He Pushed Me Out of His Car, Now He’s Begging on His Knees

When Ethan got home, I was in the walk-in closet trying on clothes. Ever since he publicly mocked me a year ago, saying nothing I wore could ever look as good as Chloe, I hadn’t bought a single new outfit. Ethan walked up to me, ripped the dress I was holding out of my hands, and threw it into the trash. "Why are you even trying? No matter how you dress, you can’t hide how cheap you look." He tossed a rose gold necklace, which didn't even have a box, into my lap. "Chloe bought this for you." "The poor girl was terrified by you. She even deleted her Instagram post and insisted on buying you a gift to apologize." I looked down at it. The clasp was slightly discolored. It didn't look new at all. "How generous of her." Ethan looked at me, kicking my leg lightly with his shoe. "Call Chloe and apologize right now. Let’s get this over with. I won't hold a grudge." "How old are you anyway? Do you really think you’re still a teenager, throwing tantrums and getting jealous all day?" I threw the necklace into the trash and didn't touch my phone. Ethan’s face darkened instantly. He shoved me hard. "What the hell is your problem? Chloe already apologized to you. Is this how you ruin her good intentions?" He shoved me with so much force that it tore at the old scar on my chest—an injury I got years ago when I saved his life. I clutched my chest, my body trembling from the sudden, sharp pain. Sensing my reaction, a flash of panic crossed his face. "I'll get your medicine." I looked up at him, my lips pressed tight, saying nothing. In the drawer of our nightstand, there was a positive pregnancy test. I had just found out a few days ago. I had planned to give Ethan this surprise on Valentine's Day, but now, it seemed completely unnecessary. Ethan rushed back with the medical kit. He rummaged through it for a long time. "I swear the painkillers are always in this spot." "Why are they..." He stopped midsentence, a guilty look flashing across his eyes. He probably just remembered that a few days ago, when Chloe had severe cramps, he had rushed out of the house with all the painkillers to find her. If this had happened in the past, I would have demanded answers like a madwoman, forcing him to find a way to get my medicine back. But this time, I thought about it and decided to let it go."It's fine. I can handle the pain. It'll pass." Besides, now that I was pregnant, I couldn't just take painkillers anyway. "Handle it? I'm not too broke to buy you painkillers. Wait here." Just as Ethan was about to head out, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and answered immediately. "Ethan, I have a fever. Can you take me to the hospital?" Her voice was tiny, trembling with tears. She sounded so fragile and helpless. "Where are you now?" Ethan’s voice was filled with panic, terrified that something might happen to Chloe. "I'm at home. It’s so late... before you come over, please let Clara know. I don't want her to misunderstand." "Misunderstand what?" Ethan glanced at me a few times. "What I do is none of her business." He hung up the phone and got ready to leave without even looking at me. "Ethan," I called out. He paused, his voice filled with impatience. "Clara, Chloe has a fever. I have to go check on her. Your chest pain is an old issue. You won't die if you wait a bit. Stop being so dramatic." Right. Her fever was a life-or-death emergency, while my deep scar was just me being "dramatic." I forced myself to ignore the pain and pointed at the car keys on the table. "Don't forget these." He froze for a second, picked up the keys, and looked at me. "Once I get Chloe settled, I'll buy your medicine." I didn't say a word. I just watched his retreating back. I waited at home for a long time, but Ethan never came back. When the pain became unbearable, I called my OB-GYN. She told me my pregnancy was highly unstable and advised against taking any medication. She urged me to come to the hospital immediately. I called an ambulance. Just as I was about to rest for a bit, I saw Chloe’s new Instagram post. "No matter what happens, your shoulder is always my anchor. It feels so good." The attached photo was a shot of Ethan’s back as he stood at the registration desk in the emergency room. She made no effort to hide how much Ethan cared about her. The comments section was flooded again: Oh my god, girl! Isn't that the same guy who gave you the 999 roses? Did you actually lock him down? Spill the tea! Is he really a beast in bed? Chloe replied with another blushing emoji. She didn't say yes, but she didn't deny it either, leaving everything to the imagination. A few minutes later, Chloe sent me a video on Snapchat. It was Ethan picking up her medicine. In the video, Ethan’s eyes were full of worry, constantly lecturing her to take care of herself. She texted: Clara, please don't worry. I'm really sick and at the hospital. I saw right through her little games. But for some reason, my heart still ached. Six months ago, I was feeling incredibly sick and asked Ethan to accompany me to the hospital. Do you know what he said? He said, "Clara, I'm not a doctor. Stop calling me for every little thing." "Do you have any idea how valuable my time is? A single minute of mine could close a multi-million dollar deal. Stop annoying me." In the end, I had dragged my weak body to the hospital alone, where I ran into his friend, Tyler. "Clara? Why are you here alone? Ethan didn't come with you?" I looked at Tyler, nodded politely, and said, "He’s busy. He didn't have time." "Right. I just saw him walking out of the OB-GYN department with Chloe. He definitely doesn't have time." My heart went cold. I made an excuse to leave, but Tyler blocked my path. "What’s the rush? Since we ran into each other, why don't we grab dinner?" "No, thank you. I'm not feeling well. I'll have Ethan invite you to dinner another day." Tyler sneered with utter disdain. "You? Please. You still think you’re with Ethan? I thought you guys broke up ages ago." I stared at him, anger rising within me, but he suddenly grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the empty fire escape. "Do you know what Ethan told me the last time we hung out?" "He said you’re completely boring and stiff in bed. He told me I should take you and teach you a few things."I stared at him in disbelief, my heart racing with pure fury. I couldn't believe those disgusting words had actually come out of Ethan’s mouth. Seeing him lean in to kiss me, I fought with everything I had. I finally managed to break free. But as I ran out, I saw Ethan at the other end of the hallway, holding Chloe’s waist intimately. "Ethan!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The man at the end of the hall didn't even flinch. He kept his arm around Chloe’s waist and walked away. As Chloe left, she looked back at me. Her eyes were filled with pure, mocking triumph. Even she could hear me. There was no way Ethan didn't. He just chose to ignore me. That night, Ethan came home very late, his face dark with anger. He immediately demanded, "Why did you hit my friend at the hospital today?” “ Just because I didn't go with you, you took your anger out on Tyler? Clara, you are completely out of your mind." Faced with his roaring anger, I brushed my hair back, exposing the red, swollen side of my face. Tyler was a grown man, and the physical difference between us was huge. I couldn't even touch him. He had twisted the story completely. "Did you go to the hospital today and not get your meds?" He didn't even ask how I got the bruise on my face. I took a deep breath and told him everything that had happened in the stairwell. The more he listened, the uglier his expression became. "What kind of lies are you telling now?" "I know Tyler way better than you do. Are you making up stories about my friend just to get my attention?" "Using something like this to get back at me... you are unbelievable!" "You're not even his type. I must have been blind to marry such a paranoid, jealous woman." A five-year crush, two years of dating, and three years of marriage. So this was who I was in Ethan's eyes. Ten years of devotion, and I couldn't even get a shred of his trust. Every single word he said sliced through my heart. I didn't say another word to him that night. I went straight to the guest room. The next morning, he bought breakfast and apologized to me. He said he was sorry, and that he shouldn't have said those harsh words. I used to think a simple breakfast could heal my broken heart, because Ethan rarely admitted he was wrong. But I was wrong. When I saw how Ethan ran around serving Chloe at the hospital, my heart still burned with pain and unfairness. I clenched my fists and sent a message to my college mentor, Ryan. "Is your associate Jessica free? I want her to help me draft a divorce agreement." The next time I woke up, it was because Ethan was making noise in the room. He stood by the bed, looking down at me. "Are you feeling better?" His tone was cold, completely devoid of any real concern. I pulled the blanket tighter around myself. "I'm fine." Seeing my movement, he frowned. "Why are you hiding? Is there any part of your body I haven't seen? Get up. I'm taking you out to eat." I bit my lip and said nothing. I didn't want to fight with him anymore, so I changed my clothes and followed him downstairs. "We'll eat first, then buy some medicine to keep at home." "No need. The wound is mostly healed. It doesn't hurt unless I apply pressure." Ethan stared at my face for a few seconds before speaking. "True. It’s been so many years. It should have healed by now." "It’s much better when you don't play the victim. I might actually respect you a bit more." A mocking smile touched my lips. So all these years, when my scar hurt, he thought I was just "playing the victim." Back then, I had pushed Ethan out of the way and took three stab wounds for him. I almost died on the operating table. How could it not hurt? Seeing that I was quiet, Ethan started the car and began explaining why he didn't come home last night. "I was planning to come back, but I couldn't just leave Chloe alone at the hospital. She’s just a young girl." "Of course. She really needs you to look after her." Ethan suddenly made a sharp turn and slammed on the brakes. I lurched forward, almost hitting my forehead on the dashboard. "We're here." I murmured an agreement, opened the car door, and prepared to step out. Suddenly, a ring rolled out from under the passenger seat.I looked down. It was the "Blue Starry Night" diamond ring. It had been auctioned off for $35 million to a mysterious buyer. I never expected that buyer to be Ethan. He bent down to pick it up, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Chloe must have dropped it in my car by accident. I'll give it back to her another day." He probably thought I didn't recognize it. But I studied jewelry design in college, and I always kept an eye on the high-end luxury market. "I understand. Young girls are always clumsy," I replied half-heartedly. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I wanted to leave, but he dragged me toward the restaurant. "I want to go home first." "Clara, stop throwing a tantrum. You just said you understood. What are you mad about now?" "My stomach hurts..." My face was pale from the pain. If Ethan had cared even a little bit, he would have noticed. I forced myself to finish the meal, then begged him to take me home immediately. "You're such a buzzkill. Eating with you is like being rushed to a funeral. Is your time really more valuable than mine?" Halfway home, his phone rang. It was Chloe. "Ethan, where are you? I was shopping with my friends, and now I can't get a cab. It’s so hot out here. Can you come pick me up? I'm going to get sunburned." A fond, indulgent smile appeared on Ethan’s face. "You little troublemaker." His voice was incredibly gentle. "Wait for me. I'm on my way." Seeing Ethan about to make a U-turn, I grabbed his wrist to stop him. "Don't go." "Clara, what is wrong with you now?" His face darkened, his eyes burning with anger. "I'm keeping you with me precisely so you won't misunderstand. I'm being completely transparent, yet you're being so petty." "When will you ever be as sensible as Chloe?" He slammed on the brakes. "If you don't want to come, get the hell out of my car. Stop wasting my time." "Take me to the hospital first. After that, you can do whatever you want. I won't care." I could clearly feel warm blood trickling down my inner thighs. "Chloe won't die from a sunburn, but I might!" "Clara, enough is enough! You used to use your chest scar to get my sympathy, and now you’re threatening me with death? I'm going to pick up Chloe today no matter what. Let’s see if you actually die!" Tears filled my eyes out of pure terror. The bleeding was getting worse. I screamed in absolute desperation, "Ethan, I'm begging you! I'm pregnant! I'm bleeding out! Please take me to the hospital!" "Pregnant?" He sneered. "Wow, you're amazing. You can get pregnant whenever it's convenient for you, huh?" "You really will do anything just to stop me from seeing Chloe." "Get the hell out of my car. I don't want to see your face." Ethan pointed at the door, roaring at me, "Bleeding out? You look perfectly fine to me. Don't ruin my leather seats!" Numb with pain, I was about to open the door when he suddenly locked it. "Are you sure you won't come with me to pick up Chloe?" "No!" "Fine! If you don't come today, we are getting a divorce. If you can’t accept the people around me, then get the hell out of my life." "Divorce?" I hadn't even brought it up yet, and he was the one demanding it over something so ridiculous. I caught my breath. "Fine. Since you want a divorce so badly to be with Chloe, I’ll give you what you want." "I've already had my lawyer draft the papers. I'll have them sent to you."