While I Burned with Fever in the ER, He Was at the Game with His Little Sister Chapter 07
Every amount on that list was backed by bankÂ
records. Anyone could verify them directly.Â
I had saved more than two hundred thousandÂ
dollars over the years, and nearly all of it had gone. into the apartment and the wedding.Â
To keep up with the mortgage and pay every deposit on time, I had cut back on travel and entertainment for three straight years. I had barelyÂ
even bought myself new clothes.Â
But when it came to buying gifts for Ethan, I never cut corners. Whether it was his birthday,Â
Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or our anniversary, IÂ
always chose his gift well in advance and did myÂ
best to buy him whatever he wanted most.Â
Looking back now, it all felt painfully ironic.Â
Richard stared at the list on the coffee tableÂ
without saying anything for a long time.Â
Margaret’s lips were pressed into a tight line, everyÂ
trace of a smile gone from her face.Â
They knew they had no financial records toÂ
support their claims, so all they could do wasÂ
exchange glances.Â
The next second, Margaret suddenly turnedÂ
toward the corner of the living room and shouted.Â
“Everyone, take a good look at this!”Â
“This woman is calling off her wedding justÂ
because her fiancé took care of a girl he considers his sister, even though they aren’t related by blood!”Â
“Not only is she selling the apartment, but she has come into our home to force us to pay her back!”Â
“How can anyone be this heartless?”Â
I froze for a moment. Only then did I notice the phone stand beside the living room bookshelf.Â
A phone was mounted horizontally on it, its camera pointed directly at us.Â
The screen showed that they were livestreaming.Â
Comments were racing across the screen, and more than three hundred people were already watching.Â
It was not a huge audience, but it was more thanÂ
enough for someone to record the livestream, editÂ
it into clips, and upload them across social media.Â
They wanted to destroy my reputation at work and within my social circle. They wanted everyone to believe I was a jealous, greedy, vicious womanÂ
who had suddenly backed out right before the wedding.Â
So this lunch had been designed from the beginning as a public trial against me.Â
Ethan stepped in front of the camera at exactlyÂ
the right moment.Â
His eyes were red, and there was a perfectlyÂ
calculated catch in his voice.Â
“Erin, there really is nothing going on between Sophia and me.”Â
The comments immediately flooded the screen.Â
[This woman is terrifying!]Â
[Run, Ethan. You can’t marry someone thisÂ
controlling.]Â
[She’s ending the engagement over a girl heÂ
considers his sister just because they aren’t related? She’s insanely possessive.]Â
[She ended a three–year relationship withoutÂ
caring at all. Poor Ethan.]Â
[She must already have someone else. She’s justÂ
using this as an excuse to cancel the wedding.]Â
Sophia leaned into the camera too, dramaticallyÂ
pressing a hand to her chest.Â
“Oh my God, I had no idea things would turn out like this.”Â
“I’ve only ever seen Ethan as a brother.”Â
“The way Erin looks at me is terrifying. I’m scaredÂ
to be alone with her now.”Â
Margaret’s anger disappeared, replaced by aÂ
smug tone.Â
“Erin, if you’re truly determined to end the relationship, then we can discuss it.”Â
She walked over to the coffee table and took aÂ
document from a drawer.Â
“However, the agreement to end the engagementÂ
will have to be rewritten.”Â
“The apartment will go to Ethan. The fiftyÂ
thousand dollars in the wedding account will notÂ
be returned, and you will be responsible for every loss caused by the wedding’s cancellation.”Â
“After all, you’re the one choosing to cancel it.”Â
“Any woman with self–respect would stop demanding money the moment a relationshipÂ
ended.”Â
So this was what they had really wanted all along.Â
I looked down at the agreement.Â
All three pages were packed with terms andÂ
conditions.Â
So this was why they had invited me here: to useÂ
the livestream and public pressure to force me toÂ
sign.Â
The entire Walker family was present. TheÂ
document and the livestream had both beenÂ
prepared in advance.Â
They had clearly planned every step long before I arrived.Â
I took out my phone and calmly opened Sophia’s Instagram profile.Â
“Since we’re doing this live, let me show everyoneÂ
a few things too.”Â
Ethan’s expression changed immediately.Â
“Erin, what are you doing?”Â
“April 7.”Â
I read from my phone. “It was Sophia’s birthday. Ethan took her to an upscale sushi restaurantÂ
where dinner started at four hundred dollars perÂ
person.”Â
“Her post said, [I’m so lucky to have a brother likeÂ
you. I hope you’re with me for every birthday.]”Â
Questions immediately began flooding theÂ
comments.Â
“May 17, at two in the morning.”Â
“Ethan drove over to bring her a late–night meal.”Â
“Her post said, [The best brother in the world. Even more thoughtful than a boyfriend.]”Â
The comments began turning against Ethan andÂ
Sophia.Â
[He drove over at two in the morning just to bringÂ
her food?]Â
[More thoughtful than a boyfriend? Is that reallyÂ
something a sister would post about her brother?]Â
“On June 1, Ethan went on a trip to Miami withÂ
Sophia.”Â
“It was just the two of them.”Â
“The post said, [My brother promised to show meÂ
the world. First stop, Miami.]”Â
“July 4, just a few days ago.”Â
I turned my phone screen toward the livestreamÂ
camera.Â
“It was one in the morning during a World Cup.Â
knockout match.”Â
“Ethan was at her apartment, drinking, eatingÂ
pizza, and watching the game with her.”Â
“That same night, I had a fever of 103.6 degrees and was alone in the ER with an IV in my arm.”Â
Almost all the comments immediately swung inÂ
my favor.Â
[Wait, his fiancée was in the hospital at the time?]Â
[He made his fiancée go to the ER alone with a high fever while he watched the game with the girlÂ
he calls his sister?]Â
[Every post this blonde woman makes suggests there’s something more going on between them.]Â
[Where are the people who were insulting Erin a minute ago? Come out and apologize.]Â
[This family set up a livestream in advance toÂ
pressure her into signing away her property. That’sÂ
disgusting.]Â
[She keeps insisting she sees Ethan as a brother,Â
but none of these posts look normal.]Â
Margaret’s face instantly went pale.Â
She rushed over, grabbed the phone stand, and frantically ended the livestream.Â
Ethan remained where he was, his lips pressedÂ
tightly together and his expression dark.Â
Sophia glared at me with open hostility. EveryÂ
trace of the weakness and fear she had beenÂ
performing vanished.Â
Then Margaret completely lost control.Â
“Erin, are you determined to ruin our entire family’sÂ
reputation?”Â
I finished my coffee, stood up, folded the list, andÂ
placed it back inside the document folder.Â
“My lawyer has already prepared all the evidence and supporting materials.”Â
I looked at them, my voice still perfectly calm.Â
“This list was your final chance to settle everythingÂ
privately.”Â
“You refused, and you chose to use a livestream.Â
and this agreement to force my hand…”Â
“Then we’ll let the court handle it.”
