Chapter 4
"Who's outside?" Ethan snapped, looking up with annoyance.
When he saw Christina at the door, he froze for a moment and instinctively pushed Emily out of his arms.
Emily stumbled back, a flash of hurt crossing her eyes before she quickly hid it.
"Christina, what are you doing here?" Ethan frowned.
Christina stood there, clutching the lunch box tightly.
She looked at the man in front of her. Just minutes ago, he had been gently wiping another woman's tears, promising to take care of everything for her.
Now, facing his wife, he looked at her as if she were an enemy.
A sharp pain pierced her heart, but she quickly forced it down and gave a bitter smile.
"Sorry for interrupting." She lifted the lunch box slightly. "Uma couldn't get away, so she asked me to drop off your lunch while I was passing by."
Ethan's gaze fell on the lunch box. His expression didn't soften at all. Instead, her meekness only made him more impatient.
He hated seeing Christina like this—so submissive.
She was clearly hurt, yet she never fought back. Like a lifeless puppet, she only reminded him how suffocating this marriage was.
"I remember telling you not to come to the company without my permission."
Ethan strode over. "What? Have you been Mrs. Carter for so long that you can't understand simple words anymore?"
"I'm just dropping off lunch. I'll leave right away." Christina instinctively stepped back, her gaze shifting past Ethan to Emily behind him.
At that moment, Emily was watching her with a half-smile, her eyes full of mockery, as if saying: See? The man you stole will always keep me in his heart.
"I'll leave it here." Christina didn't want to stay a second longer. She bent down to place the lunch box on the shelf by the door, her movements awkward with nerves.
The moment the words left her mouth, the little dignity she had left seemed to vanish.
What was she doing? Gracefully handing her husband over to another woman?
She thought, Christina, you're pathetic.
She turned to leave.
"Wait." Emily's voice came from behind her. "Ms. Reed, since you're here, why not come in and sit for a while?"
That "Ms. Reed" directly denied her identity as Ethan's wife.
Christina paused but didn't turn around. "No need. I know my place. I won't disturb the two of you catching up."
With that, she quickened her pace, almost fleeing.
But she was moving too fast, and with her blood sugar low from not eating all day, Christina's vision went black the moment she turned. Her body pitched forward uncontrollably.
A short cry escaped her lips.
The expected fall never came. An arm shot out and caught her by the waist.
It was Ethan.
His brows were furrowed, but the arm around her waist held firm.
"Can't you watch where you're going? Christina, are you blind?"
His tone was still harsh, but he didn't let go.
Not only that, when he saw her pale face covered in cold sweat, a flicker of concern flashed through his eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" Ethan looked down at her, his tone sharp. "Did you skip meals again?"
For a moment, Christina felt dazed.
She almost had the illusion that this man cared about her.
Just as she was about to sink into that brief tenderness, Emily's voice shattered it.
"What happened to Ms. Reed?" Emily had followed them over and now stood a few steps away, watching.
Her gaze lingered on Ethan's arm around Christina's waist. A flash of venom crossed her eyes before she replaced it with concern.
"Ethan, don't blame Ms. Reed." Emily stepped forward and gently tugged at his sleeve. "Ms. Reed rushed over here because she cares about you so much. After all... I just got back to Emerald City, and she already knew right away. She's really devoted."
The words sounded considerate, but every line was loaded.
Sure enough, the concern in Ethan's eyes disappeared at once, replaced by cold disgust.
He was the head of the Carter family. What he hated most was being watched and controlled—especially by Christina, the woman who had forced him into marriage through schemes.
"You're spying on me?"
"I didn't..." Christina's heart lurched, and she instinctively tried to explain.
"You didn't?" Emily cut in before she could finish, her voice soft. "Ms. Reed, I just got back to Emerald City. If you only just arrived, why weren't you surprised to see me at all? Unless... you already knew."
At that, Emily acted startled. She covered her mouth and took a step back. "Ms. Reed, how could you do this? Don't you have even the most basic trust in your husband? You were actually spying on Ethan..."
Ethan's face darkened completely. Christina's behavior had clearly crossed his line.
"Christina, you disgust me."
The next second, Ethan shoved her away.
Christina was already weak, only managing to stay upright because he had been holding her.
The sudden loss of support sent her crashing toward the wall beside her.
Her knees slammed hard against the floor.
Christina gasped in pain and curled up on the ground, unable to get up for a long moment.
Ethan calmly straightened his wrinkled sleeves, his eyes full of disdain. "What are you pretending for? Weren't you just fine when you were eavesdropping and stalking? Now after one push, you're crippled?"
"Ethan..." Emily stood beside him, looking worried. "Don't be too angry. Ms. Reed only used such extreme methods because she loves you too much. Although... although this kind of behavior is really frightening, she is your wife after all."
Christina's face was deathly pale. Bracing herself against the wall, she struggled to stand, only to collapse again from the sharp pain in her knee.
"Ethan..." She looked up at him, her eyes red but stubbornly holding back tears. "Is that really what you think of me? That I'm that shameless? You're condemning me based only on her words?"
