He Didn’t See Our Son Suffocate, He Saw Her Concert Tickets Chapter 04

He Didn’t See Our Son Suffocate, He Saw Her Concert Tickets Chapter 04

I was too stunned to react. The taste of blood spread through my mouth.

“I lured her? I don’t even have her phone number.”

Ethan didn’t bother listening. He just grabbed me and dragged me to the hospital. The whole ride was lurching chaos — my son was screaming in terror, and Ethan didn’t so much as flinch.

In Vivian’s hospital room, she was curled up and trembling. The second she saw me, she flung herself into Ethan’s arms.

“I’m so scared. I’m so scared.”

Before I could process what was happening, the five burly men at the door all turned to me, bowing and scraping.

“Miss Shaw, we followed your instructions to the letter. Took care of her good. So — you satisfied?”

I frowned, completely lost.

“I don’t even know these—”

Before I could finish, Ethan shoved his phone in my face.

“Still trying to lie? What the hell is this, then? These threatening messages — they’re from you! And you actually paid people to do this? Do you have any idea that’s a crime?”

I stared at him, my mind reeling, and pointed at Vivian, who was lying in that bed with a barely concealed smirk.

“Who do you believe — me, or her?”

For just a second, he wavered. Then the men pulled out their chat logs — conversations between “me” and them.

“Boss, the bank transfer records are all still here. You can’t just deny it. See?”

“Or maybe we didn’t go far enough — you think we went too easy on her? Just say the word. Next time, we’ll make sure she can never show her face in public again.”

I looked up, helpless, and met Ethan’s eyes. They were frozen over.

He believed them.

He roared, “All of you — get the hell out! If any of you lay another finger on Vivian, I swear you won’t live to see another sunrise!”

They traded glances and scrambled out of the room.

My feet felt bolted to the floor, heavy as concrete.

Ethan walked toward me, his expression subzero.

“Apologize to Vivian. Now.”

I held my crying son tight and just stared back at him.

“I didn’t do it,” I said again.

Vivian, pale as death, grabbed his arm. “If she doesn’t want to apologize, just let it go. I deserve it anyway. I took their immigration spot. I had it coming.”

The more she played the martyr, the more disappointment flooded Ethan’s eyes when he looked at me.

He clenched his jaw. Then he let out this cold, hollow laugh.

“Your nutcase mother went insane after she was assaulted. What about you — are you crazy too? You want everyone else to end up just as wrecked as you two?”

I froze. Something inside my chest cracked wide open.

That was the nightmare of my entire life. And he’d just taken it and twisted it straight into my heart.

A tear slipped down my face before I could stop it. That’s when he realized what he’d said.

“Fiona, I—”

I looked at his face — the face of a stranger — and understood, with absolute clarity, that this marriage was a joke.

I looked at Vivian. I looked at him. Without a second thought, I scooped up my son and walked out.

Behind me, his roar chased me down the hallway. “If you won’t apologize, then don’t you ever come back!”

I didn’t stop walking.

Fine. We won’t.

…

Ethan went home, pulled open the car door, and just stood there staring at the flowers and gifts he’d bought. My behavior had rattled him in a way he couldn’t name. He wasn’t ready to cave. Not this fast. But after wrestling with it, he grabbed the stuff and headed inside.

The second he pushed the door open, his feet stopped dead.