Chapter 11

Only Ethan and I were left. This was the first time I'd seen Ethan since that tense encounter the other day. After that day, I thought it would be a long time before we crossed paths again. But fate seemed to have other plans, as we met again sooner than I expected in such an uncomfortable situation. I watched Ethan approach me with a stern expression, trying to step back discreetly. But before I could move, he grabbed my wrist and forcefully pulled me against the checkout counter. Then, standing in front of me, he leaned in slightly, one hand pressed on the counter beside my arm as he looked down at me. "I've been matched with Leah," he said coldly. "So, who did you match yourself with? Liam? Or maybe another wealthy family in Yardville?" To Ethan, I seemed to be nothing more than a commodity with a price tag. Although he'd already made it clear that he viewed me as someone with ulterior motives, I couldn't help but feel a wave of anger at being so blatantly insulted. I stared at him and smiled, deliberately trying to provoke him. "Who do you think I'd choose?" "Evelyn!" Ethan practically spat out my name through gritted teeth. I slowly reached my hand toward his face, and just as I was about to touch him, I shoved him away. "It doesn't matter who I choose. I'll never choose you." My smile faded as I turned cold and strode out of the store. As soon as I stepped outside, Lyla came over and grabbed my hand. "Eve, are you okay?" I shook my head, but my mood for shopping had completely disappeared. "Let's go home." "Okay." Lyla quickly called her driver, and we left shortly afterward. As the driver drove away, I could feel someone's gaze lingering on me, but I didn't turn around. I just wanted to leave that place as quickly as possible. When we got back to the Cobb residence, I was planning to head straight to my room, but Lyla's parents had flown in to be with their precious daughter on the eve of her college entrance exams. Lyla was overjoyed and immediately threw herself into their arms, calling out, "Mom! Dad!" in a playful voice. I stood there, unsure of what to do. After about ten seconds of hesitation, I quietly slipped out of the living room. The butler started to call after me, but I gestured for him to keep quiet and quickly walked out. Lyla's parents were both in politics, but they had inherited some wealth from their ancestors. Although they were no longer involved in the business world, they were still well-regarded in Yardville. They were always kind and polite to me, but this was a rare family reunion for them, and I didn't want to intrude. I sent Lyla a message saying I had gone back to the Wiley residence and told her not to worry about me. After leaving Lyla's house, I checked into a hotel. I took a shower and got into bed early that night. I had been studying hard for the exams, and I felt confident about the test the next day. But my mind kept drifting back to everything that had happened recently, as well as the regrets and unresolved issues from my previous life. I felt chaotic and frustrated, but I forced myself to push those emotions aside and focus on the exam ahead. After tossing and turning for a while, I finally closed my eyes, trying to get some rest. The next few days were consumed by the intensity of the college entrance exams. I followed a strict routine of sleeping and rising early, and regular meals, preparing myself for this new chapter in life. On the last day of exams, Max came to pick me up at the school gate. He stood outside the car and walked over when he saw me before saying, "Ms. Wiley, Mr. Wiley sent me to bring you home." I looked at Max and didn't immediately follow him. After all these days, Jack hadn't even reached out or called even once. But now, he suddenly wanted me back. "Ms. Wiley." Max bowed slightly when he saw I wasn't moving. I glanced at him and walked toward the car. It was an hour later when I arrived at the Wiley residence. As I stepped into the living room, Ivy greeted me warmly. "Evelyn, you're finally back! You must have been exhausted these past few days. I had the cook prepare some banana pudding for you. Come and have some." I changed my shoes, ready to respond, when I saw Liam standing there in a flashy pink shirt, smiling at me. "Hey, Evelyn! How are you?" Ethan had mentioned that the Tyler family had given the Wiley family a business project, so I'd been expecting to see Liam again. I just hadn't expected Jack to act so quickly. The college entrance exams had just ended, and here he was already. I doubted that Liam was interested in me, but Jack clearly didn't see it that way. When Jack came down the stairs and saw that I hadn't responded to Liam's greeting, he frowned and scolded me. "Didn't you hear Mr. Tyler talking to you?" Then, with a fawning smile, he turned to Liam and said, "Please don't mind her, Mr. Tyler. Evelyn's been under a lot of stress because of the exams. She's a bit out of it." "Yes, yes." Ivy chimed in, carrying several bowls of banana pudding. "Please don't take it to heart, Mr. Tyler. Evelyn, come and try some." However, I had no interest in playing along with their charade. The exams had worn me out, and all I wanted was to let my mind rest for a bit. "I'm not hungry. I'm going to go upstairs and take a bath first." With that, I headed for the stairs. As I passed Liam, I greeted him out of politeness. Right now, I had to play along. I had to be practical and know my place. When I reached the door to my room, Elene suddenly opened her door and stepped out. When she saw me, she snorted and said, "Shameless." I had no idea what she meant, so I paused with my hand on the door handle. Turning around, I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Who's shameless? And how exactly?" "You know exactly who I'm talking about!" Elene glared at me, looking as puffed up as a frog. I narrowed my eyes and stood up straight, taking a step closer to her. "I really don't. Why don't we go downstairs and ask your parents? Then we can all figure out exactly who this 'shameless' person is." She must not have expected me to threaten to tell on her, which was why she froze for a few seconds. Then, she pointed a finger at me and hissed, "You wouldn't dare!" I smirked. "Try me. Don't mess with me, Elene, or even I won't know what I'm capable of." With that, I slammed my door shut and went into my room. The familiar surroundings of the room I'd lived in for over a decade now felt completely alien to me. I exhaled deeply and walked over to sit at my desk. I came back today to grab my savings card and some valuable items. At the end of August, I would be heading to St. Nicholas University. Before that, I could buy a house near the university under Lyla's name. That way, when the inevitable fallout with the Wiley family happened, I wouldn't be left homeless. In the meantime, I planned to take as much money from Jack as I could. I wasn't trying to be a saint or morally superior. Although I would rather not have a father like Jack, the fact was he brought me into this world, so he was obligated to support me. I was entitled to spend his money.