While I Burned with Fever in the ER, He Was at the Game with His Little Sister Chapter 02
Richard fell silent for a moment, and his voice suddenly turned cold.
“You called me in the middle of the night just to tell me this?”
“Do you have to call us the second you and Ethan have a fight? Erin, you’re an adult…”
I cut him off. “Ethan is with another woman right now, watching the game.”
Richard seemed stunned by what I had said. He went silent.
I continued, “I ended up in the ER with a high fever, and he told me he was working late.”
“He was actually at Sophia’s apartment, drinking, eating pizza, and watching the game with her.”
I hung up without waiting for Richard to respond.
After the nurse removed my IV, I pressed a cotton ball to the back of my hand and walked out of the ER alone.
It was raining outside.
Standing at the entrance, my mind had never felt clearer.
A moment later, my phone vibrated.
It was Ethan, and he sounded furious.
“I just got back to the apartment. Where are you?”
“My dad just called me. What exactly did you tell him?”
“Erin, have you lost your mind?”
I stared at the screen and leaned against the wall, my voice perfectly calm.
“Fine. Call me crazy.”
Maybe my calm response made Ethan realize something was wrong, because his voice quickly softened.
“You’re at the hospital? I’ll come stay with you.”
“Don’t bother. Go back to watching the World Cup.”
I ended the call.
On the way home, I told myself I would talk to him one last time.
I had no intention of raising my voice or dragging up every argument we had ever had. I only wanted to make the current problem clear.
Tonight, I needed an answer. Was this relationship still worth saving or not?
When I returned to the apartment, the living room light was on, and so was the television.
Ethan was stretched out on the couch, holding up his phone as he talked to someone on a video call.
When he heard the door open, he barely glanced at me. Then he sat up and turned the camera in my direction.
“Look, my fiancée is back.”
“I need to go talk to her. I’ll call you later.”
I froze halfway through taking off my shoes.
Sophia’s exaggerated voice came through the phone.
“Oh my God, she’s a grown woman. Why do you still have to manage her moods?”
“She isn’t seriously jealous just because I asked you to bring me some food, is she? That’s actually terrifying!”
Ethan glanced at me with a smile.
“What can I say? She’s going to be my wife.”
“Fine, Ethan. Just don’t let her control you too much. I still want you to keep spending time with me.”
After the video call ended, Ethan put down his phone and walked over to me.
His voice was much gentler than usual.
“Erin, you haven’t eaten tonight, have you?”
“I brought you some food.”
He pointed toward the dining table.
Several takeout containers were sitting on it.
Under the clear plastic lids were leftover pizza crusts, half-eaten chicken wings, and half a box of cold fries.
It was the exact same food I had seen in Sophia’s post.
“I don’t want it.”
I turned and headed toward the bedroom.
The smile vanished from Ethan’s face.
“Erin Carter, stop right there!”
I stopped but did not turn around.
He demanded from behind me, “What exactly do you want?”
“You’re an adult. Why did you have to tell my parents about our private problems?”
“If other people find out, they’ll only think you’re deliberately causing drama! You’re trying to ruin everything we have!”
I turned around. The desperation on Ethan’s face was almost laughable.
“I was only giving them advance notice.”
Ethan let out a short laugh as though I had told him a joke, his voice dripping with mockery.
“Notice of what? That you’re breaking up with me?”
“You’ve been getting more and more emotional lately.”
The irony of those words was almost unbearable.
I had been alone in the ER with a high fever and an IV in my hand.
Meanwhile, he had been drinking and watching the game with another woman.
Yet in his version of events, I was somehow the one who needed to control my emotions.
“I’m tired. Arguing with you makes me feel sick.”
I turned to leave, but Ethan grabbed my arm. His fingers tightened so hard that it hurt.
“Your temper is getting completely out of control! Why couldn’t you just talk to me directly? Why did you have to tell my parents about our private business?”
“Just tell me what you want so you’ll stop being so unbearable!”
I looked back at him.
“Didn’t I already tell your father?”
His fingers slowly loosened around my arm.
“What did you tell him?”
I looked him straight in the eyes and said each word clearly.
“I told him. We. Are. Over.”