Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

My body tensed up, and I instinctively tried to dodge when I realized what was happening.

Ethan's arm tightened around me, and he bit my ear. "Got my inspiration, what about you?" His deep voice was incredibly seductive. Ethan was sharp; he must've noticed my ears were sensitive. I struggled weakly, shivering and whispering, "Ethan, no, we can't!" The rough texture of the bandage on his palm brushed against my skin, breaking my resolve.

He pressed me against the windowsill, the cold surface giving me a moment of clarity. I pushed him away in a panic. "Ethan, be rational."

"I can't hold it any longer," he said, his voice husky.

I knew Ethan wouldn't hold back for long; he was just a normal guy.

"Your grandpa is still outside," I desperately tried to reason.

Ethan lunged at me with a mischievous smile. "My grandpa's been through this; he understands. What are you afraid of?"

Ethan came at me like a storm, and I clung to his back, passively accepting his force.

Even though I'd been married for two years and had a child, I'd never experienced anything this intense because Arthur never guided me or cared about my feelings.

We rolled from the windowsill to the bed, and under his movements, I couldn't think of anything else, only remembering he said he wanted to spend his life with me.

Afterward, we lay naked, wrapped in a blanket. I leaned against his chest, feeling uneasy. "Ethan, should we be doing this?"

Ethan kissed my hair, his breathing still uneven. "Emily, don't feel guilty. We're married, and this is what married couples do. There's nothing wrong with it. What Arthur never gave you, I will. No one will bully you in the future." My heart pounded, and he added mischievously, "Except me."

A message on my phone interrupted the moment. As soon as I picked it up, Ethan snatched it away.

I felt nervous and reached out, "Give it to me."

Ethan held the phone high and read the screen, "Seagull?"

He quickly navigated to my profile page. "Fish Looking Up at Seagull?"

I felt embarrassed. I had chosen that name out of gratitude to Seagull, but hearing it from Ethan made me feel awkward.

I snatched the phone back, and Ethan casually asked, "Why are you so nervous? Who is he?"

"Just a friend."

He didn't ask further, and I didn't explain who Seagull was. In fact, I didn't really know who Seagull was either.

Having not slept the previous night and rushing to the countryside, Ethan was probably really tired. He soon fell into a steady sleep, but I couldn't sleep at all, my ears filled with the sound of his breathing and heartbeat. Everything was too crazy and exciting. I seemed to be falling for him.

The next morning, when I got up, Ethan was still asleep.

As soon as I went downstairs, my phone rang. It was a friend request from someone named "Cat Who Loves Fish."

I checked his profile and didn't find anything off-putting, so I accepted the request. He quickly sent a message: [Don't always look at the Seagull in the sky, be careful of being eaten by a cat.]

I laughed after reading it, imagining Ethan lying in bed texting me, a slight sweetness spreading in my heart. I replied: [How could a cat bear to eat such a cute fish like me?]

Ethan: [Alright, I won't eat you. I'll make love to you.]Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

My face turned red, and just then, Martin walked out of the kitchen. I quickly put my phone away.

After breakfast, Ethan asked me to accompany him to the clinic in town to change his bandage.

When we arrived, I intended to go in with him, but he asked me to wait in the car. After about twenty minutes, he came out of the clinic.

When he got in, he didn't start the car immediately but lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and then pulled out a box of medicine from his pocket. Seeing the name on the box, my heart sank.

Ethan suddenly reached out and pinched my face, chuckling, "Why do you look so disappointed? Do you think I'm irresponsible after making love?"

'Isn't that the case?' I stared at him sadly.

He suddenly leaned in, hooked his arm around my neck, pulling me closer, his forehead touching mine. "Listen carefully, I'm not being irresponsible. I'm doing this to be responsible for you. Whether you take birth control is up to you, but if you get pregnant, don't even think about aborting it. A woman's body can't handle that kind of strain repeatedly."

Even though his tone was bossy, I couldn't help but feel warm inside. My emotions had been all over the place lately.

Ethan let go of me, rolled down the car window, and tossed the box of medicine out, cursing under his breath. "Did you just lump me in with the jerks? Are you thinking of leaving me?"

I felt guilty and avoided his gaze. He suddenly laughed. Just as I turned my head in surprise, he hooked my neck and kissed me.

After a brief, teasing kiss, he pulled back with a mischievous smile. "One day, I'll make sure you can't leave me."

Ethan started the car, but his words left me unsettled. I felt like I couldn't leave him already.

In the following days, Ethan took me fishing, hiking, and fully immersed me in nature.

At first, I just sat quietly next to him while he fished. Later, he worried I might get bored and taught me how to fish. I was clumsy, and he often laughed at me, but then he'd patiently teach me. I had never felt so relaxed. Even though I didn't catch a single fish, I was incredibly happy.

When he took me hiking, I tried hard to keep up, but he was in much better shape. I was out of breath after a short distance. Thankfully, he didn't laugh at me like he did when teaching me to fish. Instead, he patiently waited and held my hand as we climbed to the top.

At the top, I got a call from Bella. I told her Ethan and I had come to Greenfield Village. After her initial surprise, she joked that it was time for me to meet his family.

I sneaked a glance at Ethan. He was sitting on a rock, smoking, with the breeze lifting his soft hair, looking like he had stepped out of a painting.

My legs were weak from the climb up, and they were trembling on the way down. Ethan suddenly walked up to me and, without a word, scooped me onto his back. His back was broad and warm, making me feel secure from head to toe. These past few days, I often felt like I was back in the age where holding hands made my heart race. Happiness came quickly, gradually fading away the shadows of my past.

On the fourth day in the countryside, Ethan planned to take me fishing again.

In the yard, I saw Martin sitting in a wicker chair, listening to the radio. I suddenly felt quite guilty. We had come to accompany Martin, but we were only having fun ourselves, completely neglecting him.

I gently nudged Ethan. "You go ahead. I'm tired from all the walking these past few days. Today, I'll keep your grandpa company."

Ethan seemed to understand and didn't make it difficult for me. He quickly kissed me on the cheek behind Martin's back, greeted Martin, and walked out with a bucket and fishing rod.

After the blush on my face subsided, I walked over to sit next to Martin. We chatted for a while, and then Martin went inside and brought out a box.

The box contained many old photos, including quite a few of Ethan as a child. Even as a kid, his good looks were evident. I felt like I had hit the jackpot by not going fishing.

There were some photos where Ethan looked about eighteen. Because of his long hair, I didn't recognize him at first. There were also a few photos of Ethan playing the guitar. This reminded me of the guitar in Ethan's room.

Martin reminisced with a smile, "I wanted him to study medicine, but he was into these things instead. I couldn't stand his long hair and told him to cut it, but he wouldn't. One day, I got so mad that I cut it while he was sleeping." I couldn't help but laugh. "He must have been furious, right?"

Martin chuckled, "He didn't say anything when he woke up, just went out. I was worried he might run away from home. But less than an hour later, he came back."

At this point, Martin burst into laughter. "Turns out he thought the haircut I gave him was ugly and went to a barber."

I laughed too, thinking, 'At that age, who doesn't care about their appearance?'

"Ethan went fishing again!" A voice came from outside the yard. I thought Ethan must be back from fishing, and for some reason, I felt a bit excited and ran out.

Before I reached the door, I heard his phone ringing. When I got to the yard entrance, I only saw the bucket left aside and his figure walking away while talking on the phone.

'Why does he avoid me when taking calls?' I remembered that day at my house when he also lowered his voice while on the phone. 'Is there a secret I'm not supposed to know?'