Chapter 3 · He Tasted His Own Medicine

When Ethan heard the amount—over 300 grand—he was stunned into silence.

Ethan hesitated, fumbling for words before finally softening his tone. "I had no idea it cost that much. Sorry. I know you're usually really careful with money. I guess I just didn't expect you to buy expensive things like that.

"Well, Sophie's research finally paid off, and it's going to earn the lab quite a bit. I just wanted to surprise her, that's all.

"Once the patent goes through, I'll make way more than the price of this necklace. Can you please stop overreacting? Try to look at the bigger picture. Being stingy only makes you poorer.

"And Sophie was really happy receiving the gift. She even said she wanted to thank you herself."

At first, Ethan felt a pang of guilt, but soon slipped back into his classic mode, acting like he knew it all and launching into a lecture.

I hadn't slept a wink all night. My whole body ached; my head was splitting; and now, this wave of irritation just crashed over me.

I snapped, "Can you just shut your mouth for once?"

My harsh retort made Ethan freeze. He instantly shut up.

After a long, awkward silence, Ethan finally spoke up, "Julia, what's wrong with you? What's with the attitude?"

I was the one who made the first move with Ethan.

Ethan came from a small, remote town. His parents died when he was young, and he was left to take care of his little sister all by himself.

Growing up with so little made him sensitive and insecure, so I always tiptoed around his feelings—never even raised my voice at him.

But today, for the first time in five years of marriage, I finally snapped at him.

He had put Sophie's needs ahead of his own sister's life and had stolen my stuff for Sophie more than once. All those years of pent-up frustration were finally ready to explode.

I was done holding back.

"Get your ass to Central Hospital right now and help me arrange Emmy's funeral," I shouted.

But all Ethan did was let out a cold snort.

He scoffed, "Are you trying to trick me again? Sophie just got poisoned, and I need to take care of her. Even if your sister's dead, what's it got to do with me?"

He went on, "Oh, and what kind of snake bit her, anyway? Before the cremation, drop her off at the lab. My new paper could use some extra data. Might as well put her to use."

His heartless words completely blew my mind.

"Are you even human? You actually care more about Sophie than family?" I demanded.

Ethan sounded even more impatient.

He shot back without hesitation. "She's always reckless and asking for trouble. If she hadn't gone near the snake, she wouldn't have been bitten.

"And besides, she's just some high school kid. Sophie is a top talent—her life is worth way more than your sister's."

Before I could even respond, he hung up.

His heartless, downright inhuman words kept haunting me, echoing in my mind over and over.

Would any real human even say something like that? He was colder and more chilling than that venomous snake.

And then it hit me—Ethan thought it was my sister who got poisoned.

After a long pause, I let out a bitter laugh. I asked the funeral home staff to deliver Emily's body straight to Ethan's lab.

He wanted data? Fine.

*****

I was completely exhausted from staying up all night.

After barely making it home and finally passing out for two hours, I was jolted awake by someone violently kicking at my door.

Ethan had made it back. Now he was ruthlessly kicking in the locked door to my room.

I was still out of it and had no clue what was going on when he suddenly grabbed me by the collar and slammed me to the floor.

There was a dull, heavy thud. Pain exploded in my lower back, so intense I could barely get a word out.

"Julia, you really are despicable," Ethan barked.

"Your sister got bitten by a snake. That was just her fate. What gives you the right to call the cops and put the blame on Sophie? You know she got bitten, too. Why do you accuse her of releasing that snake?" Ethan raged.

I stared him down, unflinching, meeting his furious gaze head-on. "Because she was bitten by the same snake. You used the antivenom to save her, and now you come in here, acting like I'm the one in the wrong?"

Ethan had casually told me before that Sophie was all about raising reptiles. She had zero fear, always pushing the limits.

She used to sneak snakes from the lab back home to mess around with, and Ethan, who was supposed to be in charge, just let it slide every time.

I'd already given the photo to the police. They ran it past the experts, and the snake that killed Emily was the same rare breed as the one Sophie had in that photo—it was not even native here.

Honestly, chances were that the snake escaped when Sophie let it out to play.

Chapter 3

When Ethan heard the amount—over 300 grand—he was stunned into silence.

"Well, Sophie's research finally paid off, and it's going to earn the lab quite a bit. I just wanted to surprise her, that's all.

"Once the patent goes through, I'll make way more than the price of this necklace. Can you please stop overreacting? Try to look at the bigger picture. Being stingy only makes you poorer.

"And Sophie was really happy receiving the gift. She even said she wanted to thank you herself."

At first, Ethan felt a pang of guilt, but soon slipped back into his classic mode, acting like he knew it all and launching into a lecture.

I hadn't slept a wink all night. My whole body ached; my head was splitting; and now, this wave of irritation just crashed over me.

I snapped, "Can you just shut your mouth for once?"

My harsh retort made Ethan freeze. He instantly shut up.

After a long, awkward silence, Ethan finally spoke up, "Julia, what's wrong with you? What's with the attitude?"

I was the one who made the first move with Ethan.

Ethan came from a small, remote town. His parents died when he was young, and he was left to take care of his little sister all by himself.

Growing up with so little made him sensitive and insecure, so I always tiptoed around his feelings—never even raised my voice at him.

But today, for the first time in five years of marriage, I finally snapped at him.

He had put Sophie's needs ahead of his own sister's life and had stolen my stuff for Sophie more than once. All those years of pent-up frustration were finally ready to explode.

I was done holding back.

"Get your ass to Central Hospital right now and help me arrange Emmy's funeral," I shouted.

But all Ethan did was let out a cold snort.

He scoffed, "Are you trying to trick me again? Sophie just got poisoned, and I need to take care of her. Even if your sister's dead, what's it got to do with me?"

He went on, "Oh, and what kind of snake bit her, anyway? Before the cremation, drop her off at the lab. My new paper could use some extra data. Might as well put her to use."

His heartless words completely blew my mind.

"Are you even human? You actually care more about Sophie than family?" I demanded.

Ethan sounded even more impatient.

He shot back without hesitation. "She's always reckless and asking for trouble. If she hadn't gone near the snake, she wouldn't have been bitten.

"And besides, she's just some high school kid. Sophie is a top talent—her life is worth way more than your sister's."

Before I could even respond, he hung up.

His heartless, downright inhuman words kept haunting me, echoing in my mind over and over.

Would any real human even say something like that? He was colder and more chilling than that venomous snake.

And then it hit me—Ethan thought it was my sister who got poisoned.

After a long pause, I let out a bitter laugh. I asked the funeral home staff to deliver Emily's body straight to Ethan's lab.

He wanted data? Fine.

*****

I was completely exhausted from staying up all night.

After barely making it home and finally passing out for two hours, I was jolted awake by someone violently kicking at my door.

Ethan had made it back. Now he was ruthlessly kicking in the locked door to my room.

I was still out of it and had no clue what was going on when he suddenly grabbed me by the collar and slammed me to the floor.

There was a dull, heavy thud. Pain exploded in my lower back, so intense I could barely get a word out.

"Julia, you really are despicable," Ethan barked.

Ethan had casually told me before that Sophie was all about raising reptiles. She had zero fear, always pushing the limits.

She used to sneak snakes from the lab back home to mess around with, and Ethan, who was supposed to be in charge, just let it slide every time.

I'd already given the photo to the police. They ran it past the experts, and the snake that killed Emily was the same rare breed as the one Sophie had in that photo—it was not even native here.

Honestly, chances were that the snake escaped when Sophie let it out to play.