Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 305

"His ways may not work on other women, but it was a different story for my sister. Our parents passed away when my sister was in high school. We weren't exactly swimming in cash, but we grew up under their love and care. After their death, we were left high and dry, scraping by with the small inheritance they left us. My sister, all by herself, shouldered the weight of the whole family. She didn't need romance, but security. Someone who could make her feel safe, and Ethan was that guy." Silvia said.

Even though she already knew the story of Ethan and Leila, it still hit Ines like a ton of bricks whenever Silvia brought it up. Same story, different narrator, whole different vibe.

Ethan told it like it was no big deal, but Silvia painted such a vivid picture that Ines could almost see the scenes play out. Even imagining the words that might have been exchanged.

What hurt most was that she knew, deep down, that Silvia was telling the truth. Ethan was that kind of a guy, cold and aloof to those he didn't care about, but warm and caring to those he did.

She could ignore Ethan's past, but she couldn't just sit there and let someone rub his old love stories in her face. As if she hadn't said enough already, Silvia went on, "As for how they got along at work, I'm sure you, being a working woman and probably a fan of romance novels and TV shows, could figure it out. Even if you couldn't, you could probably guess. After all, the boss-secretary dynamic always gets people's imaginations going, especially when one of them has already caught feelings. It's pretty obvious what might have happened between them.

“After my sister died, he quit the real estate business for her, never invested in it again. He became a workaholic, got a serious stomach problem because of it, even stopped dating. Adding the time they were together, my sister occupied his heart for almost ten years.

“One thing's for sure, him not dating for years and choosing to get hitched in a rush, he's definitely into you. But you've known him for less than a year, how deep could your feelings really be? Where do you get the guts to claim this man as yours?"

When Ines kept quiet, Silvia went on, "Alright, let's talk about his likes and dislikes. You might not have noticed, but Ethan's always been a light eater. He gets uncomfortable easily, even a little bit of spice would do it. He's not a fan of fast food, doesn't like oily stuff at night either, because he's always been keen on staying in shape. Oily food means a lot of exercising to burn off the calories."

Ines had had enough, snapped back, "That's all in the past, and you don’t have to bring it up again. My husband now revolves around me."

Before Ines could gather her thoughts, Silvia beat her to the punch, "Eating fast food, that was my sister's thing. She thought it was convenient, just grab it on the way home after work and enjoy it with some TV. How chill is that."

Ines went a little pale. Silvia knew she had hit the mark, went on, "But you really are a selfish woman, enjoying all the good Ethan's doing for you without a care in the world. He could put up with you for a year or two, but a lifetime? He's gonna get tired and bored. By then, your loveless marriage will have reached its end. Besides, what makes you think he should go to such lengths for you."

No love? How could that be? Images of Ethan being nice to her flooded Ines's mind. Her emotions, stirred up by Silvia, also quickly adjusted. She took a deep breath to calm herself, looked at Silvia, "Maybe if your sister was the one saying these words to me today, I might be a bit upset. But you saying I don't deserve it, what gives you the right? At least I'm Ethan's wife.

"You!" Silvia was hit where it hurt, didn't know what to say.