Chapter 9 Everyone went crazy. "Is that Sophie's husband? He looks so familiar!" "Wait-that's Ethan Cross?!" Once recognized, Ethan got out, draped his coat over my shoulders, greeted everyone. "Hi everyone. I'm Sophie's husband, Ethan." Jake stumbled backward. But he still wouldn't give up, forcing out each word: "Sophie. Tell me this isn't real." My classmates saw trouble brewing, tried pulling him back. 'Mr. Cross, don't mind him. He's drunk." In this circle, nobody crossed Ethan Cross. [ake, usually so controlled, really did seem wasted now. Lunged forward like he had more to say. Ethan opened the passenger door for me. Buddy was wagging his tail, waiting. 'Buddy! Buddy!" [ake yelled. The dog remembered him, hesitated, then jumped into Ethan's arms. Ethan actually smiled: "Good boy." We drove off. In the rearview mirror, Jake looked like a dying fish. Struggling, then going limp, eyes dead, staring after us. "That the ex you mentioned?" Ethan kept his eyes on the road. "Yeah." Ethan nodded thoughtfully: "He's clearly not over you. But we're not getting divorced." Met Ethan at a conference two years ago. He was already a big deal. I was nobody. Only thing we shared-being Asian faces in a white-dominated field. We got closer, and one day after a family call pressuring him about marriage, he randomly asked: "Want to get married?" Just like that, we did. No earth shattering passion, but it seeped into daily life naturally. When my company wanted to transfer me back, I'd expected divorce. Ethan's family and business were all in London. International marriages rarely worked. But he just shrugged: "Cool. I'll come with you." Today was picking him up from the airport. I'd come back first to handle logistics and bring Buddy home. Back at the apartment, Buddy ran around like crazy. I reached for the hallway light but burning hands caught mine. In the darkness, kisses rained down. Slept like a baby. One month back, swamped with work every day. And Jake kept showing up like a bad rash. Lurking outside my building daily. Didn't he have a job? A classmate filled me in-Jake hadn't gotten promoted, got sidelined instead. After I left, he fired Mia. When he wouldn't marry her, she kept causing scenes at his office, claiming he'd assaulted her while drunk. No real evidence, but Jake lost clients, went downhill, couldn't show his face. Never thought I'd see Mia again. Three years later, she'd lost that fresh-faced look. Features turned sharp and bitter. Charged at me, voice shrill: 'Why'd you come back? Don't try stealing Jake!" ignored her, called security. ake showed up faster than security, yanked Mia away, stammering apologies: 'Sorry Sophie, I didn't know she'd find you." Mia flailed, spewing curses. "You shameless-" SMACK! Jake stapped her hard. They wrestled Security arrived, escorted me to the elevator. Thought that was the end of it. But Mia had completely snapped. She took the emergency stairs to the roof. Sat up there doused in gasoline, threatening suicide unless Jake married her. Great. I was the building manager dealing with this. "If I die here, Sophie's career will be just as ruined as yours!" Those two deserved each other-always using threats to get their way. But Mia overestimated her importance. I wasn't Jake. Even if she died up there, wouldn't affect me at all. Jake stood in the wind, looking ready to collapse. He stared at me helplessly, mouth opening but no words coming. I said: "Police are coming. Please calm her down." Jake's eyes were bloodshot. "Sophie, I only love you. I can't do this." That set Mia off completely. She lost it, lunged at me screaming: "Then we'll die together! Together!" As flames ignited, Jake shoved me aside, grabbed Mia, stopped her from reaching me. Watching this, I remembered that fire three years ago. He'd abandoned me for her. Now the roles were reversed. Ironic. Ethan arrived, pulled me into his arms, covered my eyes: 'Don't look." Mia didn't die, but might've been better off. Over 80% burns, just lying there moaning. ake badly burned too-half his face destroyed, would need dozens of reconstructive surgeries. Company used it as an excuse to fire him with severance. He never came around again. Vanished from my life completely.