It was our third year of marriage when Liam found the scorecard I’d made for him. My heart leaped into my throat when he casually pulled that piece of paper from his study drawer. It read: “He flew to Australia to see his ex-girlfriend on my birthday, -5 points.” “He abandoned me on the highway to pick her up from the airport, -10 points.” “He lost our wedding ring while making soup for her, -10 points…” Line by line, the deductions were listed, with a small note at the bottom: “Once I’d deducted 100 points, I’d file for divorce.” But his gaze didn’t linger on it. He didn’t even glance at it, just nonchalantly handed the paper back to me. “I keep many important things in this study. Please don’t put your stuff in here anymore.” His bookshelves were neatly lined with books Chloe gave him in college, the glass cabinet locked away letters she wrote him back then, and even the photo frame on his desk held their high school graduation picture. Those were the “important things” he spoke of. He meticulously treasured them, looking at them countless times a day. As for my things, he wouldn’t even spare them a glance. So, he didn’t know I was leaving him soon. I clutched the scorecard tightly and nodded. Just as I was about to leave, Liam’s phone suddenly rang. It was one of his friends. “Liam, something’s happened! The villa at Clearwater Bay seems to be on fire! Isn’t Chloe staying there?” At that news, Liam’s face instantly contorted in panic. He grabbed his car keys and bolted out the door. I stared at his retreating back, stunned for a few seconds, then flagged down a cab and followed. All the way there, he blew through a dozen red lights, driving like a maniac. The cab driver nearly lost him. When we arrived at the fire, seeing the towering flames and black smoke, I was shaken. Learning that Chloe hadn’t been rescued yet, Liam charged towards the flames like a man with a death wish, determined to go in. Firefighters and a few of his friends quickly held him back. “Sir, the fire in the villa area is too fierce. If you rush in like that, your life will be in danger.” “Liam, calm down! Being a pilot is your life’s dream! If you get hurt in there, your career will be ruined!” Liam didn’t hear a word. He pushed them away with force, leaving a single sentence behind as he plunged into the inferno. “If it’s ruined, it’s ruined. As long as Chloe is safe, I don’t care if I never fly again.” Seeing his figure swallowed by the thick smoke, his friends stood frozen, remorsefully blaming each other. “I told you not to tell Liam about this, but you wouldn’t listen! Every time Chloe is in trouble, he loses control!” “If you hadn’t called him, and if anything had happened to Chloe, he’d tear the whole city apart, believe me. Don’t you remember when Chloe was harassed by a teacher in high school, and he stormed into the office and beat the guy senseless? And before, when Chloe went missing for ten hours, he was so frantic he had his bodyguards scour the entire city for her…” Hearing their stories, I finally understood that the man who always seemed so cold and calm in front of me could also lose his mind when he loved someone. A whirlwind of emotions, each one a fresh stab of pain, churned within me. His friends, still arguing, noticed me and looked somewhat awkward. “Avery, you… you came with Liam? He’s just going… to rescue a friend. Don’t misunderstand.” “Yeah, yeah. He and Chloe have known each other since childhood, over ten years of friendship. They’re like siblings, that’s why he’s so worried.” I knew they were just trying to smooth things over. I managed a weak smile, but then a metallic taste filled my mouth. I realized I’d bitten my lip so hard it was bleeding. Half an hour later, Liam emerged, carrying an unconscious Chloe. A crowd rushed forward to meet them. His face was covered in soot, and his white shirt was scorched in places, but Chloe was unharmed, perfectly protected. When the medical staff took Chloe, Liam finally collapsed and passed out. The ambulance sped to the hospital. I sat on a long bench, looking at my trembling hands, remembering the first time I saw Liam. I was a sophomore in college then. My father was an aerospace engineering professor, and Liam was his most brilliant student. In his sharp uniform, full of youthful vigor and confidence, standing on the podium demonstrating flight principles, even the sunlight seemed to favor him. I fell in love at first sight and followed him around constantly. Many girls chased him, but he always kept his distance from women, turning everyone down. It wasn’t until just before graduation that my father fell critically ill. On his deathbed, he made Liam promise to take care of his only daughter. He agreed. After the funeral, he proposed to me directly. I asked him, “Is it because of my father that you agreed to marry me? You don’t have to…” He looked at me and said, “No, it’s because I want to marry you.” I thought I had finally won his heart. Until one day, he got drunk. I went to pick him up and accidentally overheard his friends’ drunken chatter. “Avery’s so naive, Liam kept her in the dark all these years, thinking he truly cared for her, pouring her heart and soul into their marriage. But Liam only married her because his ex-girlfriend married someone else, and he was so heartbroken that he married Avery just to distract himself.” In that moment, my blood ran cold. So, all these years, he hadn’t kept everyone at arm’s length because he was naturally aloof, but because his heart had long been occupied by the ex-girlfriend who broke up with him. He was like a stubborn tomb-keeper, guarding a love that had died long ago. His pride wouldn’t let him swallow his ego to win her back, and his self-respect kept him from admitting he missed her. So he could only stand still, waiting for her to return. But what he waited for was news of her marriage. Chloe, a name etched onto his very soul, along with all the restraint and waiting of those years, had since become a persistent thorn in my heart. But I loved Liam too much, so I couldn’t let go. So, I secretly made a scorecard. Once I’d deducted 100 points, I’d leave him. Over the years, the points were deducted sporadically. Sometimes it was my birthday, but he’d fly to see her because of one of her SnapChat posts. Sometimes it was our wedding anniversary, but he’d spend the whole night chatting with Chloe. And after Chloe divorced and came back home… The points were deducted more and more frequently. My heart was slowly turning to ice.
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