Ethan’s mother walked in quietly, carrying a bowl of warm porridge in her hands. She moved gracefully, her usual composed demeanor slightly softer than usual. Without a word, she sat on the other side of Ethan’s bed, placing the bowl on the bedside table.
She turned to Mia and offered a small smile. “Don’t worry,” she said gently. “Ethan’s father has gone to discuss the cancellation of the marriage with your father.”
Mia blinked in surprise. “Really?”
Ethan’s mother nodded. “I made sure of it.”
Mia didn’t know what to say. She had expected resistance, another battle to fight. But now… was it really ending just like that?
Before she could process her thoughts, Ethan’s mother turned her attention to Ethan. She reached out and gently shook his shoulder. “Ethan, wake up.”
Ethan stirred slightly, his brows furrowing before his eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked exhausted but managed to focus on his mother.
“You need to eat,” she said, her voice softer than Mia had ever heard it before.
Ethan sighed, clearly still weak, but he didn’t protest when his mother scooped a spoonful of porridge and carefully brought it to his lips.
Mia watched in silence as Ethan accepted the food, his mother patiently feeding him as if he were a child again. There was something deeply intimate about the moment—something Mia had never seen before.
Ethan, the strong, confident man she had always known, looked vulnerable in his mother’s care. And his mother, the woman who always seemed distant, was now looking at him with nothing but warmth in her eyes.
Mia suddenly felt like an outsider. This wasn’t just about her anymore. Ethan had his own struggles, his own wounds. And for the first time, she saw a glimpse of what he had been missing all his life.
As Ethan slowly ate, his mother stroked his hair, her voice gentle. “You need to take care of yourself, Ethan. You don’t have to handle everything alone.”
Ethan didn’t respond, but Mia could see something shift in his expression—something raw, something real.
For the first time, she wondered if Ethan had ever truly been happy.
After feeding the porridge to Ethan finish, she left the room.
Mia told him that his mother said they will cancel the marriage and he answered saying he knew.
Then something kept bothering her so she asked,
"You remember you said you liked someone, your first love, ....
...was that me".
And then Ethan answerd saying,
"Yes"
Mia stared at him, her heart skipping a beat. She had suspected it, but hearing it from him directly felt different. Ethan looked away, his expression unreadable.
“So… it was me?” she whispered.
Ethan nodded, but his face remained calm, as if it no longer mattered. “Yes,” he admitted. “But forget about all that now.”
Mia frowned. “Forget?”
Ethan let out a small chuckle, though there was no humor in it. “Yeah. Just forget I ever confessed to you.” His voice was quiet, almost tired. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Mia opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She had spent so much time fighting this marriage, so much time pushing Ethan away, but now… why did it hurt to hear him tell her to forget?
She lowered her gaze. “Why are you saying that?”
Ethan exhaled slowly. “Because it’s pointless, Mia. You love Alex, don’t you?”
Mia didn’t answer immediately. She liked Alex—she was sure of that. But right now, something about Ethan’s words made her feel uneasy.
“I just wanted to know,” she finally said, forcing a small smile. “That’s all.”
Ethan gave a small nod, as if that was the answer he expected. “Then you have your answer.”
Silence filled the room, heavy and tense.
Mia looked at him one last time before standing up. “You should rest.”
Ethan didn’t stop her as she walked toward the door. But just before she stepped out, she hesitated.
For some reason, she wanted to say something—anything—to ease the strange tightness in her chest.
But in the end, she didn’t.
She walked out, closing the door behind her, leaving Ethan alone in the quiet hospital room.
Mia sat quietly in the car, staring out the window as her father drove. She had gotten what she wanted—the wedding was finally called off—so why did she feel so uneasy?
Her father’s voice broke the silence. “Ethan’s father seemed really worried,” he said, gripping the steering wheel. “The doctor said he hasn’t been sleeping or eating well for a while now. I never thought he would take things this hard.”
Mia turned to her father, surprised. He had always been so firm, so unyielding about this marriage, but tonight, he sounded… different.
“He’ll be fine,” she muttered, trying to push away the guilt creeping into her chest. “He’s strong.”
Her father didn’t respond, just nodded slowly.
When they got home, Mia went straight to her room. She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, but sleep wouldn’t come.
Why does this bother me so much? she thought. Ethan was the one who wanted to call off the engagement, yet now he was the one suffering.
She picked up her phone and stared at the screen. She wanted to text him, just to check on him, but then she remembered—he had told her to forget. To forget his feelings.
With a sigh, she dropped her phone and closed her eyes.
The next morning, Mia decided to distract herself. She went to school, eager to see Alex. Maybe spending time with him would make her feel better.
As soon as she arrived, she found Alex waiting for her by the school gate, smiling.
"Hey, I missed you yesterday," he said.
Mia forced a smile. "Yeah, sorry. Something came up."
Alex frowned slightly, noticing her lack of enthusiasm. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she lied.