Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

"Why don't you crash at my place for now?"

When I said that, everyone looked at me like I had three heads, especially Ethan, who stared at me like I was a total stranger.

I turned to Faye and said, "You're new around here. Staying at a guesthouse or hotel ain't safe. Better to stay with us so we can keep an eye on you."

Faye glanced at Ethan, looking both nervous and hopeful. "Isn't that kinda inconvenient?"

I bet she was secretly thrilled.

Ethan lit a cigarette, blew a smoke ring, and smirked at me. "Emily calls the shots in our house."

That was Ethan's way of showing Faye who's boss.

After dinner, as we were leaving the restaurant, Bella pulled me aside.

"Emily, you blew me away. You nailed it. I didn't get it at first, but now I do. Your move shows you're generous and makes Ethan think you're super understanding."

I replied, "Plus, it's easier to keep tabs on someone when they're right under your nose."

Bella nodded. "Exactly. If she stayed at a hotel, she could call Ethan in the middle of the night with some excuse and meet him there. Who knows what could happen? Emily, you're sharp." Bella gave me a thumbs-up.

I just smiled.

This was the only way. Since I could see her intentions weren't pure, it was safer to keep her close.

That night, we took Faye back to the hotel to grab her stuff.

We waited in the car forever, and she still hadn't come down. Ethan kept checking his watch, looking either annoyed or worried.

I said, "I'll go check. Maybe she has too much to carry. I can help."

Since Faye's roommates were all girls, it wasn't cool for Ethan to go. So he stayed in the car.

I asked the front desk for her room number and took the elevator up.

From a distance, I saw her room door was open, and I could hear voices inside before I even got close.

"Faye, I saw you get out of a Maybach. Only the rich can afford that. Tell us, did you snag a wealthy guy?"

"Of course, Faye is so pretty and has a great figure. What man wouldn't like her?"

"Stop joking. It's my brother-in-law," Faye said, without any anger.

Someone kept joking. "A rich brother-in-law, how lucky."

"Faye, I remember you said your sister passed away. So, you have a chance now. Why let an outsider benefit?"

"Yeah! Affairs between a man and his sisters-in-law do happen a lot."

I stood in the hallway, clearly hearing their conversation.

I shook my head. What were these young girls thinking about all day?

I took a deep breath and walked over. They were so into their conversation that they didn't notice me standing at the door.

I knocked lightly, and they stopped gossiping and looked over.

Faye was startled for a moment and seemed uneasy, probably guessing that I had heard their conversation.

I said, "I'm here to help you with your luggage, in case it's too much to carry."

There were three other girls in the room. They looked at me, then at Faye.

Faye dragged her suitcase out and said sensibly, "It's okay. My luggage is simple, just this one suitcase."

I nodded and turned around. Under the gaze of the other girls, we entered the elevator.

In the narrow elevator, neither of us spoke.

Thinking about it, calling Ethan her brother-in-law wasn't wrong. It was better than saying he was her man.

Outside the hotel, Ethan took the luggage and put it in the trunk. Then we all got in the car and headed back to the house.

Once inside, Faye looked around, her eyes showing a bit of the innocence typical of her age.

It seemed like it was her first time here. Eight years ago, Ethan probably didn't have this house.

Ethan went to take a shower, and I showed her around downstairs, explaining the kitchen, bathroom, fridge, TV, and other common appliances. Then, I took her upstairs to the guest room.

I showed her how to use the switches, household appliances, cabinets, dressing table, and the shower valve in the bathroom.

"You must think I'm some bumpkin from the countryside. I actually know how to use these things."

Her words sounded off, but her innocent smile left me speechless.

After a moment, I forced a smile and said, "Maybe I overthought it. I just didn't want you to feel awkward asking. It's good you know. I hope you feel comfortable here. Let me know if you need anything. It's easier for women to communicate." Faye nodded and smiled at me. "Emily, you're so kind."

She sat at the dressing table to remove her makeup while I changed the bed sheets.

After removing her makeup, she opened her suitcase and started organizing her toiletries.

I looked at her, and even without makeup, her face was full of collagen, with exceptionally good skin.

I used to have that kind of beauty. But those days are long gone.

"Everyone says my eyes look a lot like Fiona's. By the way, Fiona's best feature was her eyes. Emily, do you think they look alike?" She suddenly held up a photo frame next to her face, smiling sweetly.

The photo of Fiona was a close-up, artsy shot, really stunning.

But right then, I couldn't care less about comparing their eyes or their looks.

I stayed silent, and I bet my face didn't look too friendly.

Whether she was clueless or just pretending, Faye put the photo frame on the bedside table. "This time, I have to get a good ranking in the competition. It's my dream and my sister's dream. I'll carry her dream forward; she is my strength." I said, "Put the photo away."

Faye turned her head, looking at me all innocent. "Emily, what's wrong?"

Could she really not know?

I marched over, grabbed the photo frame, and shoved it into her hands. "Put it away. I don't want a picture of a dead person displayed in my house."

Faye took the frame, her head down, looking all sad.

Then, with a crash, the frame slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.

She suddenly started crying, like a kid who'd been wronged. "Emily, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken out Fiona's photo. If you don't like it, I'll put it away. This is the only photo I have of my sister, and now it's broken." She squatted down to pick up the broken glass, but a hand pulled her up.

Ethan turned his head slowly and looked at me with a coldness that made me shiver.

Faye kept crying like she'd been seriously wronged, even though she dropped the frame herself.

I thought she shouldn't pursue singing; she should go into acting. She'd definitely be a hit.

"Don't cry. The photo is fine; it's just the frame that's broken. You can get a new frame and put it back in." His tone was gentle, the same gentle tone he used to comfort me.

My heart felt like it was being stabbed, causing a sudden pain.

Faye, like a scared bird, shrank closer to Ethan, whispering, "No need, I'll just put it away."

"I said put it back in a frame!" Ethan suddenly shouted, startling both of us.

He didn't look at me again. In his mind, I had deliberately broken Fiona's photo.

His anger was directed at me.

My heart shattered, and my eyes stung with tears.

"Ethan, I should leave. I'll stay at a guesthouse. It doesn't matter if it's shabby." Faye timidly held Ethan's hand, continuing her act.

I didn't explain anything because I knew it was useless. Ethan had already judged me guilty.

Before the tears could fall, I turned and rushed back to my room.

Closing the door, I leaned weakly against it, and the tears finally fell.

I hadn't expected to lose the first round, to lose to a young girl.

In my memory, he had never been so cold, so harsh to me.

And this was only Faye's first day here.

Was it right or wrong to let Faye stay at our house? I felt like I had shot myself in the foot.

That night, Ethan didn't come back to our room.

The next morning, as I opened my door, the study door opened, and Ethan came out.

I glanced at him briefly, then looked away without emotion and walked downstairs.

I was still angry, and I thought he was too.

The kitchen already smelled of food.

Probably hearing footsteps, a head peeked out from the kitchen door.

"Ethan, Emily, you can sleep a bit longer. I'll call you when breakfast is ready." She was wearing my apron as if nothing unpleasant had happened last night. But the incident had left a knot in both Ethan's and my hearts.

Faye's thoughtfulness and understanding made me seem unreasonable.

Soon, Faye called us for breakfast.

I couldn't let her feel like a servant, or my situation would only get worse. So, I went to help serve breakfast.

She had made spaghetti, and it looked pretty good.

As I was about to serve it, she was adding soup to each bowl.

I didn't know if I was distracted or if she did it on purpose, but a ladle of soup spilled all over the back of my hand.

I screamed in pain, jumping and shaking my hand.

In an instant, a figure rushed in and grabbed my wrist.

Ethan stared at my scalded hand, his brow deeply furrowed.

Whether he felt any concern, I couldn't tell.

He turned on the faucet and put my hand under the running water.

Faye kept apologizing. "Emily, I didn't mean to. Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Hearing her insincere words, I completely lost my appetite.

Some of the soup had splashed on my clothes. I pulled my hand away and said, "I'm going to change," then fled upstairs.

I had just taken off my clothes when the door opened.