Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Ethan suddenly scooped me up with his good hand. Before I knew it, I was on the bed, and he was on top of me, pinning me down.

His hands were on either side of me, and the white bandage on his arm was quickly turning red.

"Your wound," I blurted out.

Ethan ignored my words, staring at me with this intense, stubborn look, like he was trying to see right through me.

"I'm not getting a divorce. I don't agree," he said, dead serious.

Watching the blood spread on his bandage, I hated to admit it, but my heart ached.

"Can you lie down properly? I can't talk to you like this." I tried to hide my worry.

Ethan pouted a bit, looking at me like a hurt puppy.

"Okay, but you have to lie down with me."

He was being so stubborn, like a kid. If I didn't agree, he'd just stay like this, bleeding all over. He was using his own body to make a point. I gave in. "Fine, but no touching."

Ethan's lips curled into a satisfied smile, and he nodded. "I'll just hold you, and I promise not to move."

I lay down, and he settled beside me, holding me like he always did. I sighed, feeling helpless.

"Ethan, don't you think we're just not right for each other?"

Ethan held me tighter, his breath warm on my neck. "No one is a perfect match from the start. Love and marriage take work."

I shook my head. "We've been working at it for so long. I thought we'd get there, but we're just not right."

"I say we are, so we are," Ethan said, sounding unreasonable.

I didn't know what to say.

Then he pleaded, "Honey, don't give up on me so quickly. Give me a few days, and I'll surprise you. Just a few days, okay?"

I could only sigh. I thought about it. My marriage with Ethan was nothing like it was with Arthur.

When things ended with Arthur, all I felt was hate. But with Ethan, it was different. He treated me well, and made me happy. Sure, he brought pressure and pain too, but I didn't hate him. Even when he made that choice, I was just disappointed, not hateful.

After all, he didn't marry me out of love, so finding out I wasn't his top priority wasn't a shock. I just hoped we could part on good terms. But thinking about the baby inside me, I felt a deep sadness.

I couldn't use the baby to tie Ethan down or sway his decision.

"Ethan, sometimes there's a gap between what we want and what's real. Even if the dream is small, it can still be out of reach."

He rubbed his chin against my hair. "Distance doesn't matter. If you keep moving towards your dream, you'll get there."

I smiled bitterly, remembering something from the past.

"Back in school, Bella loved the toast from the bakery by the gate. It was five bucks, while the others were three. She gave me one once, and I could tell the difference. I always missed that taste, but toast was a luxury for me. I was poor, and I had to stretch every penny. Spending five bucks on toast was out of the question. Life's like that; wanting something is one thing, but reality is another."

Ethan intertwined his fingers with mine. "Honey, now is different. You have me."

But I didn't dare rely on him too much.

Ethan continued, "That bakery is now a listed company. It started as a small bakery. Back then, they probably never imagined they'd grow so big. So dreams are possible. With effort, they can come true." "I can't argue with you," I said, feeling helpless.

He chuckled softly, "Alright, don't think everything is so hard. What are your dreams? What kind of life do you want? Think about it. We have a long life ahead of us. We can take our time and get there."

After that night, I never thought I could lie down and chat with him so calmly. It felt unreal. I didn't know when the conversation ended, but he eventually fell asleep.

I touched his forehead; the fever was gone.

Last night at Faris's house, I barely slept. Now, I felt sleepy. In the familiar room, bed, and arms, I felt a wave of security. I didn't want to get lost in it again, but I still fell asleep. Thunder woke me, and Ethan was gone. I searched the villa but couldn't find him. When I opened the door, a damp chill hit me.

His car wasn't in the yard. Did he go out?

He was still injured; where could he have gone?

I pulled out my phone to call him, but the ringtone came from upstairs. I followed the sound and found his phone under the pillow.

He didn't take his phone, so he should be back soon. But he left so quietly, like he was hiding something from me. He really was a mystery, one I could never fully figure out.

Facing such a mystery was exhausting.

The rain outside got louder, and I walked to the balcony. Standing there, I felt the cool, refreshing dampness of the rain hitting me. I couldn't see the rain clearly in the dark, but the sound told me how heavy it was. At that moment, I was more awake than ever.

I remembered a few months ago when I went to the hospital for a check-up. I really wanted a child back then. Now that the child was finally here, but at the wrong time, I didn't feel the joy I had imagined.

I slowly caressed my abdomen, my heart filled with countless conflicts. I silently told myself to give us another chance, and to give the child a chance to have a father's love, one last chance.

About half an hour later, I finally heard the sound of a car.

I stood on the balcony without moving.

In the past, I would have rushed downstairs to open the door and welcome him. But I didn't want to do that anymore. I didn't want to be a woman whose life revolved only around him. A woman whose life was only about a man and love was very sad; once she lost it, she lost everything.

After entering, Ethan must have seen I wasn't in the room, and his voice was filled with tension as he called out, "Emily."

I turned and walked inside, and he breathed a sigh of relief, striding over to hug me with one arm. His clothes were damp, and his hair was a bit wet.

"Honey, I thought you left," he said, not hiding the panic in his voice.

"In such heavy rain, where did you go? The doctor said your wound shouldn't get wet," I said calmly.

He released me, a handsome smile spreading across his face.

"I didn't get wet, just the outer layer of my clothes."

"How did you drive with an injury?" I asked.

He continued to smile. "I can manage with one hand. Besides, this little wound is nothing." Then he lifted the item in his hand.

The shopping bag prominently displayed the logo of the bakery we had talked about earlier.

"As long as you want it, no matter the wind or rain, I'll make it happen," he said emotionally.

His words were touching! I couldn't help but feel my heart race.

He handed me the bag. "Try it and see if it still tastes the same as before."

Since he braved the storm to get it, I felt I should eat some.

But after just one bite, I couldn't help but rush to the trash can and vomit.

"What's wrong? Is it that bad?" Ethan quickly handed me water and patted my back.

After I recovered, I hesitated and said, "My stomach feels uncomfortable."

"Should I take you to the hospital?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No need."

Ethan said, "If you don't want to eat, don't force yourself."

I looked at him and pointed to the toast.

"Then you eat it all!"

He was stunned for a moment, and I said, "You went so far to get it; we can't waste it."

After a moment, he smiled and said, "Alright, I'll eat it."

While he ate, I went to wash up. When I came out of the bathroom, the toast was indeed all gone.

I was planning to sleep in the guest room, but Ethan quickly blocked the door, his face stern.

"You're sleeping here."

We were still married, and insisting too much would seem pretentious, so I didn't say anything and got into bed.

Ethan could still manage to brush his teeth and wash his face with one hand.

I lay on my side, facing inward.

After a while, Ethan came out of the bathroom, lifted the blanket, and the bed sank behind me. Then an arm naturally wrapped around me.

I stayed still, pretending to be asleep.

He seemed to kiss my hair, slowly moving towards my earlobe and my face. The hand holding me tried to turn my body.

"I'm tired," I said.

He didn't push further, lying down behind me, finding my hand, and holding it. Only then did he say, "If you're tired, then sleep."

I was indeed tired, but the thunderstorm was too loud, and I couldn't fall asleep.

Moreover, the clear change in a certain part of his body told me he was restless. I guessed he wasn't asleep either.

When the doorbell rang, I didn't know what time it was, but it was urgent.

Ethan released the hand holding me and took out his phone to open the security system. I turned over and looked at his phone screen. Although the person at the door was drenched, I still recognized it. I got out of bed faster than Ethan and ran downstairs.