The Eve of Our Forever, He Chose Her Chapter 04

The Eve of Our Forever, He Chose Her Chapter 4 Everything I Built Was Stolen
There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone.
Then Ethan clicked his tongue impatiently.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he said. “Why would Maya take your stuff for no reason?”
“It was her, Ethan!” I shouted. “I checked the security cameras. Tell her to give my things back right now!”
“You’re seriously insane,” he scoffed. “You actually went and checked the cameras? I think you’re just looking for an excuse to make Maya miserable—”
Before he could finish, a sharp cry suddenly came through the phone.
It was Maya.
A loud crash followed, like something heavy hitting the floor.
My stomach dropped.
A second later Maya’s trembling voice came through the line.
“Ethan… what should I do?” she said, almost crying. “I accidentally dropped Daphne’s camera. It’s broken… the memory card shattered too…”
For a moment my mind went completely blank.
Then I forced out the question that mattered most.
“What about the USB drive?”
Maya sounded confused.
“The USB drive?” she said slowly. “I… I’m not sure. I think I might have lost it somewhere.
“We were having so much fun earlier… maybe it fell out.”
The last bit of hope inside me collapsed instantly.
“Why did you touch my things?!” I yelled. “Do you have any idea how important those files were to me?”
“Daphne, stop yelling!”
Ethan’s voice cut in sharply.
“It’s just a camera,” he said coldly. “If it’s broken, I’ll buy you a new one.
“And if the drive is lost, then it’s lost.
“They’re just photos. Go take them again.”
He paused before adding with obvious contempt,
“Anyway, who would even want to look at the stuff you shoot?”
Every word felt poisonous.
So this was how he saw my dreams.
My work.
My entire year of effort.
Just a joke.
“Ethan,” I said hoarsely, tears finally spilling down my face.
“You really have no heart.”
There was silence on the other end.
I ended the call.
Then I collapsed onto the floor of the empty apartment and cried.
I cried until it felt like every last tear inside me had run dry.
The room was silent.
The world was silent.
And something inside my chest finally died with it.
……
Half a month later, the trip finally came to an end.
At the airport, Maya turned to Ethan again.
“Ethan, don’t go home yet,” she said with a smile. “Let’s grab dinner together.”
But this time Ethan shook his head.
“No,” he said. “I should go home first. Daphne’s been pretty pissed this time. She hasn’t sent me a single message in two weeks.
“I’ll probably have to calm her down.”
Maya’s expression stiffened slightly.
“I thought you told her to reflect and stop contacting you.”
Ethan snorted.
“Whatever. I’ve had my fun. I’m not going to hold it against her forever.”
His tone sounded almost generous.
Like forgiving me was some kind of favor.
On the way home, Ethan could already picture the scene.
Daphne would look hurt.
Maybe sulking.
Maybe angry.
But in the end she would soften.
She always did.
However, when he pushed open the apartment door—
He was greeted by darkness.
Complete silence.
A faint sense of unease crept into his chest.
“Daphne?”
He reached out and flipped on the lights.
The living room was empty.
The bedroom was cold.
Every trace of the other person who had once lived there—
was completely gone.
Ethan froze.
The suitcase beside him slipped from his hand and crashed onto the floor.