He Thought I’d Always Stay—Then the Countdown Hit Zero Chapter 06

He Thought I’d Always Stay—Then the Countdown Hit Zero Chapter 06

The scene that morning finally ended when building security escorted Ethan out.

He stood outside for a long time, even after I had disappeared from sight.

My world was quieter over the next few days.

Rachel helped me contact a family-law attorney to prepare for a contested divorce filing.

Ethan refused to sign.

He seemed to lose his mind, sending me dozens of text messages every day.

[Natalie, I passed your favorite flower shop today and bought you lisianthus.]

[I cleaned the entire house. When are you coming home?]

[Do you really not want me anymore?]

I ignored every message.

The concern I had once treasured now felt ridiculous.

I left work early on Friday afternoon and planned to buy groceries at a supermarket near Rachel’s apartment.

The moment I stepped outside, I saw a familiar black sedan parked at the curb.

The window lowered.

Ethan sat behind the wheel, looking haggard.

“Natalie, get in. We need to talk.”

He didn’t rush over and grab me this time.

His voice was heavy with exhaustion and pleading.

I ignored him and headed toward the light-rail station.

He immediately got out and followed me.

“Natalie!”

He blocked my path.

“Give me ten minutes.”

“If you still want the divorce after that, I’ll sign.”

I stopped.

I looked at him.

“Fine. Ten minutes.”

We sat down in a coffee shop on the corner.

Ethan ordered the warm milk I used to drink and pushed it toward me.

“Your stomach is sensitive. Don’t drink anything cold.”

He was trying to awaken my memories with small details.

I didn’t touch the milk.

“Talk.”

Ethan looked at my cold expression.

Under the table, his hands twisted tightly together.

“Chloe… I fired her.”

He drew a deep breath as though he had made an enormous sacrifice.

“I didn’t make her repay the entire loss. I only told her to leave the company.”

He looked at me with hopeful expectation, almost waiting to be praised.

“There’s no one standing between us anymore.”

“Come home with me. Please.”

I looked at him.

Then I looked at the countdown above his head, which had surged to:

[412 days]

It was almost absurd.

“Ethan, do you honestly think everything will go back to normal just because Chloe is gone?”

He froze

“Won’t it? Isn’t she the reason you’re doing this?”

I shook my head.

“This isn’t about her.”

“It’s about you.”

I picked up the cup of warm milk and felt the heat against my fingers.

“You were always feeling sorry for her. You thought she had it hard, so you opened doors for her, lent her your jacket, and ran out in the middle of the night to rescue her.”

“Every time you softened toward her, did you ever remember that you were also someone’s husband?”

Ethan interrupted me urgently.

“It was just sympathy! I never loved her!”

“I know.”

I looked directly into his eyes.

“You didn’t love her. You loved being needed. You loved being thanked.”

“You used your kindness to maintain the image of a perfect man.”

“And you stepped on me to do it, turning me into a jealous, unreasonable wife.”

The color drained from Ethan’s face.

He looked as if someone had slapped him in public, his lips trembling.

“I… I didn’t.”

“You did.”

I put down the cup.

“Do you remember the fourteenth of last month, when we found her in the rain?”

“You said she was cold, gave her my blanket, and forgot our anniversary dinner.”

“Do you remember last Wednesday? I had a fever, but when she locked herself out, you abandoned me and stayed away all night.”

With every sentence, Ethan’s expression grew more defeated.

“Every time you said it was nothing, every time you called it sympathy, you destroyed a little more of my faith in you.”

“Ethan, your kindness is cheap.”

“You give it to whoever looks most helpless.”

“I don’t want that kind of cheap love.”

I stood and looked at my watch.

“Your ten minutes are up.”

“Sign the agreement.”

I turned and walked out of the coffee shop.

Behind me, a glass shattered.

I didn’t look back.