He Abandoned Me On Snowy Mountain Chapter 02

He Abandoned Me On Snowy Mountain Chapter 02

The sky was pitch black by the time the truck pulled up to the lodge doors.

“My team’s camp is three miles ahead,” Brooks said, rolling down the window.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.”

I nodded, pushed the door open, and stepped out.

The lodge lobby was brightly lit.

I walked to the front desk and gave them Ethan’s name.

The receptionist checked the computer and handed over a key card.

“Mr. Ethan canceled the original king suite and swapped it for two separate twin rooms.”

I took the key card without a word.

The elevator stopped on the third floor.

I found the room along the hallway, scanned the card, and pushed the door open.

The heater was blasting inside.

Amber was sitting on the sofa by the window.

She was wearing my silk pajamas.

She held my face cream, slathering it onto her skin.

Hearing the door open, she turned around, a flash of guilt flitting across her face.

“Hazel, you’re finally here.”

She stood up, awkwardly tugging at the hem of the pajamas.

The bathroom door swung open right then.

Ethan walked out, drying his hair with a towel.

Seeing me, he paused for a fraction of a second.

“What took you so long?” His tone carried a distinct edge of blame.

I didn’t answer, my gaze dropping entirely on Amber.

That pair of pajamas was bought just last month.

The cream was specifically prepared for this trip.

Ethan followed my line of sight and frowned.

“Amber’s suitcase is jammed at the very back of the truck bed. I didn’t feel like digging it out.”

“Her skin is sensitive and she can’t stand the cheap hotel stuff, so I told her to use yours first.”

He walked over, reaching out to grab my hand.

“It’s just a piece of clothing. You’re not going to blow up over this too, are you?”

I stepped past him, walking straight to the sofa.

I picked up the face cream, along with the used cleanser next to it, and pitched them directly into the trash can.

“Hazel!” Ethan’s voice shot up instantly.

Amber’s eyes welled with tears, and she took two steps back in fright.

“Ethan, don’t blame Hazel. It’s all my fault.”

“I’ll take the clothes off and give them back right now.”

She started unbuttoning the top, massive tears spilling down her cheeks.

Ethan immediately shielded her behind him.

“Have you had enough?” He glared at me.

“Leaving you at the rest stop was wrong, but it happened for a reason.”

“Who the hell are you throwing a tantrum for all the way down the road?”

Looking at his furious face, I felt a wave of complete estrangement.

Before, even if I got a tiny scratch, he would panic and drive out in the middle of the night to get medicine.

Now my lips were blue from the cold, and the only thing he saw was whether Amber’s brow was furrowed.

“Take it off.” Looking at Amber, my voice was dead quiet.

Amber shrank back, gripping Ethan’s arm tighter.

“Hazel, don’t cross the line!” Ethan hissed through gritted teeth.

“I said, take it off.” I didn’t raise my voice.

Amber ran into the bathroom, sobbing.

A few minutes later, she walked out wearing her own sweater.

The silk pajamas were left sitting at the foot of the bed.

I walked over, pinched them with two fingers, and dropped them into the trash bin.

“You are completely unhinged,” Ethan laughed out of sheer anger.

He grabbed Amber’s hand and pulled her toward the door.

“We’re going to the next room. We won’t stay here to annoy you.”

The door slammed shut with a heavy thud.

The room fell into absolute silence.

I walked to the sink and splashed cold water on my face.

Looking up, the version of me in the mirror was deathly pale.

It was almost funny. Five years with Ethan, and this face had never experienced true happiness.

I dried my face and pulled out my phone.

Opening my email, I found the message that had been sitting there for a week.

It was a core project transfer from the Munich headquarters.

A week ago, just to complete this Rocky Mountain trip with Ethan, I had submitted a rejection request.

Now, I hit reply.

“I accept the transfer. I can start in three days.”

The chime confirming the sent email echoed clearly in the quiet room.

Done with that, I crawled under the covers.

The headache from the altitude sickness was still torturing my nerves.

Yet, I felt lighter than I ever had before.

Muffled laughter drifted from the room next door—Ethan and Amber keeping their voices low.

They probably thought I would go over and apologize first thing tomorrow morning, just like always.

Too bad for them. There was no tomorrow.