The camera had never been removed, but now it showed a disconnection warning.
After a brief hesitation, I reconnected with it.
The screen flickered back to life, revealing Lily, dressed in the lingerie Ethan had bought for me, swaying in the room.
That outfit, which I had never worn out of shyness, now looked perfect.
Her fingers traced over the photo wall filled with wedding pictures of Ethan and me.
The surveillance quality was excellent, capturing every mocking expression on Lily's face in sharp detail.
"If I don't come back, would you marry her?"
Ethan didn't answer. He simply took down all the pictures and tossed them carelessly into a corner of the wardrobe.
Lily smiled faintly, lounging back on the bed, her pale toes brushing against Ethan's leg.
“You went through all that trouble with the proposal just to make me see you? If you keep this sullen face, I’m leaving.”
“Don’t you dare!”
Ethan, seemingly unable to contain his anger, pinned Lily down onto the bed, staring fiercely into her eyes.
Lily laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I knew you couldn’t forget me.”
“Do you think Samantha is really that clueless? You buy her clothes that are my style, in my size; the initials on the wedding ring are mine; even your bridal home looks exactly like the one we once dreamed of. And she hasn't noticed a thing.”
Ethan said nothing, pressing his lips against hers in a deep, consuming kiss.
Boom!
Fireworks exploded in the sky.
But my mind went blank, my ears ringing, unable to hear any sound.
I always thought Ethan was just careless, always getting my size wrong.
Trembling, I pulled the ring off my finger, inspecting it under the light of my phone.
Finally, on the inside of the band, I found the two letters: LS.
In that instant, it felt like all my strength had left me; even holding onto the ring was impossible.
The ring slipped from my hand, rolling into the drain with a series of metallic clinks.
Each sound struck at the core of my heart.
No wonder Ethan acted so strangely when he saw Lily at the karaoke bar, not caring even when he hurt me.
To him, I was just a stand-in. Now that the real one was back, there was no room left for me.
How laughable.
I had been by his side for twenty-two years.
I cared for him meticulously during the eight years he built his business.
And yet, I turned out to be nothing but a substitute for the person I hated most.