Chapter 3
It took Aria all afternoon to move everything related to Ethan to the empty lot outside the villa.
On top was a storybook, the first gift Ethan ever gave her.
When she first came to the Foster home, she had nightmares every night.
It was Ethan who cradled this storybook, reading stories to lull her to sleep. She could recite every story in it by heart.
Next to it was the little bicycle Ethan gave her as an apology after making her angry.
Ethan thought the bicycle took up too much space and suggested throwing it away, but she insisted on keeping it in her room.
Ethan had joked, “I’ll probably have to buy another villa soon, just to store all these gifts.”
Aria’s eyes reddened as she thought about it.
The bicycle held too many of their memories.
Ethan teaching her to ride, her never fearing falls because his hands were always there to catch her.
When she was finally able to ride on the road, Ethan would drive his car slowly right next to the bike lane to protect her.
At her feet was a ceramic mug Ethan had made himself, next to a portrait she had drawn of him, and beside that an unsent love letter.
Eleven years of companionship had occupied most of her life.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t attached, but Aria knew that clinging on would only hurt herself in the end.
She and Ethan could never be together.
Thinking of this, she wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes and tossed a lit match onto the pile.
The flames grew higher and higher, the past turning to ash and scattering in the wind.
Ethan, who had just returned with some soup for Sophia, happened to witness this scene.
The fire blazed higher than Aria herself, as if it would consume her whole.
Seeing this, Ethan rushed over and pulled Aria into his arms.
“Aria Collins! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”
Falling into that familiar broad chest, Aria was jolted out of her reverie.
The next second, Ethan roughly pushed her away, his face cold.
“You really are good at manipulation. I can’t believe I fell for your tricks again! If you continue to be so stubborn, I’ll send you right back where you came from!”
As Ethan turned to leave, Aria saw his eyes were as cold as ice.
Back in the villa, Aria went upstairs to practice dancing.
Tomorrow was the dance competition preliminary round. To get the scholarship, she had to win first place.
Ignoring the pain from her wounds, she danced gracefully in the studio.
Time passed, night fell.
Finishing practice, Aria collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.
Her body ached all over, but she felt every second was full of hope.
“I’ll take you there tomorrow.”
It wasn’t until Ethan spoke that she realized someone was standing in the doorway.
“I agreed to your request, but if your body can’t handle it, I’ll call it off immediately.”
Aria’s eyes dimmed slightly as she nodded.
Then she put the painkiller syringe she had prepared into her bag.
She didn’t realize this small action would end up helping her in a big way.
The next day at the competition venue, Ethan was present as a judge.
Before the competition, he stood in the center of the crowd with his arm around Sophia, basking in everyone’s flattery.
“My goodness! What a perfect match! Miss Evans was a dance prodigy in her youth, winning countless awards. She’s sure to take first place this time!”
“Is she also competing for the exchange student spot? If so, she could just bat her eyelashes at Mr. Foster and go as a regular student. That way she wouldn’t have to suffer through being an exchange student!”
“Miss Evans is too upright for such underhanded methods. If she wanted to study abroad, top schools would be fighting over her.”
Sophia smiled charmingly in Ethan’s arms.
Aria silently watched all of this.
She had to admit, Sophia was naturally talented at dance.
It was after watching one of Sophia’s classical dance performances that Ethan had first taken notice of her.
The two grew closer and eventually became a couple.
Ethan thought Aria’s insistence on learning dance was an attempt to emulate Sophia and win his heart.
On her 18th birthday, Aria happened to choose the same classical dance piece Sophia had performed when Ethan first saw her.
So Ethan flew into a rage and sent her to reform school.
How laughable that such a vicious woman had made Ethan believe he’d found true love.
Ten minutes before the competition, Aria secretly hid in a corner and gave herself a shot of painkillers.
Then she returned to the dressing room and put on her dance costume.
When it was her turn to go on stage, the medication had taken effect and she felt no pain, allowing her to give a stable performance.
As the dance ended, Aria bowed and prepared to leave the stage.
But a searing pain suddenly shot through her foot.
The next second, she gasped and collapsed to the ground.
Looking down, she saw her dance shoe had been dyed red with blood.
She took it off to find a needle sticking out of the sole of her foot!