chapter 14 : hatred

I had nearly been caught red-handed, attempting to snap a photo of him – though it was the last thing I wanted to do. If only Isa hadn't made that request...

Ethan looked at me and then, surprisingly, he sighed. Why on earth would he do that? I felt a mix of embarrassment and anxiety, worried that he might discover I had been trying to take his picture. In my nervousness, I couldn't bear the silence any longer, so I decided to take charge of the situation.

"You're here to take me home, right? Let's go." I moved to leave, assuming he would follow, However, Ethan simply remained in his spot.

"Are you planning to stand there forever?"

"Yes. Any objections?"

"I want to go home,"

"Then go, nobody's stopping you."

Exasperated, I sighed and approached him, my frustration evident on my face. "What's your fucking problem?" I couldn't help but express my annoyance, my irritation growing as he maintained an infuriating calm demeanor. "Language, Zoe, language," he whispered into my ear,

There was an inexplicable desire within me to figuratively set him on fire, as his every word seemed to effortlessly get under my skin, It was as if he possessed some uncanny ability to push my buttons, as though he had a master's degree in pissing me off.

I gazed into his eyes, my words caught in my throat. It was a familiar feeling – he won, and I lost, a pattern that had played out countless times in our arguments.

Despite my three years of dedicated practice in mastering the art of wearing a mask, deceiving others into believing I was flawless when, in reality, I was far from it, especially when compared to Ethan or Ray. Yet, somehow, I had managed to convince people that I was indeed flawless.

But when it came to Ethan, my carefully crafted mask always crumbled. He had a knack for breaking it down effortlessly.

In his eyes, I was nothing more than a mere inconvenience, not even worth a second of his time. I was, in his eyes, a disappointment.

My frustration with the situation reached a boiling point. I hated the feeling of being seen as a disappointment so intensely that I was willing to go to great lengths to prove otherwise, even if it meant attempting the impossible—convincing Ethan that I could be as flawless as him. But deep down, I doubted whether that was even attainable. Despite my doubts, my heart yearned to show him what I was capable of, and I couldn't help but desire something that felt completely out of reach.

There he stood, seemingly unaffected by my presence, utterly indifferent. "I want to go home," I reiterated.

"Then go," he responded nonchalantly. How could he remain so composed, as though he had no heart?

"It's 11:00 PM," I added, a tinge of desperation creeping into my voice. "Do you really expect me to go home alone?"

"Take an Uber," he suggested dismissively, as he started to walk away from me.

My frustration reached its peak, and I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. "You're really going to leave me here alone?" I exclaimed, on the verge of tears.

Then, he paused and uttered something that left me utterly shocked and hurt. "You deserve that," he declared, a sentence that pierced right through me.

45 mintues later,

I found myself standing there, waiting for my Uber, and it seemed my luck had taken a turn for the worse. The Uber was running significantly behind schedule. The auditorium was quite a distance from my home, and considering it was nearly midnight, I couldn't help but lament, "If only Mr. Lee were here, I wouldn't have to go through this shit"

The frigid temperature was taking a toll on me, and the shitty gown I was wearing didn't offer much protection against the cold. It made me question whether being wealthy was all it was cracked up to be. As I impatiently waited for my Uber, I couldn't help but curse my poor luck.

To make matters worse, there was absolutely no one around, and my imagination started to wander. I pondered whether there might be a serial killer lurking in the shadows, adding to my unease. Gazing up at the sky, I noted that it was thankfully overcast; there were no stars visible. I sighed in relief, thinking, Well, at least I don't have to be reminded of my problems by gazing at the stars."

Finally, when the Uber arrived, relief washed over me like a warm blanket, I wasted no time and hopped into the vehicle, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness that this ordeal was coming to an end.

after 2 hours,

The clock struck 2:00 AM, and my eyelids drooped heavily with exhaustion. As the Uber came to a halt, I glanced out of the window with half-opened eyes, realizing I had arrived home. I stepped out of the Uber, watching it drive away, and tried to rub the sleep from my eyes, but the weariness still clung to me.

However, I was still fighting a losing battle with sleepiness. Taking a deep breath, I entered my house, hoping for some peace and quiet. But alas, my mood was about to be disrupted once more.

As I opened the front door, there he was, Ethan, sitting on the sofa. I cursed silently; I had hoped for a moment's respite, but it seemed my wish was not to be granted. He stood up and asked, "Where were you? It's 2:00 AM."

I rolled my eyes and began heading towards the stairs when his next words pushed me over the edge. "Stop acting like a bitch and answer me," he snapped.

My patience had reached its limit. The last time I had been this furious was two years ago when that jerk lied and claimed that Mr. Lee would arrive at 8 PM.

I turned back and yelled, "What the heck did you call me?"

"Don't act like you didn't hear it,"

"I did, but I want to hear it again. What the heck did you just call me?"

"A bitch. Happy?" he replied.

My entire body seethed with anger, and I couldn't contain myself any longer. I walked toward him and shoved him, asking, "And what are you?"

"Better than you," he shot back with a creepy smile. I couldn't help but laugh bitterly, as I drew closer to his face, leaving only inches between us. Through clenched teeth, I muttered, "Better my ass. You're nothing but a jerk."

He didn't flinch; instead, he maintained his position, staring directly into my eyes and smirking. Then, he added the final blow, "At least I'm not adopted."

I continued to stare at him, rendered utterly speechless. I couldn't fathom the depths to which he was willing to sink, or how he could go so far. I found myself laughing, a hollow, bitter laugh that was the only response I had left.

It wasn't as though I had asked for any of this. I hadn't begged God to take away my biological parents so I could be adopted, nor had I prayed for my uncle to abuse me and Zie, just so I could be adopted. None of this was my doing, nor my choice. I didn't choose any of this. I had loved my real parents deeply, and I had never wanted to leave them. But just as I loved my biological family, I had grown to love the Lee family as well. I cared for Mr. Lee, I cared for Ray, and despite our conflicts, I would still care if something unfortunate were to happen to Ethan. So, how could he say something like that, right to my face?

Ethan's words cut through me like a knife, and I couldn't help but listen, even though his words were laced with cruelty. "Zoe, you're nothing more than an empty shell. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're someone special just because you bear the Lee family name. You owe your existence to the status and fame that comes with it. You would have died a long time ago if Dad hadn't taken you away from your abusive uncle. You should be grateful, Zoe."

But he didn't stop there. He continued, "Rather than acting like a bitch, you should try to be kind, Zoe, just like my dad has been kind to you. Who taught you to treat others as if they're worthless when, in reality, you're not any better? Who gave you the right to believe you're superior to others just because you bear the Lee family name? You're not even Dad's biological daughter. Just because you're Zoe Lee now doesn't give you the right to look down on others. You're not flawless, Zoe. Why not let others see your flaws? After all, in reality, you're nothing more than a disappointment."

His words stung, a painful reminder of the complex feelings I had about my place in the Lee family.

"What gives you the right to look down on me then?" I shot back, my disgust evident in my expression. "You're impossible, Zoe," he retorted.

I couldn't help but laugh, a bitter, mocking laughter. "Impossible?" I scoffed, as I grabbed a bottle of water and hurled it in his direction. "Well, jerks will always be jerks," I declared, adding insult to injury by raising my middle finger. His shock and anger were palpable, as if he hadn't anticipated me throwing water at him. But I did it anyway, and I didn't regret it. "You deserved that," I asserted as I quickly retreated to my room, slamming the door behind me.

Once inside, I dialed Ray's number. I couldn't explain why, but in that moment, I just needed to hear his voice. I wasn't planning to divulge what had happened with Ethan or anything of that sort; I simply craved the comfort of his presence, even if it was just over the phone.