I Caught My Childhood Sweetheart Cheating—I Only Wanted His Money Anyway Chapter 06
Chloe understood instantly that if Ethan’s company collapsed, he would have no leverage left at all.
She quickly caught his arm and lowered her voice. “Baby, just give in for now. Live to fight another day.”
“Even if you get engaged to her, I still won’t leave you.”
His eyes shifted.
He squeezed her hand tightly. “Chloe, I know this is unfair to you. I’ll plan for our future. I promise.”
Then he walked slowly back to Evelyn and said in a low voice, ‘Fine. I’ll go through with the alliance. I’ll be at
the engagement banquet next month.”
Only then did Evelyn finally breathe out. “Go apologize to Claire.”
Reluctantly, he walked over to me and forced out a few words. “Claire. I’m sorry.”
I raised my eyes coolly. “That’s it? I already told you. I don’t forgive either of you unless you both kneel.”
His temper flared instantly. “Don’t push this too far. I already apologized. What more do you want?”
“Chloe is carrying a Sterling heir, and you’re demanding we kneel? Can you even bear that?”
I muttered in disdain, ‘That may not even be your child.”
“You-”
I’d hit Chloe right where it hurt.
She exploded on the spot and yanked on Ethan’s arm.
“Baby, you’re the Sterling family’s only direct heir and the only successor. Your mother has only one son.
What can they really do to you?”
Ethan was visibly swayed.
He immediately grabbed Chloe and turned to leave again.
Evelyn’s face went cold with disappointment. ‘Ethan Sterling, if you walk out of here today, don’t ever come
back to the Sterling family.”
I watched the two of them go and spoke quietly to Evelyn, “Don’t worry. He’ll come back and beg within a
week.”
I didn’t even have to wait five days before I got a message from Evelyn: [Claire, Ethan came home.]
In those five days, Evelyn had every one of his cards cut off.
I also sent word to all our mutual friends that no one was to help him.
One of them later told me they’d seen Ethan in a secondhand store.
He’d brought in watches, sneakers, and handbags to sell.
I smiled.
He had always spent money recklessly, and now he was also trying to keep Chloe afloat. Selling off a few
things was never going to last long.
Sure enough, before the week was out, he came home looking wrecked and humiliated.
At the Sterling family dinner table, he ate like he was starving, tearing through bowl after bowl as if he hadn’t
had a real meal in days.
Evelyn smiled warmly and set my hand atop Ethan’s.
‘The Bennett and Sterling families have been close for generations. The two of you grew up together. There
has to be real affection there.”
‘Now that Ethan has come home on his own, let’s put everything that happened behind us. I’ll apologize to
Claire on his behalf.”
Then she raised a glass to me.
As the younger one, I stood at once and returned the gesture.
She continued, “The most important thing now is preparing for next month’s engagement ceremony.”
‘Major media outlets will be there, and the new joint venture between the Bennett and Sterling families will be
announced as well.”
‘Don’t worry. I’ll handle everything else that needs to be handled.”
She gave me a meaningful look, and I understood at once that she meant Chloe.
Ever since we were children, every mess Ethan made had been cleaned up by Evelyn.
As the Sterling family matriarch, she had never lacked ruthlessness when she needed it.
So I chose to trust her.
Besides, this alliance was too important. As children of our families, we were expected to put the bigger
picture first.
So I said nothing.
But when I looked at Ethan, I still couldn’t resist one jab.
“Some people love talking about responsibility, but in the end, they still run back to their family to survive.”
I’d expected him to snap back.
The Ethan I knew would never have stayed silent after a line like that.
And if he had mouthed off, I would have made good on my threat and forced him to kneel.
But instead, he was strangely quiet.
He didn’t look at me.
He opened a fresh bottle, poured a glass for Evelyn, and said softly, “Mom, I was immature before. Let me
pour you a drink.”
She looked deeply moved.
But something about him felt wrong.
He was being so obedient it almost felt suspicious.
I did not believe a few days without money could have changed him that completely.
Then I noticed his eyes fixed on the glass, while his hand trembled on its own.
“Wait!”