I Planned My Exit The Moment His Loyalty Score Began To Fall Chapter 04

I Planned My Exit The Moment His Loyalty Score Began To Fall Chapter 04

Because I’d been gorging myself at both meals, I ended up with an upset stomach that night.

Not only did I run to the bathroom at least ten times, but in the end, I couldn’t even get out of bed.

While Ethan filled a hot water bottle for me, he helped me sit up and fed me some medicine. “Tell me, you know your stomach is sensitive, yet you still insisted on eating spicy food.”

I wanted to argue back, but I didn’t have the strength.

No sooner had I swallowed the medicine than my stomach churned again, and I threw it all right back up.

Ethan gently patted my back, his face full of concern. “This isn’t good. You must have food poisoning—we have to go to the hospital.”

Ethan called my mother-in-law to ask her to come check on Luna, then carried me straight to the car and drove us to the hospital. After a series of tests, it turned out I really did have food poisoning.

I was hooked up to an IV and given anti-diarrheal medication, then drifted off into a drowsy sleep.

When I woke up, it was already 2:30.

The IV in my hand had already been removed, but Ethan wasn’t by my side.

I opened Ethan’s messaging app and sent him a message.

[Where are you?]

No one replied.

I called him again. It took three rings before Ethan picked up, but his voice was very quiet. “Claire, what’s wrong?”

I said, “Where are you? Are you home yet?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end before he spoke. “Summer called me and said there was someone at her front door. I was worried, so I came over to check it out!”

“The little girl wouldn’t go to sleep no matter what, but I finally managed to get her to sleep. Is something wrong?”

When I heard Ethan ask, “Is something wrong?”, I was so furious I almost laughed.

I said, “Ethan, you’re my husband. You left me all alone at the hospital, and now you’re going to some other woman’s place to put her to bed—and you’re asking if I need anything?”

Ethan’s voice sounded resigned. “Claire, she’s my employee. Isn’t it only natural for me to look after her?”

“Besides, I didn’t come over until after you got your IV set up!”

I sighed in exasperation, “Ethan, I’m still lying here in the hospital, and you—”

“Doesn’t she have any other friends? Does she really need a married man like you to take care of her?”

Ethan started to get impatient. “Claire, since when have you become so nitpicky? Summer’s just a recent college graduate. She’s in a strange city where she doesn’t know anyone. If something happens, who else can she turn to besides me?”

After he finished speaking, he sighed, “Here’s what we’ll do—I’ll call you a cab so you can go home first. I’ll come back once she’s fast asleep!” With that, he hung up the phone impatiently.

I clutched my phone, my heart turning cold.

By the time I got home by taxi, it was already 3:30 a.m.

Hearing the door open, my mother-in-law tiptoed out of the guest bedroom. Seeing that I was alone, she looked puzzled. “Where’s Ethan?”

I said, “He went to take care of his female coworker.”

“What?!” My mother-in-law looked utterly shocked.

I ignored my mother-in-law, whose eyes were wide with disbelief, and went straight to my room to sleep.

Ethan came back early the next morning. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked haggard—it seemed he’d been up all night taking care of her.

Seeing my mother-in-law and me sitting at the dining table having breakfast, he nervously scratched his nose and said, “Last night, Summer kept saying she was too scared to sleep and insisted I stay with her. I really had no choice.”

I gave a soft “Oh.” “Then make sure you go stay with her tonight, too.”

“Claire! What are you talking about?” He sounded sharp, as if he were angry.

I looked up and shot him a sideways glance.

After spending the whole night together, the number above his head had dropped below 70% to 67%.

I understood perfectly well. I lowered my eyes and said nothing more.

My mother-in-law didn’t say anything either; she left after breakfast.

Ethan went back to his room to change, and when he came out, he glanced at me and said, “I was in the wrong last night. Once I help Summer move into her new place, I’ll have nothing more to do with her.”

I didn’t say anything.

After Ethan left for work, I looked at Luna. “Do you want to go with Mommy?”

Three-year-old Luna didn’t understand what I meant, but she nodded anyway. “Wherever Mommy goes, I’ll go too!”

“Okay!”

I went back to my room to pack up my daughter’s and my things, then bought plane tickets to Wynne City.

Before leaving, I placed the signed divorce agreement on the coffee table.

The moment I closed the door, I took one last look at the house where I’d lived for five years.

I had thought I’d never have to leave this place again in my life. Little did I know that even Ethan couldn’t escape the fate of a changing heart.