He saved me once, and for that, I spent seven years of my youth by Liam’s side, watching him transform from an unknown aspiring artist to a celebrated photographer. He once knelt before the altar, looking up at the crucifix, and swore a solemn oath to me, promising to never betray me, to make good on his word or pay the ultimate price with his life. I truly believed I had finally found my happily ever after with the man I loved. But less than six months into our marriage, Liam died in a sudden studio fire, leaving nothing but ashes. I was swallowed whole by an ocean of grief, battling crippling depression. On my therapist’s advice, I came to Iceland, the place Liam and I had always dreamed of visiting together. Yet here, I saw him alive, standing right in front of me, with an unfamiliar woman in his arms. In that instant, a deeper despair, colder than the Arctic wind, washed over me, drowning me completely. I watched them, helpless, as they kissed passionately in the town square, lost in each other. When the kiss finally ended, Liam’s gaze met my tear-filled eyes. The tenderness in his expression instantly twisted into shock. In that moment, everything clicked. Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembled violently. Statues in the square crumbled, buildings collapsed one after another. Liam’s face blanched. He yanked the girl in his arms and rushed towards me, desperately shielding both of us with his body. As a massive boulder plummeted towards us, Liam leaned close to my ear, his voice barely a whisper, a sigh in the chaos: “My broken promise, paid with my life. In another life, I hope you find someone who loves you with their whole heart. I… I still love *her*.” When I opened my eyes again, I found myself five years in the past, when Liam was still diligently playing the role of the perfect husband. “Aubrey? Baby, what are you staring at… Drink your warm milk, it’s time for bed.” Liam held out a warm mug of milk, his eyes gazing at me with gentle affection. Looking at the man before me, all I felt was a chilling cold. The pain of my heart being trampled and crushed felt like a slow, agonizing torture, tearing me apart from the inside out. Because I was a light sleeper, Liam had lovingly warmed milk for me every single day for seven years, patiently coaxing me to drink it. But seeing him now, I reached out, my hand trembling uncontrollably, unable to steady the cup. His eyes immediately registered my distress, and his expression shifted to one of worried seriousness: “Baby, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I’ll take you to the doctor…” My nails dug deep into my palms. I shook my head faintly. It wasn’t physical discomfort; it was the ultimate despair, a profound heartache that left me utterly cold towards this husband who was both incredibly gentle and incredibly deceitful. I never imagined he always harbored feelings for someone else. Why bother putting on this charade of devotion for me? It had driven me to the brink after his ‘death’, countless times I’d tried to end my life, nearly following him into the abyss. But the Liam sitting before me was blissfully unaware of the bitterness and irony churning inside me. Seeing my distraught face, Liam’s eyes filled with concern. He kissed my forehead, then lingered on my soft lips, his thumb gently caressing them. “Baby… I’ve been so busy with work these past few days. Have you been cooped up and bored at home? I’ll take a few days off to be with you, okay… hmm?” Before I could reply, his phone suddenly rang— It was a specially set ringtone, completely different from his usual notification sound. The moment Liam heard the ring, his expression subtly changed. I knew in my heart that the person on the other end was probably the woman he was willing to fake his own death to protect. Back then, though, I hadn’t suspected a thing. After reading the message, his face abruptly turned grave. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, tossing a hurried line over his shoulder: “Wifey, you go to sleep first. Something urgent came up at work. I won’t be back tonight.” I watched his retreating back in silence, not uttering a word. Liam never used to leave me for work before. He had once promised me: “Baby, you’ll always be number one in my life. I work to give you a better life, and if I neglect you for work, wouldn’t I be a complete fool?” And now, Liam was using work as an excuse, walking away from me without a backward glance, all for another woman. The laughable part was, back then, I hadn’t paid any attention to that promise, nor had I ever noticed anything amiss. ***CUT-OFF POINT***
I stared blankly at Liam’s departing figure. The click of the door brought me back to reality, and my heart completely calmed. I took a deep breath, picked up my bag, and decided to see for myself. I changed into black clothes, pulled on a black cap and mask, hailed a taxi, and in a voice as steady as still water, gave the driver Liam’s company address. The company wasn’t far. Before I even stepped out of the cab, I was frozen, watching the very reason Liam had rushed out— A fragile-looking woman, bundled into his blazer, was held tightly in Liam’s arms. And Liam was locked in a heated argument with a few of his friends. Their voices carried, every word stabbing at my heart. “Dude, it’s just a little model, right? A few risqué photos, no big deal. You never cared about stuff like this before. Why are you suddenly so protective? Aren’t you worried Aubrey will flip out?” Liam’s voice was icy and stern: “Serena is *mine*. If any of you even *think* about touching her, you’ll answer to me! And this has nothing to do with Aubrey…” The woman, Serena, clung to Liam’s waist, trembling. Her voice was a pathetic whimper, like a terrified fawn trying desperately to be brave: “Liam, just leave me alone… I’m nobody to you, just some girl with no claim, no title. I deserve to be disrespected. Go home to Aubrey, I’ll be fine…” A flicker of anger, or perhaps self-mockery, crossed Liam’s face. The next second, he roughly cupped Serena’s head, pulling her into a possessive, almost savage kiss, like a beast staking its claim. Right there, in front of all his photography studio partners, they kissed passionately, lost in each other. “Satisfied? Did you all see? From now on, Serena is *my* woman, Liam’s woman!” Someone else still looked reluctant, struggling to speak: “But Aubrey, your wife…” A single glare from Liam silenced the guy completely. The blood drained from my body, Liam’s warning words echoing in my ears. “I know Aubrey. She can’t live without me. Just keep your mouths shut, and I’ll handle her, no problem.” After Liam said that, I might have been mistaken, but I felt the woman named Serena turn her head slightly in Liam’s embrace and glance in my direction. I stood rooted to the spot, feeling the wrenching pain in my heart, until it finally morphed into a bitter, twisted smile that felt worse than crying. Serena was flaunting her victory, telling me she had stolen not only my husband’s body but his heart too. Serena cried about having no claim, no title. Her next step, then, would be to gain one. Sure enough, Liam didn’t come home that night. Instead, I received a message request from an unknown account. My trembling finger tapped ‘accept’, and the next second, a FaceTime call popped up. Through it, I heard sounds that made my cheeks burn and my heart race – the intimate sounds of a man and a woman. The familiar male voice, deep and rough, stubbornly repeated his demands: “You’re my woman, my model. From now on, only I get to see you like this… Do you hear me? Come back to me…” The woman’s answers were broken, interrupted repeatedly by impacts, murmuring sweet nothings while begging with a tearful whine. As if to completely steel my heart, I never pressed hang up. I listened, self-torturing, until past midnight. I heard Serena’s tearful voice, feigning anger, asking Liam: “Liam… What exactly am you taking me for? Your dirty little secret, or a convenient outlet for your desires, used and discarded at will?” Liam’s rough movements faltered. After a long moment, he spoke in a pained, tender voice. “Serena, how can you say that about yourself… Only those who aren’t truly loved are disposable tools.” “The first time I saw you, you were already the only wife in my heart.” I faintly heard something shatter inside me. I stubbornly refused to hang up, determined to hear it all, secretly holding onto one last ridiculous sliver of hope. But now, the naked truth lay before me. This hadn’t happened in my previous life. Serena must have seen me, and that emboldened her to stake her claim. Tears streamed down my face as I thought back. When Liam first pursued me, he was just an unknown photographer. Back then, I was smart and beautiful, never lacking for powerful, wealthy suitors. But I never gave any of them a second glance. Liam worked hard, but with no connections, he constantly ran into dead ends. I, on the other hand, had received a top offer from a company in another city. I wrestled with the decision for three days and three nights. Finally, with bags under my eyes, I deleted the email. I put on a brave face and lied to Liam, telling him I didn’t get accepted, so I could stay and help him build his career. Later, when Liam found out the truth, he drank himself into a stupor, holding me and swearing over and over that he would only love me his entire life. “Aubrey, once I make a name for myself, I’ll marry you. I’ll spend my whole life proving my love to you!” That vow still seemed to echo in my ears. Six months ago, we officially married. At our wedding, Liam gently took my hand, like a precious treasure, pressed a solemn kiss to it, and then loudly announced to all our family and friends that I was the love of his life. All those grand promises, those vows of eternal love, now twisted into a cruel mockery of my existence. The same Liam who made such solemn promises now told another woman that only those who aren’t truly loved are disposable tools. Not only that, but to get rid of me, he would plan a fake death, completely abandoning this burdensome wife, and run off into the sunset with his true love. I lay awake all night, curled up in the darkness, hugging myself tightly. The chirping of birds at dawn pulled me from my scattered thoughts, and the first rays of sunlight brought a flicker of hope. Without hesitation, I called my childhood best friend, Chloe, who lived overseas. “Chloe, I need to come to you… Can you help me with something?” “Just say it. We don’t need to be formal.” “Help me stage my own death. I need to leave Liam for good.” This time, Liam won’t have to go through the trouble of staging *his* death to escape *me*. I have my own two feet. My heart is cold, and I’ll walk away myself.
Liam returned home the next evening, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I was focused on browsing some information online, not rushing to greet him like usual, or calling him ‘honey’ sweetly. Liam’s expression darkened slightly. He pulled me into a hug, leaning in for a kiss. But beneath his collar, I caught sight of several blatant red marks, and a wave of nausea hit me, making me gag. My reaction startled Liam. He fumbled to get me some water, frantically asking what was wrong, one worried question after another. “Baby, are you okay? Are you not feeling well?” “I’m so sorry, so sorry. Work was just insane, I apologize…” “I’m fine.” I offered a faint smile, looking at the hand holding the glass of water, and asked in a tone of surprise: “Oh, where’s your wedding ring?” Liam’s left ring finger was bare, save for the pale indentation left by years of wearing the ring. The ring itself was gone. Liam’s gaze immediately dropped to his ring finger, his pupils constricted, and he quickly offered a forced, bitter smile, scrambling for an excuse: “It must have been during today’s shoot… the props were a bit dirty, and I didn’t want to get the ring messed up, so I took it off. It’s probably still on my desk at the office…” I didn’t say another word, merely gave a self-deprecating smirk. If a simple question about his wedding ring sent him into such a panic, I certainly wouldn’t bring up the hickeys on his neck. No need to make things even more disgustingly awkward for us both. Perhaps fearing my anger, Liam quickly wrapped his arms around me from behind, swayed me gently, as if comforting a child, then whispered close to my ear. “Baby, that ring is old now. Our anniversary is coming up soon. I’ll have my assistant pick out a new design for us.” He finished, looking at me with satisfaction, convinced he had appeased the unusually moody me today. But my tone remained so flat it clearly irritated him. “Okay, you arrange it.” Just then, Liam’s phone rang again. It was that special ringtone from yesterday. Liam’s full attention immediately shifted. He pulled out his phone, glanced at it, then instantly stood up, putting his recently removed jacket back on. “Baby, something at work came up. I’m going out of town for two days.” “I’ll be back on our anniversary, and I’ll bring you a new ring then.” With that, Liam didn’t ask me to pack for him like usual. Instead, he impatiently rushed into the bedroom, grabbed a few random clothes, and then just took off. “Is it really that important of a job?” I called out to his retreating figure at the door, my voice still flat—so flat that Liam thought he heard a hint of sarcasm. But he quickly dismissed the idea, turning to offer me an apologetic smile: “Super important, baby, I’m so sorry… I’ll make it up to you when I get back!” Then, without a hint of reluctance, he turned and opened the door, out like a gust of wind. Soon after, the sound of a car engine starting up echoed from downstairs. It seemed he couldn’t wait another second. This was the second time Liam had left me without a backward glance, using work as an excuse. But I no longer felt sad for him. I called in a trusted housekeeper and asked her to help me pack for my trip overseas. After packing several large suitcases and arranging for a logistics company, I received a call from Liam. I was a little surprised, not expecting him to even make time for a call. The moment I answered, Liam urgently asked me to find something for him at home: “Aubrey, I left a leaf-shaped necklace when I was home. Hurry and find it, don’t lose it!” I was puzzled: “A necklace? I didn’t know you had one.” A leaf-shaped necklace – typically a woman’s accessory, often symbolizing affection and care. But Liam’s voice suddenly rose, and faintly, I could hear a woman crying in the background. “Just find it! And bring it to the company building for me! If you weren’t the only one home, I wouldn’t even be asking you…” I didn’t speak for a long moment. Liam then belatedly realized his tone was harsh and quickly apologized in a low voice, but every word still pleaded with me to find that necklace as quickly as possible. “Aubrey, I can’t explain it clearly, but it’s something very important to me. Please, help your husband find it, okay?” Listening to Liam’s pleading tone, I couldn’t help but recall his reaction when he realized his wedding ring was missing. So nonchalant, so dismissive. “Liam, if I told you that I could grant you one wish right now, but you could only use this chance once, would you use it to have me find your necklace?”
Liam’s breath hitched, a primal sense of unease washing over him. But before he could grasp the deeper meaning of my words, Serena, in his arms, lifted her tear-streaked face, her fawn-like eyes silently pleading with him. Liam gave a bitter chuckle: “Aubrey, please, just help me find it first. Bring it to me once you do.” I gripped my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white, an infinite wave of disappointment washing over me. My last desperate attempt, it fell flat. Now, I held no illusions left about Liam, but a part of me, the seven-years-ago me, still resided within, begging me to try one last, desperate attempt. Liam still chose someone else. Then I would grant his wish, fulfilling his last request before I left. I diligently searched where Liam had sat and finally found a tiny leaf-shaped necklace tucked into the sofa cushion. It was etched with the letter ‘S’. I stared at it for a moment, then put the necklace into my bag and headed for Liam’s company. In just half an hour, Liam called seven or eight times, urging me on. I patiently answered each one. “Aubrey, did you find it? It’s not lost… Good, good…” “I’m already on my way to the company. The necklace is in my bag, don’t worry.” The taxi driver, hearing the commotion on the phone, turned and asked: “Miss, you’re the boss’s secretary, aren’t you? Ugh, can’t even get a decent break on the weekend…” I gave a self-deprecating smile and said nothing. At the company, I didn’t have anyone announce my arrival. I walked confidently into Liam’s studio, knowing the way by heart. The moment I pushed open the door, the flirtatious murmurs inside abruptly ceased. Two intertwined bodies instantly separated, and the air thickened with awkwardness. Serena’s pale arm was still resting on Liam’s hand. Liam cleared his throat and walked towards me: “Wifey, you’re here. Serena is a new model at our company. We’re still getting her accustomed to things. I was just demonstrating some poses for her…” I pulled the necklace from my bag, bypassed him, and handed it directly to Serena. Then I turned back to Liam, giving him a faint smile: “I know how dedicated you are to your work. No need to explain.” With that, I turned and left, just as Liam had left our home, without a trace of reluctance. Liam was speechless, choked by my trust, yet a strange ache began to bloom in his chest. Why? Isn’t this exactly what he wanted? Liam couldn’t understand it himself. He just stood there, staring blankly as my figure grew smaller and smaller, a distance that inexplicably made his heart pound with unease. But the next second, Serena threw herself into his arms again, whining in a tone he couldn’t resist: “Liam, I’m so glad my necklace is back! This is the last thing my mother left me… Liam, I have no family, I only have you…” Liam was completely enchanted by Serena’s demeanor. The bitterness and unease he’d felt moments before were instantly forgotten. The two quickly grew intimate in the office, oblivious to everything else. After I returned home, my best friend Chloe called to tell me that all the arrangements had been made. In just one more week, I would vanish from Liam’s life forever, through death. Chloe, on the other end of the line, asked me with immense concern if I was doing okay, and if Liam had done something terrible to me. I said calmly, “From now on, we’ll go our separate ways. I’ll accept the loss of these years of my life as a gamble I’d lost, and there’s no point in arguing about it anymore.” I stopped paying attention to how many days Liam hadn’t come home. Instead, I began to meticulously sort through my design drafts. These designs were my life’s work, years of effort. I couldn’t leave them behind; I had to take them with me. As for useless things… I slipped a simple band off my ring finger and casually tossed it onto the bedside table. There was no need for this wedding ring anymore. But just as I was getting tired of packing and ready to take a break, I was startled by Liam’s sudden, furious return. I was puzzled: “Did you forget something else?” This time, was it a gold necklace or a silver one? But Liam sneered, his eyes narrowed and fierce, staring at me as if I were an enemy. “Aubrey, I knew something was off with how unusually quiet you’ve been these past few days. So this is what you were planning all along…” “I take responsibility for my own actions, Liam. If you have a problem, come at *me*! Don’t you feel disgusted and vile, using such despicable tactics to hurt her?” With that, Liam violently threw his phone at me, his eyes bloodshot as he roared: “Do you have *any idea* how much this will hurt Serena?!”
I glanced at the phone screen, startled by the exaggerated photos, and quickly averted my gaze. But Liam had no intention of letting me go. He grabbed my neck, forcing me to look at the tweet, which boldly read— “Rising Model Serena’s Promiscuous Private Life: Early Risqué Photos Exposed.” My neck hurt from his grip, and I gasped for breath, only able to weakly argue that I hadn’t done it. But Liam not only refused to listen to any of my explanations, his anger burned even fiercer, culminating in a violent slap across my face. My ears rang, and my left cheek was so numb it was almost senseless. I froze, staring blankly at the man before me, unable to fathom how terrifying he could become for Serena. Liam realized he had hit me hard. A flicker of guilt and panic crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by cold fury. He looked down at me, his voice a chilling pronouncement: “I’m giving you two choices: either go apologize to Serena on your knees right now, or I’ll use far crueler methods to get justice for her!” Facing his blatant threat, my whole body trembled. Endless pain surged through my heart. Finally, it all morphed into a desperate, self-mocking laugh. “Liam, how else do you think you can hurt me?” I lifted my head, my eyes red, staring fixedly at Liam. I had already died once, and I was about to “die” again very soon. What more could Liam do to a dead person? Reduce me to ashes? My defiance infuriated Liam, and he stormed out, slamming the door. Before he left, he spat out: “If you refuse to do things the easy way, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” “Aubrey, I truly underestimated you. Playing innocent in front of me, then going after a helpless girl like Serena with such viciousness!” Watching Liam’s retreating back once more, my heart was perfectly calm. I began counting down the days until my departure—two days. Only two more days until I could board a plane to another country, and then, under the guise of death, completely rid myself of Liam. However, a few hours later, Chloe called me from overseas, her voice urgent and panicky: “Aubrey, who did you offend?! Your name is all over the internet… Have you seen it?” I was bewildered. I’d been organizing my design drafts all afternoon and hadn’t touched my phone. I clicked on the news. The next second, my pupils contracted sharply. My childhood abuse by my stepfather was being widely publicized, used to interpret my designs as dark and twisted, a direct result of my childhood trauma. Seeing my stepfather’s name again, those three hateful words, I immediately rushed to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. That man, who had always abused me after my mother remarried, was the greatest shadow of my life. I had only mustered the courage to tell Liam about it after five years of dating. Liam had been so heartbroken that his voice trembled, wishing he could drag my stepfather out of his grave and punish him again. That night, Liam held me close, promising, word by word, that he would re-raise me like a little girl, helping me completely forget those terrible memories. And now, the malicious words in the tabloids laid bare every detail of my childhood abuse, even quoting the exact phrases I had once confessed to Liam. My life’s work, my proudest achievements, were branded as twisted and worthless, belittling my entire career. Countless netizens were caught in a wave of discussion, peering into the painful history of my childhood abuse, and casually disparaging my designs. I vomited until there was nothing left but bile, my soul feeling like a gaping wound had been torn open. I had thought, even without love, how else could Liam hurt me? But I never expected to be utterly devastated again by the trust I had once given him. I called Chloe back, my voice hoarse: “Chloe, I can’t take it anymore… I want to leave two days earlier. Can I?” “Yes, you can.” Meanwhile, Liam was holding a tear-streaked Serena on his lap, covering her eyes, and gently comforting her: “Serena, I’ve already had those malicious news articles about you taken down. Just pretend you didn’t see anything… I’ve already punished her.” Serena’s tears turned into a smile. She hooked her arms around Liam’s neck and kissed him passionately. They immediately became intimate, oblivious to anyone else. Just then, Liam’s secretary burst through the door. “Mr. Liam, sir! Something terrible has happened to your wife!”
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