Chapter 4

At this point, it wasn't just the keyboard warriors online, but even dating agencies from across the country started lining up to introduce Ethan to potential matches. Some internet celebrities even showed up at his place, picked his lock, stripped, and streamed themselves on his bed trying to seduce him. Ethan turned them all down until his voice was hoarse and his hands ached from shoving people out, but the waves kept coming. Eventually, he changed the bio on all his social media accounts. "Only one love in my heart. Waiting for her return in this lifetime." Then, he posted a tearful apology video, pleading for me to come back. I knew the only reason he didn't show up at the hospital was because I had a restraining order in place, forbidding him from coming near me. The video went viral. The internet swooned over his devotion, while sending me straight back to the top of the trending hate list. "She deserves to die in loneliness!" "Do you even have a heart? He's such a good man; why can't you just forgive him?" "Alexis, I'm telling you right now—get back to your ex-husband, or I'll make sure you regret it." I replied beneath them, "Oh, I'm shaking. Oh yeah, I'll be right here. If you're so capable, go ahead and teleport through the Wi-Fi and hit me yourself!" The threats didn't scare me, but they did scare Ethan. He posted another video almost immediately. "If anything happens to Alex, I'll die with her. Please stop hurting her. She's just a grieving mother who lost her child." In the video, his eyes were red. His voice trembled. "Alex, if I've done anything wrong, tell me and I'll change—anything, as long as you don't leave me. If you come back, I'll cut ties with Sabrina right away." I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck. Disgusting. He was still dreaming that I'd go back so he could then break up with her. Hopefully, the cheating bastard and his little tramp stay chained together for life. God would forbid them ever to break up. The internet, however, collectively lost its mind. "Ugh, I wish I could marry him." "He's a national treasure—pure husband material." "You don't deserve him, bitch! He's way too good for you." "Better take him back, you wicked witch, or there are millions of us lined up to marry Mr. Blake—and you'll be out of luck." Overnight, Ethan shot to the top of the "Most Eligible Bachelor in the Country" list. Even grade school essays started showing up online with lines like, "When I grow up, I'm going to marry Mr. Blake!" I nearly choked laughing. Scrolling through the trending feed, I casually posted an update. "I get it, I get it. You all want to be his dream girl in the day and his forbidden passion at night. Too bad his heart belongs to me. "No chance for you, sweethearts," I wrote and added a tacky meme below for good measure. My DMs blew up instantly. The messages read, "Are you insane? Are you even a woman?" "She's beyond saving. Someone who knows Ethan in real life, tell him to drop this trash. How could a man like that stay with someone like her?" That was funny. Who was really dropping who here? "Breaking News: I'm officially accepting husband applications. The second my single period's up, I'm walking down the aisle. "All men over 20 are welcome to apply. Six-pack abs get priority. Limited spots available on a first-come, first-served basis ." The comment section was nothing but mockery. "You? Who'd want you?" "Wouldn't take you if you were free." I just smiled, posted a full list of my assets, and attached a sultry dance clip for good measure. The caption read, "My husband lifted me to the clouds, and I'll rain gold back on him." I was hot and loaded. Tell me, what man wouldn't be tempted? It didn't take long for the flood of insults in my inbox to be buried under piles of resumes from eager suitors. And they weren't just local. They came from every corner of the country. My legal team was suddenly busy filtering through applications. That was when Ethan finally snapped. He disguised himself as a food delivery guy and slipped into the hospital, clutching a random takeout box, looking desperate and disheveled. "You're not on my shortlist for grooms," I said, hitting the elevator's close button. "Too old." He caught the door with his hand before it shut. His palm turned purple under the pressure, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let go. "Alex, Sabrina's dying. She wants to see you one last time. Please. She risked her life to save yours." His voice cracked. "Since my parents died, she's been my only family." The mention of his parents made my eyes lower, a flicker of coldness passing through them. But my expression didn't change. I leaned lazily against the wall, letting out a short scornful laugh. "So what? Did I ask her to take that hit for me? People die every day. She dies, she dies. You just lost a kid—perfect chance to cremate them together. Saves money for you." The color drained from his face completely. "And by the way," I added, "I've already lined up my next guy. He's picking me up tomorrow when I'm discharged. Don't bother coming again." Rage tightened his jaw, his fists curling at his sides. He spat, "Alexis, why do you have to be this cruel?" I rolled my eyes, done wasting breath with him, and turned to leave. But just then, Ethan lunged at me. His hand came down hard in a sharp smack to the back of my neck. Before I could react, the world went black. When I came to, I was lying on a cold examination table, my wrists and ankles strapped tight to each corner of the table. The sharp sting of disinfectant filled my nose. "Alex, don't be afraid. You're just sick. I'm going to help you." Ethan looked down at me, his voice so sweet it was nauseating. For the first time in a long while, I laughed without holding back. "So, you finally couldn't resist showing your true colors."