Chapter 2

Ethan left his office feeling devastated. His mind was scattered, making it impossible for him to distinguish between right and wrong.

"What should I do?!" Ethan asked himself in frustration.

"Darn it! Why does this have to happen? Why him?! I never even imagined he'd stoop so low as to blame me like this."

Ethan ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He had been foolish to trust that jerk.

He then sat down by the side of the road, letting the sounds of passing vehicles dominate his ears.

Beep! Beep!

For a while, Ethan just daydreamed, until he felt his phone vibrating and ringing in his pants pocket.

He took out his phone, looking at the name of the person causing it to ring.

"Amelia?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, looking at his phone.

Ethan then walked a little further ahead, trying to find a quieter spot where he could hear his sister's words clearly.

He answered the call from his sister, trying not to sound suspicious.

"Hello, Brother Ethan."

"Hello, Amel, what's up? Why are you calling me repeatedly like this?"

Ethan tried to keep his tone neutral, hoping his sister wouldn't suspect anything.

"Can you come home, Brother Ethan? Mom isn't doing well. She's experiencing complications with her heart. Mom needs to have a pacemaker installed, but she can only be moved to the operating room once all the hospital bills are paid in full."

Ethan fell silent.

Just when he was facing such a big problem, he had to hear this unpleasant news from his sister.

"What kind of test is this, God?" Ethan muttered, unsure of what to do next.

"Brother Ethan? Can you still hear me?" Amel asked from the other end of the phone.

Ethan snapped out of his reverie.

"Yes, Amel. I'm out here. I'll send you the money soon. I'll make sure Mom gets the treatment she needs as soon as possible."

Shortly after that, Ethan ended the call. A few moments later, his phone rang again, this time he received a call from Aldo, his neighbor in the apartment building.

Ethan frowned, wondering why his neighbor was calling him out of the blue.

"Hello, Aldo?" Ethan asked once the call was connected.

Before Ethan could inquire about why the man was calling him, the man cut him off.

"Hurry home! Your stuff is being thrown out by the apartment owner! He's furious and told me to contact you immediately!"

Ethan froze. He wanted to scream and ask loudly what kind of fate God had created for him.

As he was about to hail a motorcycle taxi, Ethan stopped in his tracks when he saw a woman and a man buying dim sum at a Korean food stall. It wasn't about the man in the black suit; Ethan was focused on the woman beside him. Her hair, the curves of her body, her height, and the way she stood were all very familiar to Ethan.

But who was the man next to her? Since the man had his back to Ethan, he couldn't see him.

Ethan rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't mistaken and that his sight was indeed correct, confirming that the woman was his girlfriend. Curious, Ethan decided to approach.

"Milena!"

Milena and the man beside her turned simultaneously. Ethan's eyes widened in surprise when he saw who the man next to Milena was, especially since they were currently holding hands.

"Mr. Manager?"

Ethan stared in disbelief at what was before him, but Mr. Manager's words instantly made Ethan's blood boil.

"Yes, it's me, Ethan."

Before Ethan, Mr. Manager kissed Milena's hand, indicating that they were a couple.

"What does this mean, Milena?"

Ethan stared at Milena and demanded an explanation from his girlfriend. Despite already drawing conclusions, Ethan still needed to hear an explanation from the woman who had been his girlfriend for the past 2 years.

"Yes, as you can see, Ethan. We are a couple." Milena turned and kissed Mr. Manager's hand, displaying even more affection in front of Ethan.

Ethan shook his head, unable to believe what he had just heard. "No, Milena, you're joking, right? We're a couple and you love me, don't you?"

Milena laughed at Ethan's words, clasping her hands together and staring at Ethan with a disdainful look.

"When did I ever love you, Ethan? I was just playing with you. Besides, you're poor and just a regular employee, even facing the threat of being fired," Milena said with a sardonic smile.

Ethan shook his head, sure that Milena couldn't really be speaking like this. He tried to reach out and touch Milena's hand, but suddenly, a strong push came from Mr. Manager.

"Hey, Ethan! Are you stupid? Can't you hear what Milena said? It's clear that Milena was just toying with you, and we've been in a relationship for almost a year now."

Mr. Manager smirked, feeling victorious because the woman beside him would undoubtedly choose him over Ethan.

"Remember, Ethan! You're just a poor man, don't expect to be on par with Milena."

Mr. Manager and Milena openly humiliated Ethan in front of many people. They even dragged Ethan's parents into it, until Ethan's fists clenched tightly, accepting their insults.

"I won't stay silent, I will definitely retaliate against you. And as for you, Mr. Manager, I'm sure you're collaborating with Niko. You set me up, didn't you? Is this because of Milena?"