Lost lovers

After successfully winning his heart, I chose to stay for Liam. But three years into our marriage, he changed. Later, when it was time for me to leave this world, I chose to fall into the sea, an apparent accident. The prenatal scan report left on the shore was my three-year anniversary gift to him. But he knelt on the ground, his eyes blazing with unshed tears, his voice raw as he begged me to return. I was pregnant. That afternoon, on my way home from the hospital, I immediately called Liam Vance. For three years of marriage, he’d always wanted a child, and I could almost picture the look on his face when he heard the news. But I decided to keep him guessing. I told him: “Remember to come home early tonight. I have a surprise for you.” At that moment, I was completely absorbed in my joy. So, when I stumbled upon photos of another girl in Liam’s cloud drive, I instantly lost the ability to think. It had started two years ago. At first, it was just two people cropped from larger group photos, then pictures of them hiking, watching sunsets, diving… The most recent one, from just yesterday, showed her profile, wearing a bunny-ear headband, focused on a claw machine. The claw machine’s glass reflected Liam’s face, a look of doting affection and deep longing etched there. As I looked at those photos, tears unknowingly streamed down my hands. Every inch of my skin felt like it was being slowly, excruciatingly crushed by a massive stone wheel. I was bleeding internally, raw with an unbearable pain. For three years, Liam had been utterly devoted to me, agreeing to my every whim. Everyone knew that three years ago, he’d shielded me from a fatal injury in a fire, and even now, there was a jagged, prominent scar on his back. After I’d finally captured his heart, my body had been in a coma for four days. He, still weak from his own injuries, had stayed by my bedside, awake day and night for just as long. No one had ever cared for me that deeply before. So, after my spirit had hovered for four days, I petitioned the System to let me remain in this world. The price for staying? My body would age twice as fast. Back then, I thought, if Liam was willing to give up his life for me, what was a little aging? Three years later, my appearance had aged by six years. I’d truly believed Liam wouldn’t disappoint me. Liam Vance, the CEO known to outsiders for his decisive nature and quiet demeanor, was always fervently passionate and incredibly attentive when he was with me. But I could never have imagined him betraying me. If his “beloved” was another girl, what did all his talk of loving me even mean?

That evening, while Liam was showering, I took his phone. The lock screen password was still my birthday; he hadn’t changed it in three years. It wasn’t that he was exceptionally transparent, but that I trusted him completely. After a few minutes of searching, I finally found her. There was nothing particularly special about it. She wasn’t pinned to the top, nor did she have a special nickname. But I’d seen her photos, so her profile picture instantly caught my eye in the contact list. The chat history was meticulously deleted. I clicked into her Ins profile. The first post was a share of a women’s watch. The caption read: “A gift from someone special, I love this birthday present so much, and the person who gave it to me!!” There wasn’t much interaction between them. Liam had simply liked every one of her posts. Including that one, of course. A new message suddenly popped up in the chat window. Seraphina: [Haha, you really agreed? Then it’s settled, we’ll meet next Thursday!] My heart suddenly felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, plunging me into a suffocating pain. He must have known that next Thursday was our three-year anniversary. Not our wedding anniversary, but our confession anniversary. That day, he’d shielded me from a suddenly collapsing wooden beam in that fire, yet he’d still trembled as he said: “I might die, but I still want to tell you, I like you.” That day, my resolve to return to my real world had begun to waver. We’d faced death together. He was willing to give up his life for me, and I gave up my chance to return to my own world for him. But now, as our lives settled into a comfortable routine, he had started loving someone else. The bathroom door softly clicked open. I quickly composed myself, marked the message as unread, and turned off the phone screen.

Through the rising steam, Liam’s chiseled features gradually became clear. He dried his wet hair, and when he saw his phone in my hand, a flicker of stiffness crossed his face. “What made you suddenly decide to check my phone?” He lowered his gaze, his deep voice betraying little emotion. Feigning nonchalance, I put the phone back. “Just on a whim, I thought I’d try your lock screen password.” “And did you?” He moved closer, the pleasant scent of his shower gel instantly filling my nostrils. I nodded, handing him the phone. “I did. And I was quite satisfied.” “All my passwords are your birthday, you know.” Liam took the phone, flipped it face down on the table, and tried to pull me into his arms. It was like he was trying too hard to prove his loyalty, only making his guilt more obvious. I lowered my eyes, deftly sidestepping his embrace. A flicker of concern crossed his face. “Eleanor, you don’t seem very happy today.” “Liam, I dreamed last night that you fell for someone else and didn’t want me anymore. I’m still a bit shaken from it,” I said, tilting my head back, trying to read his expression. Liam’s face registered a moment of stunned surprise, then he quickly reassured me: “Dreams are always the opposite of reality. Eleanor, I will never abandon you, otherwise—” As he spoke, his face gradually overlapped with the image of that young man in my memory, but his eyes no longer held the same clear sincerity they once did. I cut him off abruptly. “You don’t need to swear, I was just kidding. It was just a dream, it’s not real.” He seemed to let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and his expression relaxed a little. Liam was truly terrible at lying. Otherwise, his gaze wouldn’t have darted away, his voice wouldn’t have wavered when he spoke. We were both trying our best to maintain the superficial beauty of this relationship, but inside, it was already hollowed out. Eventually, he would tire, and the tenderness would fade. I could cling to the present, I could temporarily suppress my emotions, I could pretend not to notice. But what about the baby? I had to make a decision soon.

The soft yellow lamplight outlined Liam’s sharp profile. His lowered eyelashes cast shadows beneath his eyes. His gaze was fixed on his phone screen, a faint, unconscious smile playing on his lips. It wasn’t until I cried out in pain from scalding myself with boiling water that he frantically looked up. “Did you burn yourself?” His face was etched with worry as he grabbed my hand, examining the injury closely. “Wait here, I’ll get some ointment.” Normally, I might have let him fuss over me. But I gently pulled my hand away. “I’m fine. No need to look for anything.” Perhaps sensing my uncharacteristic coldness, Liam looked at me cautiously. “I’m sorry, Eleanor. The company has been so busy lately, I haven’t been able to spend much time with you, I—” I forced a casual smile. “Liam, I don’t blame you.” He seemed to sigh in relief, then carelessly changed the subject. “Eleanor, didn’t you say this afternoon that you had a surprise for me?” Liam’s eyes sparkled, my reflection visible in their dark brown depths. A surprise? There was supposed to be one. Perhaps I should have been more oblivious, ignored the faint scent of women’s perfume on him, ignored his frequent absent-mindedness, perhaps I shouldn’t have opened that folder named “beloved.” Perhaps time should rewind to three years ago, to the moment he shielded me from the burning wooden beam. I would have chosen to leave the mission world without hesitation. “A surprise? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” I turned my head, giving him a faint smile.

Like many betrayed women, I became increasingly sensitive to details, trying to find any trace of his infidelity. But Liam seemed to be covering his tracks even more meticulously. He deleted his car’s navigation history, put Sera’s chat on ‘do not disturb,’ and even switched to a stronger men’s cologne. But he shouldn’t have forgotten to log out of his cloud drive that day. He shouldn’t have been careless enough to let me discover her existence. I still held onto a sliver of hope, wanting to know if his choice had changed. As he was straightening his suit before leaving, I looked up at Liam in the mirror. “You haven’t forgotten what day this Thursday is, have you?” “Of course not,” he said, hooking his lower lip. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, a hint of guilt flickered across his face. “But… I’m working on a project lately, so I might be home late that day. Still, I’ve already bought your gift.” He turned and handed me a beautifully wrapped small box. “Eleanor, open it. I picked it out carefully.” I opened the box, disappointed, but as I saw what was inside, I felt a sudden chill, as if plunged into an icy abyss. It was an expensive women’s watch. Identical to the one Sera had shared on her Ins page. Was his love no longer unique? Was he now trying to fob me off with the very same gift? “Eleanor, don’t you like it?” Seeing my frozen expression, Liam frowned slightly, showing a rare flash of impatience. “If you don’t like it, I’ll get you another one later.” It seemed that in his mind, I should have been overjoyed and satisfied with this gift. Even if what he offered was deceit, lies, and thoughtless dismissiveness. My breathing felt erratic. My stomach suddenly churned, a confused, dull ache. “Eleanor, what’s wrong?” I heard his anxious voice. After a brief ringing in my ears, Liam’s voice became clearer and more urgent. I struggled to compose myself, barely managing to straighten up. “I’m fine, just a stomach ache. You should go to work.” Liam, still persistent, frowned at me. “Eleanor, your face is pale. Are you really okay?” “I’m fine, just go! I want to be alone!” I practically bit out the words. Even as I pushed him out the door, he stubbornly asked, “Eleanor, don’t force yourself. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” I finally calmed down, shaking my head with a sense of resignation. Since he had already made his choice, there was no turning back for us. It was time for me to choose the right moment to return to my own world.

I lied to myself that I was just passing by, parking my car outside Liam’s office building. My morbid curiosity was acting up, compelling me to see for myself. To see who this person was, the one who could make Liam so obsessed with her, the one who kept him constantly on edge, juggling us both. The twilight sky was painted with streaks of red and gold, like trailing tassels. Sera, bathed in that brilliant light, walked into my view. She was so young, with just a touch of makeup, her face alight with a bright, unapologetic smile, radiating an indescribable youthful energy. Just like in those photos, she was vibrant, lively, young, and beautiful. And I, paying the price for staying, already had wrinkles at the corners of my eyes, which I tried to hide with foundation, only making it more obvious. I was trapped in a mundane marriage, trapped in lies and suspicion, trapped in a hollow love. Liam, in his perfectly tailored suit, looked even taller and more distinguished as he walked ahead. Sera, tripping along behind him, still clutching a pile of files, was babbling on and on. To outsiders, Liam seemed unapproachable and aloof, sometimes unreasonably harsh, even borderline cruel, with his subordinates. The crisp autumn breeze made Sera shiver, and she unconsciously pulled her arms around herself. The next moment, Liam turned, and silently draped his jacket over her shoulders. My heart lurched, my fingers freezing mid-air. On my phone screen was the number I couldn’t bring myself to dial. I suddenly remembered when I first came here. Having no parents, no friends, just wandering in an unfamiliar world – it was a terrible feeling. I spent my days persistently following Liam, hoping to complete my mission quickly and return to my own world. But Liam was like a block of impenetrable ice, rejecting my confessions over and over again. I tirelessly stayed by his side. He would often frown and say he didn’t want to hear my voice, so I would just follow him in silence. I discovered that he was just as lonely as I was. In the desolate, empty alleyways, only our footsteps echoed, always giving me a false sense of companionship. For three years, he remained distant and cold, and I was on the verge of giving up. Until the moment he threw himself over me, protecting me, that I finally realized how much he loved me. Later, he cupped my face and told me: “My entire life before this, I’ve been so incredibly lonely. That’s why I’ve been afraid to express love, afraid to commit, because I’m a coward, afraid of being abandoned.” “I’m afraid to say ‘I love you’ lightly. But if being willing to give up everything for someone counts as love, then I love you.” “If you still like me, let’s be each other’s only one. Let’s never leave each other, okay?” The world was so quiet, I could only hear our heartbeats. His handsome face, shrinking and expanding in my vision as he leaned closer, I blushed and closed my eyes, willing to drown in the moment. Liam was terrified of being alone. He said he only wanted me by his side, that even doing nothing, just being together, made him happy. But now, it seemed he no longer needed me. Everything actually had signs. Last time, when I celebrated Liam’s birthday, Sera had called too, but back then, I didn’t know who she was. In the silence, the sudden ring of the phone was jarring. Liam hesitated for a few seconds before answering.

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