Chapter 7
Ethan glanced to the side. Zoey Shaw’s friends had all slipped away, leaving only her clinging to his arm. Catching his
look, she bit her lip and lowered her gaze.
“Jane, it’s my fault,” she whispered, her voice whispered. “I shouldn’t have badmouthed you to my friends. It was stupid-
just my pride talking. If you want to hit me or yell, go ahead, but Ethan didn’t know anything about it. Please, don’t drag him into this. I’ll take whatever punishment’s coming.”
Ethan gave her an approving look, then turned to me with a sigh.
“Come on, she just graduated-she’s young, still figuring things out. She’s already apologized, Can’t we just cut her some slack? Everyone deserves a second chance, right?”
Same old act.
Every time Zoey messed up, she’d pull this stunt-offer a tearful, fake apology-then Ethan would swoop in to smooth things over with his usual sweet talk.
I used to fall for it. Not anymore
I kept my head down, silently eating, refusing to engage.
Ethan’s face darkened. Zoey clenched her jaw, took a shaky breath, and suddenly dropped into a crouch beside me. She slipped off the watch and held it out.
“Jane, I really mean it-I’m sorry. Here, take the watch back, okay?”
She offered up the supposedly priceless piece like it was nothing. But I knew the truth-it was a fake. The real one had been pawned not long after she got it, traded for a fat stack of cash and replaced with a knockoff.
No wonder she could part with it so easily.
Ethan, clueless as always, nodded in approval at the gesture. Then he turned to me, visibly annoyed.
“She apologized. She gave the watch back. what more do you want?”
I finally set down my spoon and looked up.
“I’ve said it more than once-we’ve already quit, And we’ve got new jobs lined up. So stop wasting your breath. We’re not coming back.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, his voice sharp with barely concealed rage.
“Well, congratulations. Pulling this behind my back? Real professional. Do me a favor and don’t show your face here again!”
Realizing all his efforts to win me over had been for nothing, and catching the amused stares from my team, his face turned beet red. Without another word, he stormed off.
As soon as he was gone, Zoey dropped her pitiful act. She snatched the watch back and tossed me a smug little smile, Chapter 7
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flashing her victory like a badge of honor.
My team sprang to their feet, ready to explode, but I waved them down.
Let someone else deal with a man like Ethan-so fickle, so two-faced. I was done.
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