After a while of sobbing, the two women regained their composure. Ula quickly led Mrs. Donna back to her room. As soon as she lay down on the bed, Mrs. Donna spoke up, as she had something to discuss with Ula."Ula, lately, Ethan has been busy with his business. Has he been spending less time with you?" Mrs. Donna began by probing Ula's reaction."Yes, that's true," Ula admitted, although she wasn't sure if Ethan was genuinely busy or not. In the past, she mentioned Ethan's busyness merely to placate Mrs. Donna's thoughts. And she also didn't understand why Mrs. Donna was asking her this."Aren't you afraid that Ethan might be tempted by other women?" Mrs. Donna looked at Ula with concern.Ula paused in her actions, showing confusion at the unexpected question from her grandmother. After pondering for a while, Ula replied:"What's the big deal about that? Ethan is an adult, and in fact, he's still single. It's understandable that he might meet someone and develop feelings for them." H
Jade felt extremely uncomfortable being treated rudely by Ula. She turned to Ethan, intending to ask him to do something, but only saw helplessness on his face. Unable to bear it any longer, Jade decided to follow her own plan without seeking Ethan's opinion.Jade hurried down to the kitchen and found Ula preparing ingredients for the lamb stew. Seeing Jade, Mrs. Lisa understood and quietly left the kitchen, giving Ula and Jade the space to talk comfortably."Ula, give me 10 minutes; we need to talk," Jade suggested seriously."Don't you see I'm busy right now?" Ula replied with an annoyed tone. "Whatever it is, talk later.""I've run out of patience with you, Ula," Jade declared firmly. "I'm not Ethan to have enough endurance and tolerance to wait for you to return to normal.""That's your business; it has nothing to do with me," Ula retorted defiantly, seemingly trying to provoke Jade. Unfazed, Jade, with no more reservations, expressed her thoughts directly."Ula, you're stubborn a
The wound healing process was completed very quickly, and Mrs. Lisa, with a gentle tone, inquired further, "Do you have any other injuries, Ula?"Ula immediately shook her head in response to the question, but under Mrs. Lisa's determined gaze, she hesitated, lowered her eyes to the floor, and remained silent. Ula's reaction served as an answer for Mrs. Lisa. At the same time, while observing Ula from top to bottom, Mrs. Lisa quickly noticed bloodstains under Ula's trousers. Thus, Mrs. Lisa identified the next injured area. Without allowing Ula to resist, Mrs. Lisa decisively pulled up Ula's pants and examined the wound.Mrs. Lisa's sudden action caused Ula to grimace in pain as the surface of the denim jeans brushed against the wound. Ethan, looking alarmed, approached Ula."What's happening?" he asked urgently."Nothing, really." Ula lied again and avoided eye contact with Ethan, leaving him greatly disappointed."Look, your leg is still bleeding. Why are you silent, not letting any
Ula had walked a distance away from Ethan's house when she suddenly stopped. She had just remembered an important matter she hadn't taken care of yet, so she needed to turn back.On her way back, Ula's mobile phone vibrated unexpectedly. The young girl looked down at the screen, and a familiar name appeared. Hesitant for a moment, Ula decided to answer."Grandma, I'm listening." Her voice was filled with a calmness tinged with a hint of coldness."Ula, when are you coming here?" Mrs. Donna's voice was weak, conveying a sense of frailty to Ula. That indicated Mrs. Donna's health was deteriorating day by day, causing Ula to be increasingly worried and heartbroken."I'm getting a taxi. It'll be about fifteen minutes before I reach your place," Ula replied, trying to keep her voice from revealing worry and abnormality. She was concealing her lie with her actual plan to go to the hospital by bus. However, at the moment, she had no money on her, not even a dollar. Therefore, she needed to g
Ethan walked quickly into the hospital, and luck smiled on him when he immediately spotted Ula walking ahead. In fact, Ula had just arrived a little earlier than Ethan, as she had chosen to take the bus to save money, and the bus was slower than a car. This time, not wanting any randomness to be an obstacle, he approached her just before anything special happened."Ula," Ethan called as he stood in front of her, his breath heavy from the sprint and tension."Ethan, why are you here? What's going on?" Ula was momentarily flustered by Ethan's unexpected appearance, but she managed to stay calm. She couldn't believe the thoughts racing through her mind right now—Ethan had followed her to the hospital."You left your phone," Ethan explained, handing his phone to Ula. "I brought it for you."Looking down at the phone in Ethan's hand, she smiled with understanding and sincerity, saying, "Thank you; you've gone through trouble for me.""It's nothing.""Is there anything else?" Ula asked bold
"Ethan," Ula called, her voice suddenly becoming soft, contributing to soothing Ethan's heavy emotions but at the same time making him wary. Before Ula could continue, Ethan quickly interjected, fearing that Ula might choose to evade the conversation. Ethan was exhausted, so this time, he was determined to resolve this misunderstanding with Ula and not let the situation drag on any longer."Ula, what do you want to say? First, honestly answer my questions. Don't think about avoiding or delaying anymore. I'm really at my limit. Please don't torture me any longer."Faced with Ethan's urgent and persistent plea, Ula's initial intention failed. Moreover, Ula felt exhausted herself, realizing that prolonging this dark, tedious, and distressing emotional state was not a wise choice. Ula was not only tormenting Ethan but also herself. Therefore, Ula had no choice but to comply with Ethan's wishes and confront the issue between them. Taking a deep breath, Ula slowly expressed her feelings to
Now, Ethan understands everything Ula says, as well as her attitude and behavior. It all stems from Ula's lack of confidence and insecurity. Knowing this, Ethan feels angry, but not with her but with himself, because he lacks empathy to understand Ula's simple and unique personality. Ula is not like other girls seeking attention. She lives a secluded life and always thinks of others. This is what makes Ethan love her. However, Ethan did not expect that these personality traits of Ula would almost lead to the end of their relationship before it even started. Perhaps in the future, Ethan will need to pay more attention to Ula's emotions, not letting her bear negative thoughts alone. He may even need to try his best to help Ula eliminate those harmful thoughts and trust in their love."I won't be like that, Ula. Trust me," Ethan asserts, gently embracing her. He comforts and soothes her through emotional turmoil. "Please give me a chance to prove that.""But, Ethan, someday I might make
On the way, Ethan reflected. To avoid unwanted complications, and does not affect anyone. Ethan decided to change the meeting location with Jade to a coffee shop near her home. When Ethan arrived, Jade was already waiting. Without hesitation, Ethan quickly briefed Jade on the situation so she could grasp more details."Jade, the situation is really bad," Ethan warned. "This person is threatening to disclose my personal information if Ula doesn't pay a large sum of money to them. What should I do now?""Don't worry, Ethan," Jade reassured. "We'll deal with this issue. Let me see the phone number that the blackmailer used to contact Ula."Ethan handed his phone to Jade, and she quickly copied the number, sending a message to A, a professional hacker, to trace the owner of that number. While waiting for a response, they began planning a trap for the extortionist."Ethan, here's the plan. You'll agree to pay the amount the blackmailer demands, and on the way to the meeting point, we'll ha