He Watched Me Shine Without Him novel Chapter 90

Ethan reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He jumped up in fury. “Even if I were to fall for someone else, it would never be Rose!”

“I gave up everything to be with you. I dumped Rose and shattered her heart. How could I have the nerve to go crawling back now? And even if I wanted to, Rose wouldn’t take me back. She’s not the kind of woman who does that. So after your little stunt today, all you did was make a joke out of the both of us in front of her.”

He recalled what Rose had said to him earlier—“Don’t insult my taste.” Just thinking about it made something clench in his chest.

In her eyes now, he was just a textbook scumbag.

Vivian realized she’d gone too far. In a small voice, she apologized. “Sorry, Ethan. I won’t act out like that again.”

Ethan didn’t answer. His face remained dark.

Just then, his phone rang. The caller ID showed: Samantha.

He picked up right away, his tone suddenly softened, all the edges of his personality smoothed away like a dutiful son. “Mom? What’s going on?”

“I heard from Chloe that you and Vivian are house hunting—out in the most upscale part of the suburbs? Is that true?” Samantha’s voice brimmed with pride, like her son buying into a rich neighborhood was a badge of honor.

Ethan was startled. “How does Chloe know about that?”

Samantha clicked her tongue. “She saw Vivian’s social media post. Honestly, Ethan, buying a house is a big deal. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Mom, it’s not our money. The house is being paid for by Vivian’s parents, so they’re calling all the shots. I’m just going along with it,” Ethan said, trying to pacify her.

But Samantha wasn’t satisfied. “Even if they’re paying, you’re the one living in it. Don’t you want to pick your own room? And what about me? I’m going to rely on you when I’m old. You and Vivian have to take care of me, right? You must save a room for me.”

Vivian’s tear-streaked face went cold. Her fists clenched.

Ethan shot her a glance and quickly cut his mom off.

“Mom, let’s talk about this another time.”

But Samantha wasn’t finished. “If you wait, it’ll be too late. Hasn’t your mother-in-law already decided on a place? I looked it up—it’s pretty high-end. Fine, let’s go with that. Just make sure there’s a room for me.”

Vivian exploded. “I’ve seen shameless people before, but this is a whole new level.”

Ethan’s eyes went wide with rage. “How can you talk about my mom like that?!”

Ethan’s face fell.

That neighborhood’s prices had skyrocketed to nearly 100,000 yuan per square meter. His mom couldn’t even afford one square meter.

“Mom, she doesn’t have that kind of money…” Ethan admitted, flustered.

Vivian’s mother gave him a pitying look. “Well, your father and I aren’t made of money either. We’re getting old, and we need to save for our own retirement. So we’ve decided not to buy that four-bedroom place after all. We’ll downgrade to a three-bedroom unit: one master, one study, and one nursery. That sound okay?”

Ethan knew this was their way of keeping his mother out. But what could he say? Face gray, he nodded. “Whatever you decide.”

Vivian, though, still felt bitter.

She couldn’t stop thinking about how, in the same complex, Rose would soon be living in a villa, while she’d be stuck in a tiny high-rise unit. That glaring contrast was unbearable—especially since she, not Rose, was the one raised with wealth and privilege.

And now, she found herself seething at Samantha.

Back at the Clarke estate, Charlotte and Noah had just returned home—only to be summoned straight to the patriarch’s residence by the butler.