My Fiance Kissed His First Love After She Pushed Me Down the Stairs Chapter 08

My Fiance Kissed His First Love After She Pushed Me Down the Stairs Chapter 08

When Ethan was ten years old, he’d killed a vicious dog that had charged at me.

At fourteen, he’d gotten into a fight with local gang members because they threatened me.

As he grew older, he became even more reckless.

He charged through life like a hurricane, leaving both our families with constant headaches.

Over the years, I’d heard nothing about him.

I’d honestly thought he’d finally grown up.

Apparently, he’d only gotten worse.

After the confrontation at the coffee shop, Gautier and Vivian still refused to leave.

Ethan’s patience lasted about ten seconds.

Then he kicked over an entire table.

Security bundled them up and threw them out.

Gautier looked ready to argue.

But Vivian was crying so hard that he ultimately took her to the hospital instead.

After all that chaos, business was ruined for the day anyway.

Ethan locked the doors early and sat down with me.

He handed me a cup of coffee.

“Your favorite hand-ground roast.”

His grin widened.

“I picked every bean myself.”

“I’m impressed you still remember what I like.”

I took a sip.

The bitterness nearly made me choke.

Looking up and seeing Ethan’s thoroughly entertained expression, I immediately realized I’d been tricked.

Again.

The second I glared at him, he threw both hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay. Don’t kill me.”

Then he smoothly changed the subject.

“You disappeared for ten years because of that guy?”

He shook his head dramatically.

“Do you have any idea how boring my life has been? Nobody to argue with. Nobody to fight with. Nobody to keep things interesting.”

Over coffee, Ethan filled me in on everything I’d missed.

His family had arranged countless blind dates.

Most of the women left in tears.

Not because they disliked him.

Because he terrified them.

They tried sending him overseas.

He refused.

They tried forcing him into the family business.

He called it boring.

Eventually, the Caldwell family gave up entirely and let him open a coffee shop on the corner instead.

Then Ethan suddenly became serious.

His teasing disappeared.

“Do you know why I never left?”

His eyes locked onto mine.

“Because I knew you’d come back someday.”

For a moment, my heart skipped.

Memories I’d buried years ago slowly resurfaced.

The summer afternoons.

The fights.

The laughter.

The reckless boy who’d always stood beside me.

As the evening wore on, the atmosphere grew warmer.

Maybe it was the moonlight.

Maybe it was the alcohol.

Or maybe it was Ethan.

By the end of the night, he reached across the table and took my hand.

“Marry me, Chloe.”

His grip tightened slightly.

“We belong together.”

He snorted.

“As for Gautier Sauveterre? That pretty-boy billionaire isn’t good enough for you.”

Then, for the first time all evening, his voice turned completely sincere.

“If you marry me, I’ll change.”

He smiled softly.

“I’ll take over the family company.”

“I’ll be responsible.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Maybe the moonlight was too beautiful.

Maybe the wine had gone to my head.

Whatever the reason, I found myself staring into Ethan’s eyes.

And somehow…

I nodded.

After one unforgettable night together, we announced our engagement to both families.

Ethan’s mother, Eleanor Caldwell, nearly cried from happiness.

Within hours she had gathered relatives from both sides to discuss wedding plans with my parents.

Before leaving, she grabbed my mother’s hands.

Her eyes were shining with tears.

“Thank God.”

She laughed helplessly.

“Someone finally figured out how to handle that little devil. If Chloe keeps him under control, I might actually live a few years longer.”

My mother clearly had her own concerns.

Specifically, that I might somehow be fooled by Gautier again.

As a result, she picked the earliest wedding date available.

If she could have arranged the marriage license today and the wedding tomorrow, she absolutely would have.

With both families working together, the ceremony came together surprisingly fast.

And it was perfect.

Almost.

There was one final complication.

Gautier.

He arrived near the end of the reception.

He stood in front of me and poured out everything he’d been holding inside.

He said he finally understood his heart.

He said he’d realized the person he truly loved had always been me.

He said he would spend the rest of his life making up for his mistakes.

“All those years,” he said quietly, “I confused obsession with love.”

His eyes were filled with regret.

“I took for granted the person who was always beside me.”

He swallowed hard.

“It wasn’t until you left that I realized the one I truly loved was you.”

Then he continued.

“The ten years we shared together can never be replaced.”

A bitter smile crossed his face.

“Vivian was never love.”

“She was just an obsession.”

“A fantasy I used to escape reality.”

Maybe he meant it.

Maybe he didn’t.

At that point, it no longer mattered.

I’d already found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Without responding, I turned away.

Security escorted Gautier out.

And this time, I never looked back.

After the wedding officially ended, Ethan wrapped an arm around my waist.

A mischievous grin appeared on his face.

“You know why Gautier changed his tune so suddenly?”

I raised an eyebrow.

Ethan laughed.

“Because I mailed him Vivian’s old photos.”

He shook his head.

“Honestly, I never would’ve guessed that sweet little act was fake.”

His grin widened.

“That girl had quite a past.”

He whistled.

“Poor Gautier. Finding out must’ve shattered his entire world.”

Everything suddenly clicked into place.

The truth was, I’d received those photos too.

Not only had I sent them to Gautier, but I’d also leaked them to major media outlets.

If Vivian wanted to destroy other people’s lives, she could experience what it felt like to lose everything herself.

Thinking about it now, Ethan had been absolutely right.

We really were perfect for each other.