When He Stopped Loving Me Chapter 18

Several years passed in the blink of an eye.

Ethan remained with Rachel.

A high-profile charity gala gathering Manhattan elite and international guests required a female companion. Ethan had no choice but to bring Rachel.

Rachel dressed meticulously in expensive gowns, wearing eye-blinding jewelry, face showing undisguised pride and ostentation.

But entering the ballroom, her discomfort and shallowness immediately showed. She couldn't understand French pleasantries, fumbled with complex silverware, and when conversing with an important French brand founder, misunderstood a humorous metaphor, embarrassingly cold-shouldering the conversation before loudly praising the person's brooch as "very expensive" in broken English, drawing sidelong glances and low laughter.

Ethan suppressed his fury, repeatedly covering for her, physically and mentally exhausted.

He felt like a parent dragging an unruly child to an adult gathering, utterly humiliated.

Just as he was about to leave early, a slight commotion erupted at the ballroom entrance.

Everyone's attention involuntarily turned.

Ethan instinctively looked up—

Claire Morrison entered on the arm of a distinguished, elegant man.

She wore a tailored sapphire velvet gown that made her skin luminous, her figure graceful. Makeup perfect and tasteful, eyes calm and confident, lips curved in composed, subtle smile, radiating an aura of independence, strength, and effortless poise—instantly becoming the room's focal point.

Her companion was strikingly handsome. The two conversed quietly, postures intimate and harmonious—a perfect pair.

Ethan's breath caught! His gaze locked on Claire like a magnet, unable to look away!

She was so dazzling, so captivating—more radiant than any memory!

A mixture of intense amazement, powerful resentment, and bitter jealousy violently assaulted his heart!

Once, he'd been the one standing beside her, sharing the spotlight!

But now...

Rachel noticed Claire too. She froze, then intense jealousy and hatred flashed in her eyes.

Unwilling to be so thoroughly overshadowed or ignored, she took a deep breath, grabbed champagne, and deliberately swayed over to Claire, face plastered with fake smiles, voice deliberately raised: "Oh my! Isn't this Ms. Morrison? Long time no see! You look wonderful—completely recovered from past troubles? And this is... your new boyfriend? Congratulations!"

Her words dripped with insinuation and provocation, trying to draw everyone's attention to Claire's "new relationship."

Instantly, all eyes focused on this small corner.

Ethan's expression darkened, wanting to intervene but too late.

Claire stopped, gaze calmly falling on Rachel—looking at her as one might view an insignificant, ridiculous clown.

Her lips curved slightly upward in a faint arc carrying infinite distance and contempt. She gracefully raised her glass:

"Miss Chen. Long time no see."

She paused, gaze sweeping past Rachel and landing briefly on Ethan's iron-dark face. Voice clear and calm yet like a sharp blade, precisely cutting through Rachel's shabby past and vain pretenses:

"And congratulations to you too... for finally getting what you wanted."

Those four words—"getting what you wanted"—fell lightly yet thunderously in Rachel's ears!

They exposed her underhanded schemes, calculated pursuit, and her currently seemingly glorious yet actually embarrassing position!

Rachel's face flushed instantly, feeling publicly stripped naked, humiliated beyond measure. Her mouth opened but no sound emerged.

Throughout, Sebastian Hart—Claire's companion—never so much as lifted an eyelid, treating Rachel and Ethan like air.

He merely turned his head slightly, speaking gently to Claire: "Claire, Mr. Xu is over there. Shall we say hello?"

His tone was naturally intimate, as if they were longtime companions.

"Sure." Claire smiled faintly, naturally taking his arm as they turned to walk toward the other side of the ballroom.

Their chemistry and compatibility, their complete dismissal of the Pierce couple—like a red-hot brand burning into Ethan's heart!

Watching Claire's retreating figure, years of accumulated regret, resentment, jealousy, and loss of control completely destroyed Ethan's rationality in that moment!

He suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Claire's wrist desperately!

"Claire!" His voice was hoarse with agitation and pain, carrying almost desperate pleading. "Let's talk! Just five minutes! Please!"

This was his first physical contact with her since the divorce.

Her wrist was slender, skin cool—it sent electric tremors and... panic through Ethan.

Afraid she'd pull away, he gripped tighter.

Claire's steps halted.

She slowly, deliberately turned her head, gaze falling on Ethan's hand gripping her wrist, then gradually rising to meet his bloodshot eyes full of complex emotions.

Her expression remained calm as still water—no anger, no disgust, not even a ripple. She looked at him like a complete stranger behaving inappropriately.

Then, under Ethan's almost begging gaze, she skillfully yet firmly extracted her wrist from his grip, bit by bit.