Remember That Hurt

The sun was shining bright outside, but Anna Fitzpatrick still felt like ice was crawling all over her skin—even with them doing the most intimate thing imaginable.

"Get off," Ethan Donovan's voice was hoarse as he rolled off her, looking every bit like a lion who'd just feasted.

Anna lowered her eyes, grabbed her clothes, and quietly moved to the couch without a word.

"Don't act so pitiful. You chose this yourself." Ethan threw her a lazy glance, like he couldn't be bothered.

Yeah, he was right. This was her choice.

He was Ethan—the man she'd clung to, even when she had nothing left. She didn't care.

Looking at him lying there, gorgeous and untouchable, Anna's eyes welled up. But somehow, she felt content.

She'd first met Ethan at a high-end club.

Five years ago, her grandma—the one who raised her—was hospitalized. Anna, then in college, paused her studies without hesitation.

But even after selling their house, the money wasn't enough. The cost of surgery hit like a freight train she couldn't dodge.

She tried everything to scrape the money together, but it was like pouring a glass of water onto a burning building.

Taking that step into the club wasn't about choice—it was pure desperation.

That night, selling her virginity was the lowest point of her life.

She'd felt like a product on display, standing in front of hypocrites wearing pretty suits and masks.

And then she saw him.

Just one glimpse, and she was sure—he wasn't like the others. She threw herself at a stranger without thinking.

Maybe it was how desperate she looked, maybe she just lucked out. In the end, he took her away.

There was a room already set up, filled with some aphrodisiac-laced incense choking the air.

She stripped, hands shaking as she clung to him.

He pushed her away.

So she got on her knees, begged him to take her, because she couldn't stand the thought of her first time being some traumatic disaster. At least she liked him—even if it was all one-sided.

The look in his eyes—shock turning to disgust—etched itself into her brain like a scar. A reminder that, to him, she was cheap and dirty.

Afterward, he handed her a check—ten thousand dollars.

Anna stared at his handwriting on that paper for an entire week before she forced herself to part with it and pay for the surgery.After nearly two months, she found out she was pregnant.

Before she could even figure out what to do next, an elderly man claiming to be Ethan's grandfather showed up at her door.

As the chairman of the Donovan Group and a well-known figure in H City, Anna had definitely heard of him.

He brought her to a well-kept villa and promised two things—he'd cover her grandma's medical expenses, and once the baby was born, he'd support her schooling. But that wasn't all. He also said she could marry Ethan and officially become Mrs. Donovan, standing proudly by his side.

There was only one condition: the child would be raised by him, and Ethan could never know about it.

Anna couldn't wrap her head around his reasoning, but honestly? She was tempted.

Later, she quietly gave birth to the baby, but the child didn't make it. Even so, the old man kept every word of his promise. He arranged for the funeral himself, taking care of everything. Out of gratitude, Anna never talked about it to anyone.

It took her a few months to pull herself together from the overwhelming grief. With his help, she went back to school, juggling her studies while also taking care of her grandma.

After graduation, the old man brought her into the Donovan household.

Somehow, he even managed to pressure Ethan into agreeing to the marriage.

What Anna knew for sure was that, in Ethan's eyes, she'd only become more disgusting.

When Ethan came out of the shower, he spotted her curled up at the edge of the bed. Whatever calm he had on his face disappeared in a flash.

He didn't bother drying his dripping hair, crossed the room in a few quick steps, and yanked her off the bed by the collar of her shirt.

"Ow—" Anna looked up, meeting Ethan's furious glare. The moment she remembered what she'd done, her body stiffened as she stammered, "I... I'm sorry."

"Anna, how many times have I told you? You're not allowed to sleep in the master bed!" His grip on her chin tightened so much the veins on his hand popped, and his voice was edged with rage.

"I—I get it. I won't do it again." She forced the words out through the pain, her voice low and shaking."Get ready. There's a dinner party tonight, you're coming with me." Ethan finally let go of her hand, dropped the line flatly, and walked straight out of the room without looking back.