human” Ethan frowned, looking helpless. “You’re so

—

pure and innocent. How could I bring myself to touch you?”

“Soph is different. She threw herself at me, and I made one impulsive mistake. It was physical. That’s all. My heart was always with you”

He looked up at me with those pitiful puppy eyes that used to break my heart. “I swear, I’ve only ever loved you!”

“Soph has nothing. She’s not smart, her family isn’t well off. I just felt sorry for her.”

“You’re the wife I’ve chosen. The mother of my future kids. How can you throw me away just because I couldn’t control myself for one night?”

Listening to his completely twisted logic, I laughed in disbelief.

In a scumbag’s logic, cheating could be dressed up as “feeling sorry” for someone. Physical betrayal had nothing to do with true love.

He kept me on a pedestal as the perfect wife while rolling around in the mud with my best friend.

“Ethan Caldwell, you make me sick.” I kicked him away, picked up the roses from the floor, and smashed them into his face.

The thorns scratched his cheek, drawing tiny beads of blood.

“Take your flowers and get the hell out of my house.” I pointed at the door. “We’re done. You and Soph can stay trash together in the gutter. Don’t ever come near me again.”

He tried to fight it, but I shoved him and the flowers out the door and slammed it shut.

—

His frantic banging and shouting came from outside. I leaned against the door, breathing hard.

It was over.

I went to the study, opened my laptop, took a deep breath, and pulled up the SAT score portal.

The number on the screen made my breath catch: 1580.

One of the highest scores in the state.

Tears finally spilled onto the keyboard.

Not from sadness — from relief.

Relief that I had turned back before it was too late. I hadn’t destroyed my bright future for a worthless guy.