The Dress Fitting He Promised I Would Not Attend Chapter 05

The Dress Fitting He Promised I Would Not Attend Chapter 05

Ethan stared at the phone after the call ended. A wave of frustration hit him for reasons he couldn’t name.

He’d been drunk the night before. When he woke up, Lily was in bed with him.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Whitmore. You were drunk and you grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let me leave, so I helped you… wipe you down…”

The way her face flushed with embarrassment reminded Ethan of Claire.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Then he cleared his throat.

“It’s fine. You can go.”

Last night, he’d thought the person next to him was Claire. That’s why he didn’t let go.

Lily bit her lip. She wanted to say something else. But Ethan was already pulling out his phone to make a call, so she slipped out quietly.

He opened his messages with Claire.

She hadn’t texted him first in over a week. She hadn’t replied to any of his messages either.

He put two and two together.

Claire was still mad about what happened between him and Lily.

He sighed.

She was great in every way, except when it came to her stubbornness.

When he was younger and dumber, all he wanted was to make her happy.

But things were different now.

He was the head of Whitmore Group. Reputation mattered.

He couldn’t let people think she still had him wrapped around her finger.

Taking Lily to Silverport had been a whim.

Plus, he didn’t want to be tied to the Hastings family for everything.

The partnership between their families went back generations.

He wanted to make his own mark. He didn’t want to just coast on what had already been built for him.

It was just one deal, a big one, and he changed it.

Ethan didn’t understand why Claire couldn’t let it go.

But the more she wouldn’t let it go, the more he doubled down.

She couldn’t interfere with his decisions. She couldn’t challenge his authority as the man in charge.

Lily was just amusing, someone to toy with when he was in a good mood.

And it sent a message to Claire. He wasn’t going to orbit around her anymore.

Other women would come near him. That was normal.

People grew up.

She needed to learn how to be a proper Mrs. Whitmore.

With that thought, Ethan tossed his phone aside and headed to the bathroom.

Two more days passed.

Claire still hadn’t contacted him.

Ethan sat in his office, distracted.

Even his grandpa could barely stand to look at him lately.

He thought about the way Claire and his grandpa had interacted at the birthday party. Something about it felt off.

They acted like they were saying goodbye, even though they saw each other every day.

Then it hit him like a lightning bolt.

Something was wrong.

He grabbed his phone and called again.

“The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.”

He’d been blocked.

His other number, the one he barely used, still went through.

Ethan was stunned at first. Then he got angry.

She was getting more impossible by the day.

Lily walked in carrying some files.

“Mr. Whitmore, there’s a new coffee shop that opened in the mall next door. Will you come with me to check it out?”

Ethan glanced at her. He was already in a bad mood.

“Do I look like I have nothing better to do? Did the company hire you to show up and waste time?”

Lily’s eyes got teary. She pouted. “Mr. Whitmore, why are you being so mean to me?”

Ethan closed his eyes.

“When you’re at work, act like it. If you don’t have anything to do, leave.”

Lily was upset. She didn’t understand why he’d been so strange lately.

But she didn’t dare ask. She didn’t want to ruin the image she’d cultivated.

The office went quiet again.

Ethan spun a pen in his fingers. His chest felt tight.

Then he remembered something.

He made a call. “Schedule an appointment for my fiancée to try on wedding dresses tomorrow. I’ll be there with her.”