The Bubble Of Feelings

The Bubble Of Feelings
Ethan returned to reality.
He had spent years trying to forget what had happened with Emily, but her memory remained embedded in the deepest part of his mind, like a wound that never quite healed. He was not a good man—at least not one who could offer stability or sincere love. And yet, something inside him had begun to change ever since Amber appeared in his life.
He hadn’t sought her out. He hadn’t manipulated her. She had arrived on her own, with her sweet and stubborn nature, to complicate his days.
For the first time in a long while, he felt the weight of the past grow lighter, even as it never stopped reminding him how dangerous loving could be.
When he got home, he found her in the kitchen.
Amber had her hair gathered into a simple braid, and a white apron covered her dress. The scene felt so ordinary that to Ethan it seemed almost unreal.
“How was your day?” she asked without looking up, as she carefully set the table.
“Fine,” he replied dryly, dropping into one of the chairs.
“And yours?” he added, trying to keep the conversation going.
“Fine,” she repeated, smiling faintly. “I’m looking forward to going to see the children tomorrow. You know, I’m grateful to Martín for everything he’s done for us. He’s a good friend.”
Ethan nodded distractedly.
“Yes, I suppose.”
The distant tone hit her like a stone. Even so, Amber forced herself to keep her spirits up. She served the salad she had prepared and placed a piece of bread beside the plate.
“This is the first time I’ve cooked for someone like you,” she said, trying to sound light. “At my house we never had much. We ate whatever we could, so this…” She let out a small laugh. “This is almost a luxury for me. It turned out well—I found the recipe somewhere, and it’s delicious.”
Ethan watched her for a few seconds before responding.
“You don’t have to make an effort. I’ll hire someone to cook. I don’t want you wearing yourself out.”
She shrugged.
“It’s not an effort. I like doing it. Besides, I haven’t started university yet. I have plenty of free time in this house. Maybe tomorrow I won’t be able to do it all day—I’ll be with my little ones. But I’ll be back early, before you get home from work.”
He looked away, down at the table.
“Amber…” His tone changed, turning cold. “You’re no longer obligated to stay married to me.”
Amber froze, her fork suspended halfway.
“What?” she asked, not understanding.
“I’ve already transferred the rest of the money agreed upon with Elena.” His voice was firm, devoid of emotion. “I fulfilled my part of the deal. You can leave whenever you want. You’re free.”
The silence that followed was so thick it seemed to fill every corner of the dining room.
Amber stared at him, trying to process his words. Then she let the utensil fall hard onto the plate, nearly cracking the porcelain. She could hardly believe what Ethan was telling her. Had he lost his mind?
“Free?” she repeated, her voice breaking. “Just like that? After everything we went through?”
Ethan held her gaze, impassive.
“Amber, I’m not the person you imagine. Besides, what exactly is this ‘everything we went through’?”
She brought a hand to her head, as if trying to contain a whirlwind of thoughts.
“Explain to me why you’re doing this to me. Truly, what did I do wrong? We were supposed to be fine, weren’t we?”
“Because I’ve had enough,” he replied coldly. “I’ve already enjoyed our marriage, and that’s more than I expected. I don’t intend to continue something that makes no sense.”
Amber pressed her lips together, trying to hold back her tears.
“That’s what you think? That everything was a game to you? I mean, you practically used me and that’s it? Or at least explain a little, please.”
Ethan took a deep breath, avoiding her eyes.
“Don’t force me to say things we both know. You’re here for money, not for love. And well, I was with you for physical pleasure, but you no longer have anything to offer me.”
His tone was so merciless that Amber felt her throat tighten, leaving her unable to speak.
“That’s not true.” Amber’s voice trembled, not with fear, but with contained rage. “If I only cared about money, I never would have put up with the way you are.” She took a deep breath, trying to process everything.
He lifted his gaze, studied her for a few seconds, and said harshly:
“Don’t play the innocent. You knew from the beginning what this was.”
Amber shook her head, tears already streaming down her face.
“No, Ethan. I knew it was a contract, but I didn’t expect…” She broke off, unable to say it. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with you.”
For the first time in the entire conversation, his gaze faltered. Ethan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, as if those words had pierced his skin.
But his pride was stronger. And above all, his desire not to hurt her—that was stronger still.
“You shouldn’t have,” he said softly, almost in a whisper. “I’m not the kind of man a woman should fall in love with.”
“Well, it’s too late,” she shot back, raising her voice. “Because I did.”
Ethan closed his eyes, frustrated. He couldn’t allow this to continue. Not with the weight of the past, not with Pamela lurking, not with Emily’s shadow still lodged in his chest.
“Amber, you don’t understand.” His tone shifted, more tense. “I can’t give you anything more. What we have ends here.”
She stared at him in disbelief, her heart pounding violently.
“I’ll only leave if Elena asks me to,” she said with a trembling voice. “Only then. I have a contract with her, and I don’t want legal implications.”
Ethan stiffened. That sentence tore him apart. Inside, everything in him screamed that he didn’t want to lose her, that he loved her more than he was willing to admit. But he also knew that if she stayed, he would end up destroying her.
“Amber,” he said more harshly, “I’m not a good man. I like having control. I like dominating you. And that’s the limit. That’s the only thing I know how to do.”
She clenched her fists, trembling.
“Of course I know,” she snapped angrily. “And I enjoy it. Do you know why? Because when you touch me, for a moment I stop feeling fear, I stop feeling pain. And I like it! Damn it, I like what we do—very much.” Amber let another tear slip free.
Ethan looked at her, his eyes clouded with tension.
“That’s not love, Amber.”
“Maybe it isn’t,” she said, her voice shattered. “But it’s the most real thing I’ve ever had. And now you just cut me out of your life—it’s inexplicable, completely illogical.”
Silence returned, this time more cruel.
Amber took a deep breath and added bitterly:
“And if you think I’m going to stay here crying, you’re wrong. Maybe another man can do what you did… and much better. You’re right—we already enjoyed the damn sex. What could possibly happen? As if another man couldn’t make me feel satisfied. Besides, what do you give me? Sex and spanking my ass—ha! As if that were such a big deal. You never say affectionate words to me, you’re cold, you just fuck me for your own pleasure. So yes, if I already got the money, then I’m out of here.”
Ethan felt his blood boil in his veins. His jaw tightened, and for a moment it seemed as if he might explode.
But he restrained himself.
He knew that every word he uttered could shatter what little remained between them.
“Leave tomorrow,” he finally said, his voice rough. “Pack your things and go.”
Amber looked at him, her face drenched in tears.
“I’m not leaving,” she whispered. “I have a contract, and I intend to fulfill it. I’m not going to run away like a coward.”
Ethan sprang to his feet, slamming his fist against the table.
“I don’t need you anymore!” he shouted.
She stepped back, trembling.
“Is that what you think of me?” she asked, barely above a whisper. “That I’m something you can use and then discard?”
“I think I never should have started anything with you,” he replied, calmer now, but with a pain that escaped through his eyes. “My mother only wanted to make sure I wasn’t alone. But she didn’t think about me—or about you.”
“And what about her?” Amber reproached him. “Don’t you care what your mother thinks?”
Ethan looked at her coldly.
“She doesn’t own my life. She signed a contract based on her wishes, not mine.”
Amber stared at him, unable to say a word.
The man standing before her was not the same one who had held her on the beach, nor the one who had fed her so tenderly that morning. He was someone else—hard, distant, impenetrable.
He took a step back.
“The game is over,” he said firmly.
Without looking at her, he went up the stairs and disappeared down the hallway.
The sound of the door closing upstairs echoed like a cruel final sentence, marking the end of that forced marriage.
Amber remained standing beside the table. Tears streamed down her cheeks without her trying to stop them.
The silence of the house became unbearable.
She walked to the counter, braced her hands against it, and lowered her head.
A sob escaped her lips, then another, until she could no longer contain them. She covered her mouth with both hands, trying to stifle the crying, but it was useless.
Her entire body trembled.
Ethan, on the upper floor, listened to the echo of her sobs through the closed door.
He leaned against the wall, eyes shut, his face buried in his hands.
He wanted to go downstairs.
He wanted to hold her.
But he didn’t.
Because he knew that if he did, he would no longer have the strength to let her go.