Chapter 3

Maybe Ethan hadn't expected me to actually do it, but when he saw me fall, his face instantly paled. "Penny!" he shouted, not being able to stop himself. Until the last second before I blacked out, I saw the four of them rushing toward me in panic. When I opened my eyes again, I had already been sent to the hospital. Xander and the other two were surrounding my bed. Relief filled their eyes when they saw me awake. "Penny!" Xander reached his hand toward me, but I instinctively pulled away. His hand froze in midair as he stared at me in shock. "Penny, what's wrong? I just wanted to check your injuries." As if suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly explained, "We only did that because we were flustered." "Yeah, we didn't expect you to let go," Henry chimed in. Kyle handed me a bowl of soup. I frowned as I took it, only to realize it had already gone cold. Ethan wasn't here. He must be with Julia now. If it had been in the past, I would have made a scene. But now, I didn't care about anything anymore. I lowered my eyes, finishing the soup quietly. "Penny, I know you still haven't forgiven us. Maybe you don't even want to see us right now, but we'll apologize," Xander uttered anxiously. Kyle quickly added, "We'll pick out a gift for you as an apology right away. You just focus on resting." Henry looked at me, hesitant to speak. I only nodded calmly, signaling that they could leave if they wanted. Xander and Kyle left the room in high spirits. Henry, on the other hand, glanced at me and called my name softly. When I gave no response, he walked out slowly and looked back every few steps before finally leaving the ward. A few minutes later, Julia sent me photos. I had no idea when she got my number. But from the moment she started sending me pictures, I knew that Ethan and the others were already starting to lean toward her. The people in the photos were the very same three who had just left my ward. They were gathered around Julia, their faces filled with affection. Xander was thoughtfully handing Julia a towel, while Kyle was animatedly telling her a story, gesturing wildly to make her laugh. Henry, unable to get a word in, simply sat at the side. He seemed entranced by Julia's smiling face. Ethan stayed by Julia's side the entire time like her knight. All of this had once belonged to me. I stopped looking at the photos and turned off my phone screen. Then, I began practicing getting out of bed. My broken leg reminded me constantly that everything was already in the past. Now, Ethan and the others wouldn't hesitate to strike against me. They had once promised me that they would protect me for life and never let me get hurt, but now, those promises were nothing but history. Over the next two days, they didn't come to visit me again. My heart slowly began to settle. I booked a flight to Manova, as I would fly in five days. At the same time, I started looking into Sullivan Group's overseas projects. Just then, Ethan and the other three walked into my ward. I turned off my phone screen, but Ethan still caught a glimpse of it. He frowned slightly and scolded, "You haven't fully recovered yet, and you're already thinking about having fun. You don't take care of yourself at all." Xander and the other two quickly stepped forward to comfort me. "She must know her limits. Besides, if she wants to have fun, let her. We can take care of her." Kyle also nodded, looking at me with doting eyes. Meanwhile, Henry tried to reach for my hand. They acted as if nothing had ever happened before. Seeing the familiar expressions on their faces, I was dazed for a moment. For more than ten years, whenever I came up with some ideas or acted a little headstrong, Ethan would always scold me, while the other three would back me up. In the end, Ethan would just helplessly go along with whatever I wanted, and I would smile in triumph. I once thought those days would last forever. But when I thought of Julia, my gaze turned calm again. Ethan saw the change in my expression, his frown deepening. Panic suddenly welled up in his chest, as if something was slipping away bit by bit. He instinctively reached out a hand toward me, but his phone rang just then. Julia was calling him. Ethan froze for only a second before quickly choosing to leave. Xander and the others immediately did everything they could to cover for him, handing me the so-called carefully chosen apology gifts they had prepared these past few days. Without saying a word, I looked at them calmly and accepted all the gifts. The next day, I pushed myself to get discharged. Sullivan Group was holding an auction today. Since I was the host, I had to be there. Thankfully, when I fell from the second floor, I had paid attention to the angle, so I wasn't severely injured. That evening at the auction, I dressed extravagantly in a red custom gown that highlighted every curve of my figure. Not far away, Ethan escorted Julia toward the seats that had once been ours. Years ago, I had personally founded Sullivan Auction House. At the time, Ethan and Xander had given me their full support. They had even attended nearly every auction. Hence, when the building was constructed, I had deliberately left a section as our private area. It was filled with things we liked. Whenever I was tired, I would relax there with them. Even though I already knew Ethan had changed, watching him unhesitatingly bring Julia into a space that belonged only to me still sent a wave of pain through my chest. Ethan noticed my body stiffening, but he didn't care in the slightest. Xander and the others immediately gathered around. "Julia just wanted to take a look. We knew you'd be kind enough to let her, so we asked her to sit there." Seeing the flattery in their eyes and Henry reaching his hand toward me, I quietly avoided him and nodded casually. If I could give up on all of them, why would I care about that spot? With that thought in mind, I turned and walked toward another area. Xander and the others hadn't expected me to react that way, and they stood frozen in place. They exchanged glances with one another but still chose to follow me.