Forty-Eight Hours Until I Disappear From His Life Chapter 09

Forty-Eight Hours Until I Disappear From His Life Chapter 09

After Sloane was thrown out of the club, she immediately posted a long rant on Instagram.

She said she’d only been looking out for her best friend, that everyone had taken part in the jokes,

and now Ethan was dumping all the blame on her because he wanted his girlfriend back.

She paired it with a teary–eyed selfie.

[Guess that’s what I get for always having my best friend’s back. I’ve done more than enough.]

The people who used to hype her up stayed quiet this time.

Ethan had posted the group chat history.

Every test had started with Sloane.

Every time someone thought things were going too far, Sloane was the one who insisted I was

acting.

Even her line, “If she actually leaves, I’ll apologize to her in front of everyone,” had been screenshotted and reposted in the chat.

Someone commented: [So where’s the apology?]

Sloane deleted the comment immediately.

Then another friend posted screenshots of several payments.

While Sloane accused me of wanting Ethan’s money, she’d been asking Ethan to buy her

limited–edition designer bags.

She said friends like them didn’t keep score.

Riding in Ethan’s car was just catching a ride with a friend.

Using Ethan’s connections to land a job was just one friend helping another.

Even the hotels on her international vacations had been paid for by Ethan.

Someone posted sarcastically: [Got it. It’s only gold digging if you’re dating him.]

Sloane exploded in the group chat.

[Like none of you ever took anything from Ethan? Why am I the only one getting dragged?]

[You’re all a bunch of fair–weather friends. His girlfriend leaves and suddenly you need me to be the scapegoat?]

No one answered.

Within half an hour, she had been removed from more than a dozen group chats.

Women she’d mocked in the past started speaking up too.

One woman had barely exchanged two sentences with Ethan before Sloane called her an escort.

Another wore a designer dress to a party and Sloane followed her around asking who her sugar

daddy was.

Sloane always claimed she was just blunt, that she never meant any harm.

But when other people were blunt with her, she couldn’t take it.

Sloane called Ethan dozens of times.

He didn’t answer once.

That afternoon, he boarded a flight to Saudi Arabia.

The next day, I’d just finished a site meeting when I saw him outside the project office.

Ethan clearly hadn’t slept all night. His shirt was wrinkled, and dark circles sat beneath his eyes.

It was the first time I’d ever seen him look so disheveled.

Before, no matter how desperately I’d rushed to see him, he’d always sat at the center of the room, immaculate and composed, watching me like I was part of the entertainment.

Now he was the one who had flown thousands of miles to find me.

“We need to talk.”

“We already talked on the phone.”

“Then talk to me face–to–face. Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”

I checked the time.

“Five minutes.”

Ethan followed me downstairs.

He reached into his bag and took out the watch I’d sold back to the boutique.

“I bought it back.”

His name was still engraved on the back.

I looked at it once.

“If you like it, keep it.”

“Im not here for the watch. I’m trying to tell you I know I was wrong.”

“Wrong about what?”

“I shouldn’t have believed Sloane. I shouldn’t have let them humiliate you. And I never should’ve let anyone use your background as a joke.”

Ethan’s voice was hoarse.

“You’re not a gold digger. You never wanted my money.”

I looked at him calmly.

“So you came all this way because you finally decided I wasn’t a gold digger?”

“No. I came because I want you to come back.”

“Ethan, Sloane handed you the knife.”

I pushed the watch back against his chest.

“But every single time, you were the one who drove it in.”