Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Everyone turned to look at us. I didn't want to argue in public, but Vivian's glare said she was ready to fight. Conflict seemed unavoidable. The waiter got Ethan's hint and smiled professionally. "Great choice, sir. This dress would look stunning on you, ma'am. Want to try it on?" As the waiter handed me the dress, Vivian snatched it away, fuming. "No way, I saw it first."

The waiter looked awkward, giving me an apologetic smile.

Vivian called out to Arthur, "Arthur, pay for it. I want this one."

Since Vivian claimed it first, the waiter had to sell it to her. "Ma'am, sir, this dress is $5,300. Please come over to pay."

I was shocked by the price, and Arthur looked stunned too. Spending $5,300 on a dress was out of the question.

"Arthur, pay up," Vivian demanded when Arthur didn't move.

Arthur hesitated and then said softly, "Vivian, this dress really doesn't suit you."

Vivian's eyes widened. "Are you saying my figure isn't as good as Emily's?"

"That's not what I meant," Arthur replied, looking troubled.

I felt emotional. When I was with Arthur, I never bought new clothes, and he always complained I didn't dress up. Now with Vivian, who dressed up but didn't consider his finances, he was clearly struggling. Ethan asked, "Are you buying it? If not, I will."

Vivian was too busy glaring at Arthur to notice Ethan taking the dress. She snapped back when she saw it in his hands.

"Do you like it?" Ethan asked me.

"I do, but..." I started.

Before I could finish, Ethan handed the dress to the waiter. "Wrap it up."

I quickly pulled him back. "I haven't even tried it on. What if it doesn't fit?"

Ethan's eyes slid over me suggestively. "Who knows your size better than I do?"

I blushed and whispered, "I think I've gained some weight recently."

Ethan smiled. "If it doesn't fit, you can just hang it up. You like it, right?"

I was too stunned to speak as Ethan handed over his card. A moment later, the waiter returned with the packaged dress and card.

Vivian watched me walk away with the dress she wanted, stomping her feet in anger. Ethan's generosity was the perfect blow, and I guessed Arthur would hear all about it later.

As Ethan and I left, Vivian, still fuming, rushed out after us. She headed straight for the elevator, and Arthur, unable to stop her, followed.

But I wasn't thrilled about taking Vivian's dress. After all, $5,300 was nearly my annual salary.

"Wasn't that a bit impulsive? That's impulsive spending," I muttered softly.

Ethan smiled, putting his arm around my shoulder and whispering in my ear, "Impulse is good. Being young means being impulsive. The real problem is when you can't be impulsive anymore." His breath tickled my ear, and I understood his hint, making me blush.

After leaving the mall and getting into the car, Ethan suggested going to a restaurant, but I firmly opposed it. "You already spent $5,300. Eating out all the time is too extravagant. Why can't we cook at home? It's more economical and hygienic. Or do you think my cooking isn't as good as the restaurant's?"

Ethan glanced at me and smiled, licking his lips helplessly. "Your cooking has the taste of home. It's definitely better than the restaurant's. Alright, I'll follow your orders. Let's buy groceries and go home."

I blushed again and turned to look out the window. It was already night.

Recently, Ethan's actions and words had made me feel like we were a truly loving couple. This feeling was so wonderful that I couldn't help but indulge in it. However, deep down, I still felt an inexplicable unease, fearing that this happiness would suddenly disappear.

After all, the more wonderful something was, the more it hurt when you lost it.

After dinner, while I was washing the dishes, I suddenly heard music coming from the living room. After finishing, I dried my hands and walked out.

Looking towards the source of the sound, I saw an old-fashioned stereo system in the living room, playing my tape of The Thorn Birds Band. Although it was an old-fashioned stereo, it was much more advanced than the tape recorder I had at home.

Ethan wasn't around, and after searching for a while, I found him on the balcony.

Scruffy hadn't been here long, but it was already cozy with Ethan, licking his hand and seeking attention.

Cats really were sensitive. They knew who treats them well. I'd never seen Scruffy this close to Arthur. "Where'd you find that?" I pointed at the stereo.NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.

Ethan picked up Scruffy, walked into the living room, and sat on the couch. "It's been around for a while."

I sat down too, listening to the music. Every time I heard The Thorn Birds Band, no matter how restless I felt, I quickly calmed down. It was magical.

"His singing is awful!" Ethan suddenly blurted out, breaking my immersion.

I glared at him. "It's great, okay? Don't you think the lead singer's voice is magnetic and sexy?"

Ethan, holding Scruffy, leaned back on the couch, smirking with a deep voice. "Magnetic? Sexy?"

"Yes!" I raised an eyebrow, standing my ground.

Instead of getting angry, his smile grew wider. Annoyed, I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "Are you still laughing?"

Ethan yelped and covered his eye with his hand.

I thought, 'How could a pillow hurt anyone?' But seeing him keep his hand over his eye, I started to panic and quickly walked over. "Did it hurt your eye?"

Ethan didn't move his hand, and I could see his brows furrowed deeply.

Eye injuries can be serious, so I stopped joking and quickly shooed Scruffy away, holding Ethan's head. "Let me see, move your hand."

Ethan slowly moved his hand, keeping his eyes closed.

"Can you open your eye? Try opening it," I said.

He slowly opened his eye, and I earnestly inspected his eyelid. Suddenly, he grabbed my waist, causing me to lose balance and fall over.

We ended up kissing. Realizing Ethan had tricked me, I angrily tried to get up, but he tightened his grip, kissing me a few more times before I pushed him away forcefully.

"What are you doing?" I was really upset because I had been genuinely worried.

Ethan, enjoying my frustration, unbuttoned one of his shirt buttons, revealing his collarbone rising and falling with his breath.

"You hurt me, so I need some compensation." His eyes deepened, and his voice turned suggestive.

Naturally, I thought "compensation" meant something sexual. Remembering Ethan's assertiveness last night, my face heated up, but he suddenly tapped my forehead. "What are you thinking? I just want you to cook me a few delicious meals to make up for it."

Realizing I had misunderstood, I felt incredibly embarrassed and raised my fist to hit him. "You jerk!"

Ethan caught my fist and, with a pull, brought me back into his arms. He whispered into my ear, his breath tickling me. "Don't be mad. If you want to compensate me with your body, I'm okay with that."

I knew he was up to no good again and quickly escaped from his embrace, picking up Scruffy from the floor.

A hand reached over from behind me, messing up my hair playfully. "Emily, you're blushing again! Why are you so cute?"

I turned around and threw Scruffy at Ethan. He caught Scruffy and fell back onto the couch, still smiling.

We were being playful, and he was laughing. Maybe this was how life should be. I thought life would continue peacefully like this, but I didn't expect everything to change the next day at work.

The next day, when Ethan dropped me off at work, he still parked the car a bit farther away.

When I arrived at the emergency hotline center, I saw a new face. Lisa introduced her as Charlotte White, the pregnant colleague who was here to complete her resignation paperwork.

Charlotte was sitting in a chair, looking like she wanted to vomit but couldn't, clearly feeling very uncomfortable.

Charlotte said she needed to go to the outpatient building to get her test results. Seeing her in such discomfort, I remembered how severe my morning sickness was when I was pregnant, so I completely understood how she felt and offered to get the results for her.

The administrative building where the hotline center was located was at the back of the hospital, with an inpatient department in between, and the outpatient building at the front.

I went to the second floor of the obstetrics and gynecology department, found Charlotte's test results at the lab center, and was about to leave when I suddenly stopped.

Not far ahead, at the entrance of the obstetrics and gynecology department, there were many people waiting. Ethan's striking appearance made him easy to spot. Standing next to him was a young woman with an innocent look, appearing to be about six months pregnant.

I didn't want to believe that woman had anything to do with him, but I couldn't deceive myself any longer. Because I soon heard the woman turn her head and call him "Ethy."