Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 77 You Have the Power to Hurt Me

Arthur hit me up with a message: [Surprised? How about I throw some surprises your way every now and then? No need to thank me, let's see who can last longer.]

My hands were shaking like crazy, but I called him back right away. Of course, the phone was already off. Tried again, and the number was disconnected.

After dropping that bomb, Arthur vanished into thin air.

I holed up in the villa for a whole week, didn't even peek outside.

Ethan took care of the photo mess real quick. No clue if there were any rumors flying around, but I was too mortified to face anyone, so I just hid. But forgiving him? Not a chance. One day, I'll get my payback for all the crap he's pulled. Bella was a regular visitor during this time, chatting me up like she was scared I'd spiral into depression.

Yeah, I was kinda down, but I knew it wouldn't last. Just needed some time to get my head straight and figure out my next move.

One day, Bella and I were chilling in the garden. I got all emotional and said, "Bella, don't you think if people don't hustle when they're young, they'll regret it when they're old?"

Bella gave me a long look. "Emmy, I think you've changed. Weren't you more laid-back before?."

I gave a small smile. "Yeah, I've changed. Always being the underdog, getting pushed around without fighting back-I'm done with that. And love? It's not enough to keep a marriage going. Between Ethan and me, there might not even be love. He's never even said he likes me."

Bella shot me a glance. "Isn't it obvious?"

My heart twinged a bit. "Fiona will always be in Ethan's heart. I can't take that spot."

Bella looked at me. "Even if he once liked Fiona, that was ages ago. And don't forget, Fiona's dead. He announced your marriage certificate; that should count for something."

On the tenth day of my self-imposed exile, I went on a cleaning spree, scrubbing the villa until it sparkled. Even took care of the garden and made a new bed for Scruffy.

I hadn't really been there for Scruffy in a while, and I felt kinda bad about it.

Jason was the first to come back. He stood at the door, totally floored by the spotless living room.

I was on a cleaning high, not even tired after a whole day of work. Seeing Jason with groceries, I grabbed them and headed straight to the kitchen to start cooking.

When dinner was almost ready, Ethan walked in too. He gave me this look, like he couldn't quite figure out what was different about me today.

As I was dishing out the soup, he came over to help carry it and then pulled me aside, grabbing a napkin from the table to wipe my forehead. "What did you do at home to be sweating so much?"

I proudly waved my arm. "Upstairs, downstairs, the garden-cleaned every inch."

Ethan raised an eyebrow and teased, "Why are you working yourself to the bone? You could've just hired a cleaner."

"It's my own home, of course, I should clean it myself. Can a cleaner be as thorough as cleaning their own home?" I was taken aback by my own words, thinking, 'Since when did I start thinking of this place as my home?' Ethan seemed to catch the drift and gave me a deep look.

Jason set the dishes in front of me, smiling warmly. "Since you've been busting your butt all day, you should eat more to reward yourself."

That night, I ate like a total slob in front of them, more than the two of them combined. When I finally looked up after stuffing my face, I realized they were both watching me.

I smiled a bit sheepishly. "I'm so full. I need to go out and walk it off."

Jason offered to do the dishes, and Ethan joined me for a walk.

The villa was in a pretty secluded spot, and the road outside was wide with hardly anyone around. It was already autumn, and the night air was cool.

We walked side by side in silence. I looked down at our synchronized steps and felt like we were a couple in love.

Ethan's legs were longer than mine, and as we walked, I couldn't keep up with his pace. I would then deliberately adjust, finding it amusing. But I would always fall behind eventually. Frustrated, I started running. The sound of running followed behind me, and Ethan caught up with me again.

I gave him a challenging look. "Wanna race?"

Before he could answer, I cheated and dashed ahead. He quickly caught up, so I sped up even more. But I couldn't outrun him with his longer legs. Frustrated, I grabbed his clothes to slow him down and overtook him again. Ethan laughed behind me. "Emily, you're pulling a faster one."

I stopped and nonchalantly said, "Yeah, I'm. What are you gonna do about it?"

Ethan's eyes narrowed, and he smirked mischievously. "Alright, I'll punish you when we get back tonight."

My face froze. I gave him a playful shove and teased, "Pervert," before taking off running again.

After a bit, we both got tired and stopped.

I knew I had to start by facing my true self to make a change. The darkness of the night gave me some courage.

I suddenly turned around and stared at Ethan, who was a few steps away. "Ethan, I like you!"

Ethan looked stunned and didn't say a word.

His silence made me a bit anxious. I took a deep breath and stared at him with determination. "Do you know what this means?" He still didn't speak, just tilted his head, his eyes softening under the moonlight. I said seriously, "It means you have the power to hurt me."

Ethan had his hands in his pockets. After a while, he suddenly said, "Same goes for you!"

My eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say?"

Ethan smiled shyly, turning his face away, and refused to repeat it.

I rushed over, shaking his arm, filled with excitement and anticipation. "What did you mean by that?"

Ethan, unable to escape my persistence, turned to look at me, his eyes serious. "Emily, you also have the power to hurt me."

His chest heaved, and suddenly he pulled me in and kissed me. Under the moonlight, we kissed by the roadside. His kiss was gentle, more wonderful than any before, because I could feel his emotions through our lips. After a long kiss, I leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

After a while, I looked up at him. "Ethan, I remember you once said that the strongest person in the world isn't Superman, but the one who gets knocked down a hundred times and gets up a hundred and one times to face it again. Because the former is just strong, but the latter is fearless. I need to be fearless, and I need to be strong-strong enough not to be bullied or looked down upon anymore."

Ethan laughed. "You remember my words so clearly?"

I punched him lightly. "Can you be serious about my ambitions?"

Ethan's smile deepened, and he nodded. "Alright."

The next evening, while Ethan and Jason were both in the living room, I showed them a news story I had found recently.

It was about a woman in her twenties whose face had been ruined by chemical products from a beauty salon, and she was seeking justice.

After watching, they looked at me, waiting for my explanation.

I said, "There are tons of stories like this now. More women are getting wary of beauty products. Women love looking good, but they also care about safety. Everyone knows that cosmetic procedures in reputable hospitals are safer, even if they take longer. Health and legitimacy are more likely to be accepted by the market. What do you think?"

I had a bunch of ideas before, but they were just thoughts, never really acted on. This was my first time pitching a plan. Both Ethan and Jason are smart, and I was on edge waiting for their opinions.

Jason crossed his arms, thought for a moment, and nodded. "It's a good idea."

With Jason's approval, my confidence shot up.

Sitting on the other side, Ethan looked at me and said, "I told you, you don't need to work so hard."

I snorted, clearly disagreeing with Ethan's view. "I don't want to totally rely on you. I don't get your industry, but I can do something I know and am interested in. Starting a business is tough, but only by enduring it can you enjoy the victory. Didn't you come through the same way? I want to learn from your fighting spirit."

Ethan laughed. "It's not easy."

I rolled my eyes at Ethan. "Don't underestimate me."

Then I turned to Jason. "You're the expert. If I have questions, I'll ask you for advice, or we can collaborate."

Jason smiled faintly. "Sure."

"And what about me?" Ethan quickly interjected, "Did you forget about me? I want to invest."

I decisively refused, making a bold declaration, "No, I want to earn my own money!"

With my goal set, I prepared to return to college to further my studies in medical aesthetics.

The next day, Jason used various channels to find many related books and interview preparation materials for me. Once I got the books, I studied almost non-stop, even placing a book in front of me while cooking.

If I had studied this hard back in school, I probably would have gotten into the best university.

Since setting my goal, I no longer thought about those troubling matters and focused entirely on my application.

The trouble Arthur caused had been solved.

I hadn't left the house for almost a month. That day, after finishing the study materials, I participated in a mock interview test on my computer and did quite well.

With no one to share my joy with, I decided to go to Skyline International Corporation to find Ethan.

This was my first time going to the company since the Twitter incident. The employees already knew my identity and politely nodded at me.

When I reached the top floor, I was about to knock on the door but stopped. I heard a woman's laughter coming from inside.