Ethan threw himself onto his bed, frustration boiling inside him.
Ethan (muttering):
"I'm so sick of this… what's wrong with her? Why does she hate them so much?"
He ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts restless.
"They're kind… they've always been kind. And Mom… she only thinks about money. I just don't understand."
His eyes slowly closed, but his mind drifted back—
Four Years Earlier
A small town.
Late at night.
Fifteen-year-old Ethan was asleep in his room when a loud voice suddenly woke him up.
He sat up, heart racing.
The noise was coming from his parents' room.
Carefully, he walked toward the door and peeked through the small gap.
His mother's voice was loud and trembling with anger.
Mother: "Tell me—who is she? Why does she keep calling you?"
His father sounded irritated.
Father: "She's just a colleague. Nothing more."
Mother: "Then why is she messaging you 'I miss you'? Why are you not picking her calls?!"
Her voice broke as she shouted—
Mother: "Who is she?!"
His father snapped.
Father: "Enough! I don't want to explain anything to you."
Ethan's small hands tightened against the door.
Mother (bitterly): "Fine… you don't want to explain?"
Father: "Yes. I'm done with this. I don't want to live with you anymore."
Ethan froze.
Mother (in shock): "What…?"
Father (coldly): "I want a divorce."
The world around Ethan felt like it had stopped.
He already knew the truth.
His father had been having an affair for over a year.
But hearing it like this… still hurt.
After the Divorce
Everything changed.
His father disappeared from his life completely—
as if he had never existed.
Ethan hated him for it.
Life became difficult.
Very difficult.
His mother struggled to manage everything alone. Money was always a problem. Some days were harder than others.
But during those times—
Jessica's family was always there.
They helped whenever they could, never expecting anything in return.
And one day…
Jessica's mother gave them enough money so they could move to the city.
That one help changed everything.
His mother found a job in a well-known company. Slowly, their life improved.
But somewhere along the way…
She changed.
Back to Present
Ethan opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling.
Ethan (softly):
"Mom… how can you be so selfish after all that…"
He sighed deeply.
Ethan: "This is so hard…"
Just then, his phone rang.
At Katrina's House
After dinner, Katrina spent some time with her mother before heading back to her room.
She lay down on her bed, holding her phone.
Her eyes kept checking the screen.
No missed calls.
No messages.
She sighed softly.
Without thinking much, she called Ethan.
But—
"The number you are trying to reach is currently busy."
Katrina slowly lowered her phone and placed it beside her.
Something didn't feel right.
She got up and walked toward the balcony.
The cool night air brushed against her face.
And the first thing she saw—
Ethan.
Through the window.
Talking to someone on the phone.
Smiling.
A genuine, soft smile.
Katrina's eyes stayed on him.
Katrina (thinking):
Who is he talking to… so happily?
After a moment, Ethan ended the call.
Katrina turned and walked back inside.
Just then—
Her phone rang.
She picked it up quickly.
Katrina: "Hi, Ethan."
Ethan: "Hey… sorry, Katrina. Jessica called me, that's why I couldn't call you back."
The moment she heard the name—
Jessica.
Something inside her shifted again.
A strange, uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest.
Katrina forced a normal tone.
Katrina: "Oh… I see."
But inside—
Katrina (thinking):
So… it was her.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
And without realizing it…
That quiet discomfort was slowly turning into something deeper.