I Traveled Back Ten Years, Only to Witness His Love for Another Chapter 05

I Traveled Back Ten Years, Only to Witness His Love for Another Chapter 05

On the third day of being stuck here, I ran into Ethan at a spicy cheese fondue restaurant.

Unlike me, sitting alone, he was raising a draft beer, clinking glasses with his friends, then diving into the bubbling pot of spicy melted cheese with gusto.

So Marcus hadn’t been lying—Ethan really could handle spice.

But in three years with me, he’d never once touched anything spicy.

Even when we went out for fondue, his fork stayed firmly on the mild cheese side.

And he’d told me, “Honey, I really don’t like spicy food.”

Turns out, it was someone else who didn’t like spice.

How deep must his love have been, to reshape himself into someone else’s image?

In an instant, I had my answer—love or the lack of it, suddenly so clear.

But my chest only felt heavier.

Even breathing hurt.

How could he marry me with someone else still in his heart?

What did that make me—a compromise? A joke?

I couldn’t stand to watch anymore.

—

I tried to pay and leave, but Ethan, sharp-eyed, blocked my path.

“I’m pretty sure I warned you to stay away from me.”

I lowered my eyes, not wanting him to see my tears, but I couldn’t keep the sob out of my voice: “I was here first.”

He paused—not out of pity, how could he pity a total stranger?—just that his next words got stuck in his throat.

I didn’t want to fight anymore and turned to go.

He looked like he was about to say something else, but his phone rang.

I kept walking, but even from a distance, I could clearly hear the woman’s voice on the other end: “Ethan, stop texting me. Don’t you have a future wife now? I have someone I like too—his name is Grant. Let’s just leave each other alone, okay?”

It was Lily.

Ethan clutched the phone, his voice frantic:

“Lily, listen to me. I don’t know that crazy woman at all. She’s completely making things up. She’s just trying to ruin things between us. You have to believe me! I swear I would never fall for a lunatic like that!”

I didn’t know whether to call him stupid or just another fool blinded by love.

Lily was clearly using me as a convenient excuse to push him away, but Ethan couldn’t see it.

—

His voice dropped, his eyes sweeping over me.

“Lily, where are you? Tell me where you are. I just found that crazy woman. I’ll bring her to you—she’ll explain everything. If that doesn’t work, I’ll make her get down on her knees and apologize. Would that be enough?”

What gave him the right?

I was not going.

I quickened my pace, trying to get away, but Ethan grabbed me and held me there.

I screamed and cursed: “Ethan! You bastard! I’m not going! Let go of me! Let go!”

The size difference made my struggle laughable, tears smeared all over my face.

I must have looked pathetic.

Ethan didn’t show a trace of pity—he shoved me into the back seat and had one of his friends hold me down.

I couldn’t break free.

I was forced to listen as he spent a long, long time on the phone, soothing Lily.

“Lily, you have to believe me. You’re the only one in my heart. You know I’ve wanted to marry you since we were kids. I’ve never looked at anyone else…”

I thought I’d stopped hurting, but hearing it from someone else—and

—

seeing it with my own eyes—were two different things.

His voice was so humble, so pleading—like a dog begging for scraps.

Maybe, at first, there’d been a chance.

If twenty-eight-year-old Ethan could explain himself.

But right here, right now, eighteen-year-old Ethan was making me witness, with my own eyes, the full, overwhelming force of his love for another girl.

He was even willing to force me to kneel and apologize just to make her happy.

He was far too cruel to me.

More tears fell—I lost track of how many.

The car crossed half the city and finally stopped in front of a villa surrounded by blue roses.

Lily stood at the door, pouting, looking deeply reluctant.

Someone pulled me out, and Ethan came to grab me.

“Let’s go, crazy woman.”

I slapped him across the face with every ounce of strength I had.

“Ethan Shaw, you are a complete bastard!”

The crack echoed.

In the split second of shock that froze Ethan and his friends, I tore free and ran.

—

I ran without looking back, the wind screaming past my ears and cheeks.

I didn’t want to turn around.

I just kept running.

Then, suddenly, my finger felt lighter.

My wedding band—always so snug on my left hand—slipped free and hit the ground with a faint metallic ring.

I opened my eyes.

I was back in our bedroom, in our home.

The clock ticked.

Three minutes had passed in this world—three whole days over there.

So why was my face wet with tears I couldn’t seem to wipe away?