Chapter 87 Eyes on Me
I stared at Ethan across his bedroom, not bothering to hide the fury in my eyes.
Ethan noticed my cold stare and frowned slightly. With a dismissive gesture, he ordered his staff out of the room.
He walked toward me with open arms, clearly expecting the usual warm welcome. I took a deliberate step backward, avoiding his touch.
"Did you buy my father a house?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Why would you do that?" I exploded, no longer able to contain my anger. "What the hell were you thinking? Do you think you're some kind of hero? Did you expect me to be grateful?"
I fired the questions in rapid succession, my voice rising with each one.
Ethan paused for a moment, his expression shifting to something resembling amusement. His smile widened slightly, as if my outburst was somehow entertaining.
"My grandmother called asking me to borrow money from you for a house. I refused. But apparently, she was shameless enough to call you directly." My words tumbled out in a rush of anger. "But why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you even discuss it with me before making that decision?"
I took a deep breath, staring straight into his eyes. "Who do you think you are to make decisions for me? Did you think buying them a house would make me eternally grateful to you? Or was it just another way to control me?"
What I couldn't bring myself to say was that my father had never been good to me—not in the slightest. I hated him. When my grandfather got sick, when my grandmother needed help, I'd sacrificed everything for them. But I refused to do the same for the biological father who'd never shown me an ounce of love.
Ethan keeping this from me didn't make me feel touched or grateful. It made me feel betrayed and manipulated. In my eyes, if he was truly my boyfriend, he should stand with me, not help people I disliked. He should respect my feelings and decisions, not override them whenever he pleased.
"You're really breaking my heart, Ethan," I added, instantly regretting how melodramatic it sounded.
"Breaking your heart?" Ethan's amusement vanished, replaced by cold anger. He grabbed my chin between his fingers, his eyes hardening to steel. "You ungrateful little bitch."
I laughed through the tears that threatened to spill, my voice catching. "Yes, I'm ungrateful. So stop doing me favors. They don't mean anything to me anyway."
Something in Ethan's expression shifted as he watched me. His jaw tightened, his throat working as he swallowed his anger. For a terrifying moment, I thought he might explode, but he restrained himself.
"Enough of this nonsense," he said, releasing my chin and gently stroking my hair instead. "It's just a house, Olivia. Go back home and wait for me."
"You're not listening," I said, feeling utterly defeated. "This isn't about the house. It's about—"
"Enough." His voice dropped dangerously low, his expression darkening. "Olivia, know when to stop."
What had I expected? That Ethan would suddenly see me as an equal? That he'd apologize and promise to consult me in the future?
I'd always known Ethan never saw me as his equal, never truly treated me as a girlfriend. Yet I'd foolishly harbored hope, had the audacity to confront him as if I had any right to be angry.
Back at the residence, I curled up on the living room sofa, remaining motionless for over an hour. I didn't drink, didn't move, just lay there with my thoughts swirling darkly.
Just as I finally dragged myself up to use the bathroom, my phone rang. Daisy's name flashed on the screen.
"Liv!" Daisy's excited voice burst through the speaker. "I came to LA for an audition, and I got the part today!"
"Congratulations."
"Come out," she said with a laugh. "My treat."
"Sure," I agreed. "Text me the address."
I had barely hung up when I heard Ethan enter. His expression was still cold as he surveyed me.
"I'm going out to meet a friend," I said, my voice flat.
Ethan's response was immediate. "Man or woman?"
"It's my high school best friend, Daisy," I said, not wanting to keep Daisy waiting. "You can check our messages or call her on video if you don't believe me."
Ethan's expression softened slightly.
I nodded stiffly. "I should go."
"About the house," Ethan caught my hand. "Don't overthink it. It's just a house, nothing to me."
"You're right," I said, slipping back into the soft, compliant persona he preferred. "I was wrong to make a scene. Thank you."
The barbeque restaurant Daisy had chosen was a local favorite that had been around for over fifteen years. Getting there from our residence would take over thirty minutes.
Ethan's driver, Mr. Chen, drove me while a black SUV with two security personnel followed at a discreet distance. When we were about a hundred yards from the restaurant, I asked to be dropped off.
As I stepped out, one of the security men exited the SUV and began following me at a careful distance.
Walking into the restaurant, I spotted Daisy waving enthusiastically from a corner table.
"Over here!" she called.
I hurried over as she pulled out a chair for me. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the security guard taking a seat at an adjacent table, pretending to be another customer.
A moment later, the second guard entered and joined his colleague. The restaurant seemed to grow quieter as the two imposing men took their places.
Daisy kept stealing glances their way. "Maybe you should go talk to them," she teased with a grin.
I kicked her foot under the table. "Stop it. Or would you rather join their table instead?"
She blushed. "Don't be ridiculous."
I poured us each a cup of barley tea. "How long are you shooting for?"
"I'm just a disposable supporting character," she said, taking a sip. "Three episodes max. Won't take long."
"After this show, are you staying in LA for more roles or going back to school?" I asked.
Daisy twirled her teacup thoughtfully. "I'm in my last year of community college, so not many classes left. I want to stay in LA and try for more auditions. Even a background role would be fine."
The server brought over a copper pot and our food—three large plates of fresh lamb, three of fatty beef, plus mushrooms, glass noodles, and potato slices.
"This is way too much for two people," I said, eyes widening. "Are you controlling your weight for filming?"
"I am, but you aren't," Daisy said. "You've always loved meat. I didn't want to order too little."
"We can't possibly finish all this," I protested. "Let's return some before it's wasted."
Daisy turned toward the adjacent table. "Hey guys, we ordered too much meat. Would you like some? It hasn't been touched."
I froze.
The two security guards instinctively looked at me for permission. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Please, take it."
Only after my approval did they accept the food. Daisy passed them a plate of lamb and one of beef.
When she turned back to me, her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Those two almost look like your personal bodyguards or something."
I choked on my tea, coughing violently.
After recovering, I said nervously, "Don't joke about that. Someone might hear you."
"I'm kidding," she laughed. "Why so serious?"
As she swirled a piece of lamb in the broth, Daisy suddenly said, "Your family bought a house in Pacifica. Did you know?"
With my mouth full of beef, I mumbled, "Yes."
She looked at me curiously. "Where'd your family get that kind of money? Did your dad win the lottery or something?"