Regret Is A Poison, His Pick-Me Friend Destroyed Us

Ethan’s childhood friend, Mia, was an absolute cat fanatic. To please her, and completely ignoring my protests, he let her keep eleven cats in our house.

Even when my cat hair allergy triggered a severe asthma attack, leaving me gasping for air on the floor, Ethan just kept laughing and chatting with her.

Mia always labeled herself as an independent woman who treated cats as her "fur babies." "Why do women even want to have actual babies?" she would say, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "Are they seriously trying to trap a man with a kid?

That’s so manipulative." "Human kids aren't half as cute as kittens anyway. My cats are my real babies. I’m never giving birth." Ethan would smile at her dotingly. "Silly girl.

You’re just terrified of pain.

Worst case, we can just have Chloe give birth to one for you in the future." "Hmph, I don't even want that..." On the floor, my hand tightened around my rescue inhaler, then slowly let go.

I gently touched my slightly swollen lower abdomen. Forcing my trembling body up, I booked an appointment for an abortion.

Only after getting oxygen therapy at the hospital did the suffocating feeling in my chest finally ease. When I got home, Ethan was lounging on the sofa, petting a cat.

A lingering, warm smile played on his lips. But the moment he looked up and saw me, his forehead creased. His voice instantly turned icecold. "Where have you been?

Why are you just getting back?" Even as he questioned me, his hand never stopped stroking the cat. Ethan was a massive neat freak.

In the past, he would never let a pet get anywhere near him. I stared at the Ragdoll cat held so affectionately in his arms. "The hospital," I said flatly.

He merely offered a dismissive grunt. I had expected this. Aside from Mia, nothing could ever catch his attention. But this time, I wasn't going to fight.

That suffocating sensation began to creep up my throat again. Fighting the discomfort, I turned to leave. "Wait. The cats are hungry.

Go put out some freezedried treats for them." I was about to refuse.

But looking at my deathly pale face, the cold man hesitated for a fraction of a second and stood up. "Forget it. You're always so clumsy.

I'll do it myself." The eleven cats instantly went wild at the smell of the treats. "Miss Miller, if your asthma keeps getting triggered by this allergy, it will cause irreversible damage to your lungs." Remembering the doctor's warning, I instinctively held my breath.

Yet, my eyes began to water, my nose burned, and I couldn't stop coughing and dryheaving. My face flushed bright red from coughing. Ethan’s brow furrowed in sheer annoyance.

Right then, his phone rang. The dark cloud on Ethan’s face instantly vanished.

His voice softened, filled with warmth. "Princess Mia, what is it now?" The girl on the other end complained that she hadn’t seen her "fur babies" in an hour and missed them terribly.

She wondered if they missed her too. She rambled about how she was such a responsible mother, wondering who would be lucky enough to marry her in the future.

The corners of Ethan’s lips turned up. He playfully scolded her for teasing him, but his body moved honestly toward the eating kittens.

He flipped the camera, and Mia’s excited squeals erupted from the speaker. Listening to their sweet interaction, I quietly walked back to the master bedroom.

Two weeks ago, I had placed a pregnancy test report on his nightstand as a surprise. It was still sitting there, completely untouched.

I pulled it out and tore it into tiny pieces without a single shred of hesitation.

The morning sickness combined with the constant allergic reactions had already pushed my body to its absolute limit. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me.

Vision blurring, I collapsed heavily onto the bed. A moment later, Ethan’s irritated voice boomed through the room. "Chloe!

Who gave you permission to lie on the bed like that?" He tossed his phone aside, dragged me up without a second thought, and ripped the bedsheets off, throwing them straight into the trash can.

My mind went blank. My voice was hoarse as I spoke. "We’ve been together for five years. I’m dizzy and just wanted to rest.

Is that really too much to ask?" Ethan’s eyes were dead cold. "I have a neat freak condition. You haven't showered. I find it dirty." The air in the room instantly froze.

Then, Mia's whiny voice echoed from the discarded phone. "Ethan? Where did you go? Let me see Cleo again." Ethan acted as if nothing had happened.

He gave me a warning glare, picked up his phone, and continued the call. The camera flashed past me, and Mia’s dissatisfied voice piped up again. "No, no, not that Chloe.

I want to see Cleo! The pretty, expensive kitten!" "Cleo, Mommy’s little piggy, come here!" She made kissing noises through the phone.

Ethan didn't find anything wrong with her words. The look he directed at the cat and its owner was pure indulgence.

Seeing my expressionless face, Mia whimpered softly. "Ethan, why is Chloe looking so miserable?

Does she hate me and the kittens...?" Hearing that, I forced a polite smile at the camera. "Why would I?

You and the cats are the only things Ethan actually cares about." Ethan opened his mouth, sensing the venom in my words.

But when he met my gaze—completely devoid of any desire to argue—his handsome brow furrowed, and he remained silent. "Hmph!" Sensing his distraction, Mia hung up the call in anger.

Ethan’s expression tightened. Anxious to soothe the girl, he turned and stormed out of the house. Left alone, I packed my things until the early hours of the morning.

Neither of them returned that night.

Back then, Mia claimed she couldn't find a job after graduation. So, Ethan brought his childhood friend into his company as his personal assistant.

Later, she complained that her apartment was too small to raise cats. Ignoring my severe cat allergy, Ethan moved her and all her cats into our home.

We had countless screaming matches over this.

But every time Mia's eyes welled with tears, it always became my fault for being "too sensitive." The next afternoon, after finally getting my resignation approved, I let out a sigh of relief.

Walking out of the office building, I saw Ethan’s car parked at the curb. I pretended not to see it and turned to walk away.

But he called out, stopping me, and insisted on taking me out to lunch. Noticing the box of personal belongings in my arms, his eyes narrowed. "You resigned?" I nodded.

He looked incredibly surprised. After all, I loved this job and had worked hard at it for five years.

Without asking why, he immediately said, "You can just come work at my company." I rejected him instantly. "No, thanks." Clearly not expecting a rejection, Ethan’s face darkened.

I quickly offered a fake smile, explaining that I just wanted to take some time off to rest. After a moment of silence, he suddenly handed me a small gift box. I opened it.

It was a pair of earrings. It was from a brand I used to love. Back then, Ethan had openly sneered at my taste, calling it tacky and loud.

He raised an eyebrow, looking smug. "Do you like them?" I gave a halfhearted shrug, muttered a quick thanks, and tossed them onto the passenger seat.

Without the squeal of excitement he expected, his brow furrowed deeper. When we arrived at the restaurant, I realized Ethan had booked the entire place.

Mia was sitting there like a little princess. It turned out today was her birthday.

She naturally wrapped her arm around Ethan’s as he sat down next to her, pouting. "Chloe, you really need to lecture Ethan.

It’s just a birthday, but he made such a huge deal out of it." Ethan gently ran his fingers through her hair, teasing, "Oh?

Who was the silly girl who told me she couldn't wait for her birthday?" They flirted as if I didn't exist. I excused myself to the restroom.

When I walked back, Mia had her hair pinned up, and Ethan was carefully clasping a necklace around her neck.

Seeing me return, she immediately started flaunting it. "Chloe, look at the necklace Ethan got me!

It's gorgeous, but do you think it looks too flashy on me?" Despite her complaining words, her eyes were swimming with smug triumph as she threw a mocking glance my way.

The necklace was from the exact same brand as my earrings. Looking at the luxury packaging of her necklace, it finally clicked.

The earrings were just a "free gift with purchase" that came with her expensive necklace. Ethan said with absolute confidence, "How could it be? You're vibrant and bright.

You're the only one who can pull off something this stunning." They stared into each other's eyes, practically dripping with affection.

I ignored them completely, focusing on my food and scrolling through Snapchat. Suddenly, a violent wave of nausea hit my stomach. I couldn't stop myself from dryheaving.

Both of them froze. Mia looked utterly offended. "What is that supposed to mean?" Ethan’s face darkened.

He slammed his fork onto the table with a loud clatter and hissed, "Can you watch your manners?

Taking you out is nothing but an embarrassment." I wiped my mouth with a napkin and said casually, "I didn't do it on purpose.

I've just been feeling nauseous lately." The moment the words escaped my mouth, I regretted them. "Nauseous?

Are you trying to pretend you're pregnant?" Mia let out a mocking laugh, clearly thinking I was just making up excuses to steal the spotlight. But Ethan suddenly went stiff.

He stared at me, his eyes filled with a sudden, intense hope.

Sensing the shift, Mia stammered nervously. "There's no way it's that coincidental..." Seeing my silence, she panicked, her voice rising. "YYou can't keep it!

Chloe, you two aren't even married. Getting pregnant like this is so shameless.

People will judge you!" But Ethan, who had always wanted a child, could no longer hear a word she was saying.

He looked at me with breathless anticipation, asking if I felt sick anywhere else. I denied it flatly. A look of profound disappointment flashed through his eyes.

Mia let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Seeing that the attention was still on me, she puffed her cheeks. "Hmph, is anyone actually going to pay attention to the birthday girl today?" Ethan snapped out of his daze and rushed to comfort her again.

Maybe Mia was trying to test me, because for the rest of the night, she kept pushing seafood onto my plate, knowing it usually made me feel sick. That night, before going to sleep.

Perhaps out of some lingering, foolish hope, I quietly asked Ethan, "If I were really pregnant, would you get rid of the cats?" The man kept his back turned to me.

The room fell dead silent. Just when I thought he had fallen asleep, his sarcastic voice pierced the darkness. "Chloe, I absolutely despise manipulative women.

Are you planning to blackmail me with a pregnancy now? Stop playing these pathetic games." With that, he got up, stormed out of the room, and slammed the door.

I slowly closed my eyes. When I opened them again, the last trace of hesitation was gone. I looked at the countdown on my phone for the clinic appointment.

The next morning, before I was even fully awake, Ethan burst into the room. He gave a cold, blunt command. "Chloe, give that engagement gown you designed to Mia.

Treat it as her birthday gift." If he hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten that our engagement party was only a month away.

That gown was designed by me specifically for our engagement. From design to final tailoring, it had taken me over a year. "You're a designer anyway.

You can just make another one..." Ethan seemed to realize he was pushing it, trying to justify his words. But I simply nodded and agreed. "Sure.

I'll go pick it up for you." My parents had divorced when I was a kid, and my Nana had raised me.

During the dark days right after Nana passed away, if Ethan hadn't been by my side, I don't think I would have survived. Consider the gown my final payment to him.

He was once the only light in my dark world. But from now on, we owed each other nothing. Staring at my thin, lonely back, a sudden pang of guilt struck Ethan's heart.

He quickly called out to me. His voice softened. "Or... just give me the address. I'll have someone else pick it up..." I shook my head and declined gently. "No need.

If they ruin it, Miss Sterling won't be happy." Ethan froze, his mouth opening and closing. "Name your price.

I'll buy it from you..." Before he could finish, I walked away without looking back. Halfway there, Mia texted me, telling me to bring the gown directly to the company.

Unsurprisingly, Mia used the stunning gown to show off in front of everyone.

With her vague, suggestive comments, the office gossip mill went into overdrive, assuming she was the one marrying Ethan. That afternoon, Ethan called me.

He sounded exceptionally pleased, his voice unusually gentle. "Chloe, your design is incredible.

Mia absolutely loves it." "Great," I muttered, completely drained, wanting nothing more than to hang up.

He rushed to explain, almost as if trying to convince himself, "Well, the engagement party isn't that big of a deal anyway.

When we actually get married, you can design an even better one." I let out a hollow laugh, offering no real reply.

That afternoon, I started packing and shipping my belongings out of the house. Just as I finished, Mia suddenly walked in.

Using her birthday yesterday as an excuse, Ethan had allowed her to leave work early to rest. Ethan wasn't home yet.

Holding a cat, she strolled into my room, intentionally flaunting how beautiful the gown looked on her.

She made sure to emphasize that in the end, the dress belonged to whoever wore it best. I ignored her completely and tried to walk past her. Her face instantly darkened.

She blocked the doorway, stroking the Devon Rex cat in her arms with aggressive force. "Trash will always be trash," she sneered, her voice venomous. "You don't deserve anything beautiful.

A crow can fly as high as it wants, but it will never become a peacock." Then, she immediately covered the cat’s ears. "Oh, not you, my sweet baby.

At least you're a purebred." Seeing my exit blocked, I turned back around. Frustrated by my lack of reaction, Mia's expression turned vicious.

She lunged forward and snatched a vintage silver locket from my desk. My heart stopped, and I immediately reached out to grab it. "What's this?

Oh, oops..." With the most pathetic acting ever, Mia let her hand slip. The locket slammed onto the hardwood floor, the delicate chain snapping and the metal casing denting badly.

An explosive wave of fury roared through me. I shoved her aside violently, dropping to my knees to gather the pieces.

The locket wasn't expensive, but it was the only thing Nana had left me when she died. It was my only connection to her. And this bitch had just ruined it.

Mia let out a triumphant, cruel laugh. I stood up and slapped her across the face with everything I had. Her eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

Once the shock registered, her face twisted in rage. "You dare hit me?! I'll kill you!" Just then, the sound of Ethan’s car pulling into the driveway echoed from outside.

Mia stopped dead in her tracks, a scheming glint flashing in her eyes. She raised her own hand and slapped herself hard on the other cheek. The skin instantly swelled up.

Then, tears flooded her eyes as she began to sob hysterically. "Cleo was just playing around!

How could you beat me like this, Chloe?!" Hearing her screams, Ethan burst into the room.

He rushed to pull the sobbing girl into his arms, his face pale with worry. "What happened?" Mia’s eyes were red, looking like a helpless, wounded rabbit. "It’s Chloe... she hates me and the kittens.

We shouldn't even be here." Ethan whispered sweet comforts to the girl in his arms.

But when he looked up at me, his eyes were dead, and his voice was laced with pure poison. "Are you really so heartless that you can't even tolerate Mia?!" I opened my mouth to speak, but Mia suddenly fainted in his arms.

At that, the veins on Ethan’s neck bulged. He roared at me with every ounce of strength in his lungs, "Get out!

Get the hell out of my house!" He shoved me aside violently as he scooped Mia up to rush her to the hospital. The force of his shove sent me crashing to the floor.

The shattered pieces of the locket sliced deep into my palms. Blood pooled instantly.

But before I could even process the pain in my hands, a sharp, stabbing contraction tore through my lower abdomen. A cold sweat broke out over my entire body.

Warm, sticky blood began to seep through my jeans, staining the floor red. I looked up at our framed photos on the wall. The happy smiles in them felt like a cruel joke.

With trembling fingers, I dialed 911. By evening, I was lying in a sterile hospital bed. I touched my now completely empty, flat stomach, and the tears finally spilled over.

I opened my phone and clicked on Instagram. The first post on my feed was from Mia. It was a picture of her and her cat, with a familiar, large male hand resting over hers.

The caption read: My sweet baby, even if the whole world hates you, you’ll always have Mommy and Daddy. Without a second thought, I blocked and deleted her.

I returned to the house one last time to grab the rest of my bags.

I left the medical report of my miscarriage on the dining table, sent Ethan a single text saying we were over, and walked out.

His reply came instantly: How long are you going to keep throwing this tantrum? I didn't reply. I walked away and never looked back.

It was already midnight when I checked into a highend private recovery retreat. My body belonged to me now.

A miscarriage does severe damage to a woman's body, and I needed to heal.

I turned off my phone, blocked out all the toxic drama, and dedicated the next seven days entirely to my physical and emotional recovery. In the blink of an eye, the seven days were up.

I planned to go back to Nana's old house in my hometown. The moment I turned my phone back on, hundreds of text messages and missed calls flooded my screen.

I was shocked to find that Ethan had been frantically searching for me like a madman. I clicked on his most recent voice message. A wave of frantic, furious energy filled the room.