How insecure must she be, to repeatedly use such childish methods to show off and provoke?

Elena tossed the phone aside and walked into Ethan’s room, lying down on his bed.

The first time she slept in the same bed as Ethan was when she was ten. She had been crying and too scared to fall asleep. The house was so big, even speaking seemed to echo, so in the middle of the night, she had snuck into Ethan’s room, hugging her pillow.

“Can I sleep with you? Mom always used to sleep with me. I’m scared to sleep alone.”

Ethan, usually cold and unyielding, was always softhearted when it came to her.

That night marked the beginning, and even until she was forty, whenever Elena had nightmares, she would still instinctively go to Ethan. But ever since she began to change physically, Ethan had made it clear that she was no longer allowed to enter his room.

Elena wrapped herself in the blanket, still smelling of Ethan, as she tossed and turned the entire night, plagued by nightmares. Even in her dreams, she could hear Esther’s harsh words, cursing her as filthy.

The next day, however, things took an unexpected turn. A video of Esther publicly berating Elena at the hospital went viral online.

Elena’s feelings for Ethan were suddenly exposed to the public.

Sienna, a rising star, had long been the subject of envy for her relationship with Ethan, and now, with the news out, Elena was immediately thrust into the spotlight, her name trending on social media for all the wrong reasons. The insults were too vile to bear.

“Disgusting, how could she develop those feelings for someone who raised her? Ethan could practically be her uncle!”

“How dare she? She’s nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing! Knowing full well that Ethan is engaged, she still clings to him shamelessly!”

“Our Sienny has been through so much, hasn’t she? She got hurt just trying to save Elena, and now this—Elena is after Sienny’s fiancé.”

“She must be the third party, right? I heard she even lives in Ethan’s house, while Sienny hasn’t even been allowed to stay there.”

The malicious comments flooded in online, and Elena was caught off guard. The person who had managed to capture that video was one of the few who had the chance.

Unable to reach Ethan, Elena hurriedly ran to his office to find him.

On the way, Sienna posted an update on her social media.

Sienna posted a video, her face tired and drawn, the scar on her cheek clearly visible.

Calmly addressing the viral scandal, she said, "Everyone, I apologize for taking up public space, but I’d like to make a statement. Ethan and I have a very strong and healthy relationship, and there’s no third party involved."

"Elena is young and doesn’t fully understand things, and perhaps some of her actions have been misunderstood. But both Ethan and I will guide her to avoid making mistakes, and we hope everyone can be understanding toward her."

"Additionally, I have some good news to share. Ethan and I will be getting married on the 8th of next month. I hope everyone will bless us."

The 8th of next month, just half a month away.

The video quickly racked up over ten million views, with the comments sharply divided. On one side, there were well-wishes for Sienna, and on the other, the most venomous insults aimed at Elena.

People praised Sienna for her grace, while viciously condemning Elena as disgusting, saying she should have died long ago.

Elena’s name was trending, but Sienna’s efforts only seemed to fuel more hatred.

Numb, Elena turned off the comments and called Ethan again.

His phone wouldn’t connect.

She dialed again and again, but still couldn’t reach him. Panic gripped her, her breathing shallow and erratic, feeling lost and helpless.

She remembered back to middle school when she was bullied. She had fought back fiercely, wrestling with the tormentor and leaving them battered and bloody. Ethan had always been there, unwavering in his protection, telling her that no one would ever hurt her.

But now? Would he stand by Sienna or her?

When the phone showed the 39th call, Ethan finally picked up. Elena, like a drowning person clinging to a lifeline, choked on her words as she asked, "Did Sienna have someone record and post that video?"

No one else had a motive to record such video except for Sienna. Esther wouldn’t do it since it would tarnish Ethan’s reputation.

Ethan didn’t answer her question. Instead, he asked, “Where are you now?”

Elena screamed in despair, “Answer me, is it you?!”

“Sienna has already dealt with her subordinates. They didn’t do this on purpose. I’ll handle it. Don’t worry about it.”

Such cold words. Was this still the Ethan who once promised to protect her, who swore no one would ever hurt her?

To protect Sienna, he chose to sacrifice her, making her the target of everyone’s criticism?

Her voice trembled as she asked, “Why? Do you think I’m disgusting too? That I should die and never stand in the way of your happiness with Sienna?”

“Elie, calm down. This will blow over soon. If you don’t want to be disturbed, I can send you abroad for a while. Once everything settles, you can come back. I’m really busy right now, so stop causing a scene.”

With that, Ethan hung up the phone.

He said she was causing a scene…

He even said he’d send her abroad. In the end, he didn’t want to keep her around anymore.

Sienna’s move was indeed effective. Unable to drive Elena away directly, she forced her out with this method. Even if Elena refused to leave, she would be harshly criticized as filthy and shameless, bearing the weight of everyone’s scorn.

Elena’s insides twisted in pain. Her body, already drained, couldn’t take much more. After everything that had happened, she was more certain than ever of Ethan’s determination to marry Sienna.

She had traded the remaining of her life for his affection, but in doing so, she had forgotten to ask for his marriage.

Around 9 PM, Ethan returned home and found that Elena wasn’t there. He drove around, eventually spotting her curled up outside a pharmacy.

Elena's body was still wracked with pain. Despite taking a large dose of painkillers, they offered no relief. With less than ten days left until the deadline, she felt as though her death was already closing in on her.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Ethan’s voice suddenly rang out above her.

Elena felt no joy anymore.

"Come back home with me." Ethan helped her up from the ground, and the bottle of painkillers she had dropped fell to the floor with a soft thud.

"What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?"

Elena stared at him in confusion as he anxiously examined her, her breath faint as she smiled weakly. "It’s just that time of the month... my stomach hurts."

He let out a sigh of relief, and as they made their way back home, Ethan finally began to discuss the matter with her.

"Ellie, I’ve bought you a place in the next neighborhood, not far from here. You’ll move in tomorrow."

Elena’s face drained of color, her expression one of utter disbelief.

Her gaze cut through him, sending a sharp pain straight to his chest.

"You’re all grown up now. It’s not appropriate for us to live together anymore. And once I get married, Sienna will be moving in as well."

Elena forced a bitter smile. She had always known that one day, Ethan would abandon her.

Now, even he didn’t want her.

Before Elena had even moved out, Sienna had already moved in without hesitation.

Her luggage was all moved into Elena’s room, prompting the maid to step out and say, “Ms. Bay, this is Ms. Wings’ room. Sir Ethan specifically instructed that you use the other guest room.”

Elena’s room was directly across from Ethan’s, close enough for him to hear anything from next door. The other guest room, however, was down the hall, a fair distance from Ethan’s room.

“Ellie is moving out soon, and the room will be empty anyway. Plus, these two rooms are close. Makes it more convenient for me when I finally move into Ethan’s room later.”

The maid hesitated, stealing a glance at the silent Elena. “But, Ms. Bay… she…”

Sienna walked straight up to Elena, acting concerned.

"Ellie, how’s the packing going? I’ve already organized your new place as Ethan requested. If you can’t manage to move everything by yourself, I can get some help."

Elena ignored her, slinging her heavy backpack over her shoulder and heading out. All the things here had been bought by Ethan; none of it was really hers.

Even the "Celestia's Crown" that Sienna had once desperately wanted was carelessly left in the room.

Sienna hurried after her, asking what should be done with the items in the room. Without even glancing back, Elena replied, "Throw it all away."

That evening, when Ethan returned home, the place was completely transformed—flower walls, balloons, a cake, and a gathering of their mutual friends and family.

Sienna eagerly rushed to take his coat, giving their friends a playful glare.

"It’s all their idea to decorate. They heard you were proposing and insisted on coming to join the fun."

Ethan frowned subtly, but Sienna, her cheeks flushed, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I don’t want them to waste a trip. I’ve already got the ring ready. How about you just play along?"

Sienna had always been one to care about appearances, and accustomed to being the center of attention, she had been eagerly waiting for Ethan’s grand proposal.

Ethan gently touched her face and said, "It’s only right. I owe you this proposal."

A wave of joy surged through Sienna’s heart. She had known Ethan would give in to her wishes—after all, it was always him who wanted to marry her, not the other way around.

Ethan took her hand and led her to the balloon arch before kneeling down with the ring in his hand.

Someone had already set up a live stream, and the camera was focused on them. Within moments, millions of viewers flooded the stream, causing the traffic to skyrocket.

Sienna’s fans flooded the comments with messages congratulating her on her happiness and urging Ethan to treat her well.

Ethan had long prepared his proposal speech, and even if he hadn’t written it down, the words came naturally.

"Sienna, we’ve known each other for so many years, and we’ve been together for so long. This proposal should have come much earlier. I will do everything I can to care for you, to love you, and I hope every day you spend with me will bring you happiness. Please, marry me."

Sienna, touched, pretended to be overwhelmed with emotion, her eyes welling up as she feigned disbelief.

Meanwhile, the fans in the live stream were incredibly envious...

"Wow, Mr. Scott’s surprise proposal made Sienny so emotional she’s crying! Mr. Scott is such a great guy."

"Mr. Scott really loves Sienny. Even with his busy schedule, he still found time to prepare this surprise for her. You can really tell the difference between love and indifference."

Sienna was overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down her face as she nodded and pulled Ethan to his feet.

Ethan gently placed the diamond ring on her finger, and she suddenly stood on tiptoe, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

The evening’s proposal surprise lasted deep into the night, and Sienna, feeling thoroughly satisfied and having drunk a little too much, waited until everyone had left before she took Ethan's hand.

"Ethan, what you said during the proposal—was that all true?"

Ethan gave her shoulder a reassuring pat before turning and heading upstairs.

Sienna suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. His silence—what did it mean? She quickly followed him, but bumped into his back when he stopped in his tracks.

"What’s going on?"

Ethan stared at the room in front of him, now completely unrecognizable. It no longer had Elena’s touch— even the dolls Elena had loved so much were gone.

Sienna felt a twinge of guilt, but then reminded herself that she had his approval to move in, so she had the right to decide what the room would look like.

"Ellie said she didn’t want any of her things, so I could do whatever I wanted with them. I was worried she might come back and want to find something, so I had the maid move everything to the garage…"