Chapter 4

Kevin' s outburst drew immediate attention. The women at the bus stop fell silent, their eyes wide with shock. A few passersby stopped to stare. The quiet street corner was suddenly the stage for a public confrontation.

"She's engaged to Ethan!" Kevin shouted, jabbing a finger in the direction Olivia and Daniel had gone. "Walking around with another man like that, it's shameless! What is she thinking?"

The situation was escalating, turning a private matter into a public spectacle. Ethan felt a surge of irritation. This was exactly the kind of drama he wanted to avoid. He strode over and grabbed Kevin's arm, pulling him back.

"Kevin, shut up," Ethan said, his voice low and firm.

"But Ethan, they're talking about you! About her!"

"It doesn't matter," Ethan said, raising his voice just enough for the onlookers to hear clearly. "There's nothing between Olivia Hayes and me. We are not in a relationship. What she does, and with whom, is none of my business."

The finality in his tone was unmistakable. The gossiping women exchanged confused glances. Kevin looked at him, his mouth agape. Ethan ignored them all and started walking away, but a voice stopped him.

"Ethan, wait."

It was Olivia. She must have heard the commotion and come back. Daniel stood awkwardly a few feet behind her, looking completely out of his depth.

She stood in front of Ethan, her face pale but composed. "What Kevin said... it's not true. Daniel and I are just friends." She was trying to clear the air, to salvage her reputation and perhaps, he thought cynically, their engagement.

Ethan felt a cold wave of exhaustion. He had lived this life with her already. He knew all her explanations, all her justifications. He remembered the sixty years of "just friends," the polite distance, the selfless favors for Daniel that were never extended to him, her husband.

"It doesn't matter what it is, Olivia," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I already told you, your life is your own. You don't need to explain anything to me." He wasn't accusing her, he was dismissing her. He was making it clear that her actions, and her excuses, held no power over him anymore.

He saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She turned her attention back to the man she was protecting. "Daniel, let's go. It's getting late." She took Daniel's arm again, a protective gesture that Ethan had seen a thousand times in his past life. She was always shielding Daniel from any unpleasantness, any difficulty. It confirmed, yet again, where her loyalties truly lay. He felt a strange mix of detachment and a dull, lingering sadness for the fool he used to be.

He turned his back on them and walked home, the cold air feeling clean and sharp in his lungs. His mind was already moving on. He had bigger goals in this life, ambitions he had let wither in the shadow of his unhappy marriage. He was applying for a prestigious overseas study program in London, a program in performing arts. It was his dream, a dream he had sacrificed for a life of quiet duty. Not this time. This time, he would choose himself. The application was already on his desk, waiting to be mailed.