The Man I Loved, the Man Who Waited Chapter 1

The man I had loved for ten years left me behind to throw a party for the woman he had never gotten over.

He was a germaphobe. He said kissing was dirty, so he never kissed me.

But at a class reunion, he kissed her right in front of me, as if he could never get enough.

In that moment, I finally understood.

It wasn't kissing he thought was dirty. It was me.

Again and again, he abandoned me for her and left me humiliated.

This time, I decided I didn't want him anymore.

A week ago, Ethan Hayes flew to Europe himself to celebrate Violet Reed's birthday.

He even gave her a blue diamond necklace worth over a million dollars.

That necklace was a promise he had made to me. Back when he was broke, he could only afford cheap jewelry from Wish.

He told me that once he made it, he would buy me a blue diamond necklace worth tens of thousands.

He said I deserved the best in the world.

When he came home, we had a huge fight.

He shouted at me, "Claire Bennett, can you please be reasonable? I told you, Violet is like family to me.

"That's all.

"Besides, I wasn't the only one who went. You're the only woman in my heart. You have to trust me."

Ethan's sweet words went straight to my head. I gladly stayed right by his side.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind. After a fierce round of lovemaking,

I was drenched in sweat.

He held me and refused to let go. I felt nervous, with a faint ache in my heart.

It was the first time in ages he had treated me that way.

Ethan got up, dressed, and lit a cigarette with practiced ease, blowing out a cloud of white smoke.

I coughed softly. He never smoked around me. "Didn't you quit a long time ago? Why are you smoking today?"

Ethan stubbed it out. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Violet's coming back. We need to spend some time apart.

"I'm afraid she'll be upset if she sees you."

"She's flying home today. I'm going to her welcome-back party. She'd feel uncomfortable if you came. Besides, my friends

"don't even know you.

"You'd have nothing to do there. Just be good and stay home, okay?"

Violet. He said her name so tenderly.

Tears streaked my face. When we first got together, I had made up a nickname for myself: Vee.

I'd said it stood for a love that would never vanish.

He used to nuzzle my nose and call me that. Later, he started calling me Claire Bennett,

never anything sweeter. Even his voice had turned cold.

I knew Ethan wouldn't take me, so I decided to follow him.

There was only one private club he regularly visited.

Whenever he got drunk, he called me. I was always the one who helped him into the car and took him home.

Standing outside the private room, I heard familiar voices.

"Ethan, I heard you've got a little girlfriend. When are you going to introduce her?

"At least make things official with the poor girl."

"What girlfriend? You've got it wrong. That's his future wife. They're getting married."

Their mocking laughter reached me, and I had no strength to argue. They were right.

His friends started congratulating him, already discussing how much money to give us as wedding gifts.