I had feelings for Ethan Collins for six whole years, and in the end, I still divorced him.

That very night, I ended up in bed with his so-called best friend, Evan Hawkins.

...

Married to Ethan for three years, and the guy never so much as touched me. I always thought he was just naturally distant. I mean, since day one, I’d never seen him show any warmth to anyone.

I used to be naive enough to think that love could be grown. That if I put in enough heart and effort, one day he’d actually care.

Then he dropped the bomb—his precious Miss Taylor was pregnant.

That’s when it hit me: I was such a joke. Pathetic, really.

So I did the smart thing—got the divorce and walked. Clean break. But yeah, heartbreak doesn’t just punch out on cue.

“Mind staying a little more focused here, huh?”

The guy above me noticed I’d zoned out. There’s a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Snapping back, I smiled and went in for a kiss...

By the time it was all over, the morning light was starting to peek in. He lit up a smoke, narrowed his eyes a bit, then chuckled, “That kind of passion... Ethan never gave you what you needed, did he?”

That hit a nerve. My chest tightened like someone clenched it in a fist. I bit my lip hard, pushing all my messy feelings deep down. I smirked back at him and said, “He couldn’t.”

He stared at me, eyes unreadable. “So that’s why you came to me?”

I looked away for a second, then met his gaze with a soft, teasing smile. “What, you regret it already, Hawkins?”

He smirked, kind of amused. “Nah, not quite. Just... Ethan’s still my bro.”

I raised a brow, pulled a fresh little red booklet from my bag, and tossed it his way.

“Picked it up just yesterday. Still warm,” I said, like it was no big deal.

He caught the booklet, long lashes flickering in surprise. Then all of a sudden, he yanked me back into his arms. His hands were even hotter than they were last night.

“So... you won’t mind a follow-up round?” he murmured against my ear, that same overbearing tone again.

I froze a bit, then gave him a solid shove. “Yeah, I’d rather pass. Last night was kinda underwhelming anyway.”

Evan blinked, then burst out laughing, finally letting go. He flicked his cigarette ash and said, “Guess that means I’ll have to put in more effort next time.”

I shot him a glare, not in the mood to keep this game going. Turning away, I started gathering my scattered clothes off the floor.

Just as I slipped on my dress, he spoke up in that slow, lazy drawl, “So... you’re planning to leave like that?”

I looked over my shoulder. He was twirling my bra around his finger like he was watching a rom-com.

“Give it back,” I said, stepping up to grab it.

He lifted it higher, out of reach, totally teasing. I had to stand on tiptoe, still couldn’t get it. I snapped, “Are you five?”

He arched a brow, his grin getting wider. “Say please and I might be convinced.”

I took a deep breath and decided to be the adult in the room. I ignored him, grabbed his black blazer off the chair, and threw it on.

“Keep it, Hawkins. Consider it your tip for services rendered.”

With that, I spun on my heel and walked away, not looking back for a second.

As I stepped out of the hotel, I caught my reflection in the glass wall and casually smoothed out my messy hair.Looking at my reflection wrapped in a man’s oversized jacket, the memory of last night hit me like a wave, and my cheeks suddenly warmed up.

I let out a long breath, glanced around, and spotted a pharmacy not too far away. Just as I was about to head over, my phone rang from inside my bag.

Seeing “Mother-in-law” on the screen made my heart sink.

The moment I picked up, her screeching voice blasted through the speaker.

“Nina Dawson! Where did you run off to last night? Getting bold now, huh? Not even coming home?”

I frowned, already annoyed. “Just tell me what you want.”

“What’s that tone? You didn’t come home, didn’t make breakfast either! Why did Ethan even marry you?” Her voice got louder with every word, oozing with disdain.

Listening to her tirade, I felt this bitter anger building up in me.

For the past three years, I’ve been bending over backward for their whole family. Now I miss one meal and suddenly I’m public enemy number one? What am I, their unpaid maid?

Clearing my throat, I cut her off without hesitation. “Mrs. Collins, your precious son and I already signed our divorce papers. We’re officially done. Whatever goes on in the Collins family has nothing to do with me anymore. As for breakfast—maybe you should ask your new daughter-in-law to whip something up instead of bothering me.”

Then I hung up before she could say another word.

Thinking for a second, I called the moving company right away, telling them to clear out all my things from the Collins’ house today.

Once that was sorted, I stepped into the pharmacy.

It was the first time I had to buy something like this. Even though we used protection last night, that guy was… intense. Taking an extra step didn’t hurt. No way was I planning to get caught up with Evan Hawkins any more than I had to.

After paying, I turned around—and nearly walked straight into Ethan and Anna.

Anna had a hat and a mask on, but I recognized her in an instant.

I wanted to just walk past them, but caught a glimpse of her slightly rounded belly out of the corner of my eye. Couldn’t help taking a second look.

I was about to slide out when Ethan suddenly grabbed my arm.

His eyes landed on the medicine box in my hand, and his face darkened. “What’s that?”

I rolled my eyes and said bluntly, “Birth control.”

He kept staring, eyes unreadable. Anna stood quietly beside him, her left hand subconsciously resting on her small bump.

Then Ethan’s gaze dropped to my neck, landing on the marks from last night.

“Where were you last night?” His tone was sharper now.

“Where do you think?” I yanked my arm free, sarcasm dripping from every word. “Out having some fun, obviously.”

“Nina!” He snapped, his voice instantly colder. “Our divorce isn’t public yet. Could you at least show some restraint?”

“Restraint?” I laughed coldly, then glanced over at the woman behind him. “Ethan, let’s be clear—while we were still married, I never once crossed the line. But you? Can you say the same?”

Anna’s face turned pale. Her lips parted but not a single word came out.

Just then, a familiar lazy voice cut through the tension. “Damn, what a scene.”

The three of us looked toward the door—and there was Evan, strolling in like he owned the place.