I sat in my bedroom, phone to my ear, my voice barely a whisper. “Hannah, I’m ready to accept the family’s arrangements. I’ll enter into a marriage alliance.” On the other end, my sister Hannah’s tone brightened, clearly thrilled. “Really? You’ve finally come around?” “Yeah, Hannah. I’ll be home in a week.” “Haha, good, good, good. Then let Liam drive you back. He has to attend your wedding anyway.” “He… won’t have time,” I said, biting my lip. Suddenly, I heard the lock turn at the door. Liam Donovan pushed the door open, pulling me into his embrace. His warm breath brushed against my neck. “No time? What no time? Me?” I froze for a second, then shook my head. “No, it’s just I haven’t been home in a while. Hannah said she misses me a bit and wants me to stay with her for a few days. You definitely won’t have time.” “Hmm… work’s been pretty hectic. Can’t really get away.” With that, Liam’s lips slowly moved from my neck to my mouth. I pushed him away, testing the waters. “Are you going to come back with me? To meet my sister?” Liam kissed my eyelashes. “Chloe, if your sister found out about us, she’d kill me.” My body tensed. My voice couldn’t help but sound disappointed. “But when we get married, won’t you two have to meet anyway?” He fell silent. A moment later, he said, “I’m going to take a shower first.” I instantly understood what he meant. I closed my eyes in agony. Sure enough, a stand-in is just a stand-in. They never get a happy ending. The first time I met Liam Donovan was when I was thirteen. My family sent me to a top-tier high school in a major city for better college prospects, so I ended up living with his family. Liam was already twenty-three then. He leaned down, his eyes fixed on me, a faint smile playing on his lips. “What a cute little girl. Don’t worry, you’re safe with me.” Back then, he was a relative of my sister’s boyfriend. Now that Hannah was married, our family was even closer to Liam. From that day on, the handsome and considerate Liam slowly found his way into my heart. I thought my secret crush on him would last forever, but I never expected that when I was fifteen, he’d bring home a girl named Skylar Hayes. He’d never allowed outsiders to disrupt my studies or life at home before, yet he let Skylar come and go as she pleased. Around the time I was prepping for my high school finals, Skylar would sometimes come over and stay with Liam. Each time, I’d grip my pen so tightly, listening to the intimate laughter from the next room, so lost in my pain that I didn’t even feel the tip digging into my palm. Skylar often smiled brightly, patting my cheek. “Sweetheart Chloe, would you be happy if Liam and I got married?” My fists clenched inside my sleeves, my lips pressed shut. It was Liam who eventually intervened. “She’s still so young. Why ask her something like that? How’s she supposed to answer?” Skylar’s smile was radiant. “She’s not that young anymore. She should understand these kinds of feelings.” My body trembled then. I thought I’d hidden my feelings perfectly, but Skylar’s expression and tone made me wonder if they’d been discovered. I looked at Liam, a flicker of panic in my eyes. I was terrified he’d find out about the feelings I’d kept locked away, yet I also feared he wouldn’t, because a part of me longed for them to be returned. But when his eyes met mine, there was no flicker of emotion. He turned away and chuckled. “What are you thinking, baby? She’s not even an adult yet.” Then he ruffled Skylar’s hair. “How about we go back to my room?” Skylar leaned into his embrace. “You’d better treat me right tonight.” From that day on, I tried my best to avoid Liam. I wanted to avoid any awkwardness, and honestly, I just couldn’t stand seeing him anymore. It drove me crazy. After high school, I successfully got into college. I wanted to move out of Liam’s house, but he wouldn’t agree. He insisted, “Your university is right downtown, and I’ve seen your class schedule. You don’t have classes every day. You could easily commute. It’s more convenient to keep living here.” His attitude gave me the mistaken impression that he liked me too. But that very night, he brought Skylar home again, and their intimate sounds pierced my eardrums, tearing through my heart. I gave up. But on the night of my college acceptance party, everything changed. That night, despite Liam’s objections, I drank a lot. Fueled by alcohol, I summoned the courage to hug the man I’d loved for years. He pushed me away and fled in a panic. Yet, just a few days later, he and Skylar broke up. On the night they split, Liam, reeking of alcohol, pinned me beneath him. One hand cupped the back of my head, the other encircled my slender waist. His kiss left me breathless, and the intense rush of hormones made it impossible to resist. Liam’s kiss was possessive, as if he wanted to meld me into his very being. My hands were forced against his chest, but gradually, the intensity of years of unspoken love made me stop struggling. I couldn’t help but close my eyes and return his deep kiss. I had never been in a relationship, never kissed anyone before. The clumsier I was, the more Liam seemed to want to conquer me. His large hand deftly slipped beneath my top. “Be with me.” Tears streamed down my cheeks. “Okay.” With that, Liam deepened the kiss. I could no longer control the profound love in my heart, wanting to take another step with him. “I love you, Liam Donovan.” “I love you too.” He paused for a long moment. “Skylar.” A single tear rolled from my eye. After that night, Liam and I officially started dating. But deep down, I knew perfectly well that I was just Skylar’s stand-in. A sudden pang in my chest pulled me out of my thoughts. Every time I thought about it, the pain would choke me. The bathroom door suddenly opened. Water droplets clung to Liam’s hair. “Baby, why is my toothbrush cup different?” I replied distractedly, “Oh… I accidentally knocked it over today, and it fell on the floor. I thought it was dirty, so I bought a new one.” I paused for two seconds, then added, “They didn’t have the matching couple’s one.” “Okay.” Having gotten his answer, he disappeared back into the bathroom. My heart felt even heavier. After we got together, I bought so many matching couple items: couple’s clothes, couple’s towels, couple’s cups, couple’s toothbrushes, and so on. Almost everything visible in the house was a couple’s item. But just the day before yesterday, while Liam was cooking, I accidentally saw his phone. It was one of the rare times he cooked himself. I saw how happy he seemed, so I sat on his lap, wrapped my arms around his neck, and asked him why he was so cheerful. He just smiled and said he was simply happy, no reason.
As for his phone, I wasn’t deliberately trying to look, but when I picked up my phone to hand it to him, I accidentally saw a message notification on his screen. It was from Skylar. I never knew why Skylar and Liam broke up back then, I just heard from Liam’s friend, Noah, that Skylar moved abroad shortly after their split. I thought back. Liam definitely seemed down during that period, and then we got together. And the reason I knew I was just a stand-in was because more than one person had told me how much I resembled Skylar. Even I thought so. When I first realized it, I had a complete breakdown. So, when I realized Liam’s mood had shifted because Skylar was back in the country, I understood. I was just her stand-in, destined never to replace the original. That’s why I made my decision. To accept the arranged marriage my family had set up for me. My sister had always known I had a “first love” in my heart, but she never knew it was Liam. The Miller family was one of the most prominent and influential families in the entire state, and they certainly wouldn’t allow me to just drift around. Now that I was a year out of college, Liam was still reluctant to meet my family, and with Skylar back in the picture, I decided to give up. I would let go of Liam, and more importantly, I would let go of myself. By the time Liam finished showering, I had already drifted off to sleep. In my dream, I felt myself being pulled into a warm embrace. I instinctively snuggled deeper, but then his warm breath on my ear startled me awake. Liam held me tight. “Baby, I want you.” My body stiffened. I suppressed my inner urge and gently pulled away from his embrace. “I’m a little tired today.” Hearing this, he instantly rolled away, putting some distance between us. “Alright, Noah’s taking me to dinner tomorrow. You should come too.” “Okay.” No sooner had I spoken than he began to snore softly. To say I wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. If he were a little more observant, he would have noticed I’d replaced all the couple’s sets. Or perhaps he did notice, but simply didn’t care. Either way, it was hopeless now. Soon, I’d be completely free. The next morning. When I came downstairs, Liam was almost done with breakfast. My plate was waiting on the dining table. I sat across from him, my eyes involuntarily drawn to his tablet. On it, clearly displayed, was a necklace worth over eighty thousand dollars. And it was the exact necklace I had fallen in love with before but couldn’t bring myself to buy. My mind started racing. If he didn’t like me, if he only saw me as a stand-in, then how could he remember such a small detail so clearly? If he liked me, then why would he only treat me as a stand-in? I couldn’t figure it out, and I didn’t want to anymore. Liam finished his breakfast, gave me a quick kiss goodbye, told me to go to the agreed-upon place by myself that evening, and then rushed off. While eating breakfast, I opened up Ins and logged into a burner account. It was Skylar’s private Ins account, where she documented little moments from her relationship. I had been following it for a long time. After their breakup, the account had been inactive, only recently resuming updates. For instance, yesterday she posted a photo of a man in a sharp suit. Though his face wasn’t visible, I recognized him instantly. It was Liam. The caption read: “No matter how much time passes, you’re still my love.” Annoyed, I closed my phone and started packing my luggage. Things I didn’t need, I tossed. Things I wanted to keep, I discreetly shipped away. In just half a day, I had sorted through most of it. There wasn’t much left, just enough for one suitcase. I then dragged my suitcase to a small, almost abandoned storage room. I carefully placed the suitcase inside, triple-checked that it wouldn’t be discovered, and then locked the door. Five more days. I’d let myself be wild for these last five days. Breaking tradition, I used the black card Liam had given me to buy a few clothes I’d always wanted. When he first gave me the black card, it was so I could spend freely. But I felt like I was just a stand-in, unworthy of using it, and I didn’t want to so humbly enjoy Liam’s affection through that identity. So I’d never touched it. But since I was going to be wild, I wouldn’t hesitate anymore.
Even if I was just a stand-in, I deserved a performance fee for all these years, didn’t I? After swiping the card, I sat in a coffee shop, waiting for a message from Liam. I hoped that when he saw the transaction alert, he’d text me, a sign that he cared. But he didn’t. He didn’t care about me, so he wouldn’t even think about my recent unusual behavior. At 6 PM, I looked at Liam’s chat. The last message was still the restaurant address and time he’d sent me that morning. 6:30 PM, STAR Bistro. It was almost time for me to go. When I arrived at the private room, Liam and Noah were already there. Noah was Liam’s best friend. They’d known each other for years, supporting each other to get where they were today. Seeing me enter, Noah quickly stood up. “My sister’s here! Come, sit!” I glanced at Liam, then sat next to Noah. It was the first time I hadn’t sat beside him. Liam’s expression darkened slightly, but he didn’t say much. He just frowned and called the waiter to order. “Three cream of mushroom soups, three foie gras, and three medium-rare rib-eye steaks. And three blueberry cheesecakes for dessert, served an hour later.” “Understood, sir.” The waiter quickly jotted down the order and left. But both Noah and I looked uneasy. I furrowed my brows tightly. “Did you forget? I’m allergic to beef.” At the same time I spoke, Noah also chimed in. “Liam, my sister is allergic to beef. How could you order her steak?” Liam froze at their words. He looked somewhat guilty, but he instinctively said, “I just forgot in the rush, do you two have to make a big deal out of it? Can’t we just order another dish? I’ll eat this one myself, is that not okay?” Noah looked at me worriedly, sighed, and said nothing. But it was clear he was displeased with Liam, yet powerless to do anything about him. I grabbed my purse, stood up, and said, “I’m going to the restroom.” Noah quickly called out to me. “What do you want to eat? We’ll reorder for you.” “I’m not hungry. Just a light dessert will do.” “But…” Before Noah could finish, Liam’s face instantly turned grim. “Alright, you don’t need to bother with me. I’ll eat if I want, or not. I’ll eat when I’m hungry.” My steps faltered. Once in the restroom, I looked up, trying hard not to cry. Even though I was leaving him, my love for him had existed for so many years. To say I wasn’t sad would be a lie. Besides, I had lived in Liam’s house for so many years, yet he had forgotten I was allergic to beef. I suddenly remembered Skylar’s private Ins account had posted a photo at a bistro, captioned with “medium-rare rib-eye steak.” I looked at myself in the mirror, eyes red-rimmed. I tried to offer myself a comforting smile, but I couldn’t. After composing myself in the restroom for a long time, I touched up my makeup, ready to go back. But before entering the private room, I heard Liam say, “She’s just a stand-in. Why should I care?” Those words struck me like a bolt of lightning, shaking me to my core. My last tiny shred of hope was completely extinguished by Liam’s statement. I had no expectations of him left. I was about to turn and leave when I heard Noah start to explode. “Liam, why did I never realize you were this kind of person?” My retreating steps halted. I listened on. “How I am is none of your business. Just focus on your own arranged marriage. My affairs have nothing to do with you.” Liam’s tone was clearly annoyed. “It has nothing to do with me, but as your best friend for so many years, I’m advising you not to provoke trouble and not to let a good girl down.” During my years with Liam, I’d often joined him to see Noah. I could tell Noah was truly furious this time. Liam grew increasingly impatient. “Alright, I get it. Stop talking, it’s annoying.” Noah suddenly spoke with confusion. “She’s been gone for a while, hasn’t she? Why isn’t she back yet?” “Who cares if she comes back or not? She’s been getting more and more out of line lately, always throwing tantrums. Let her calm down.” Noah looked exasperated. “She’s your girlfriend!” “Noah.” Liam thought for a long time before speaking. “This isn’t your business. You’re overstepping.” My small hands clenched into fists. I lowered my head gently, then turned and walked away. I went to my usual bar, found an inconspicuous spot, and distractedly sipped my favorite Long Island Iced Tea. Whenever I was upset, I’d come here for a Long Island Iced Tea. It had become a habit. “Chloe?” Someone called my name. I looked up and saw it was Skylar. Skylar made herself right at home, jogging over and grabbing my hand, chattering away. “See? We’re so meant to be. I just got back, and I ran into you here!” I forced a smile. “Yeah, what a coincidence…” My other hand gripped my glass, my fingers trembling slightly, my body stiff. Skylar didn’t notice my oddness. She pulled me to my feet. “Come on, let’s drink together! Liam will be here soon too.” Hearing that, I was a bit stunned. “You two… got back together?” Skylar looked thoughtful. “I don’t know if it counts, but I’ve been back for three days, and he’s spent all three days with me. So I guess we have, right? After all, we never forgot each other.” She smiled at me again. “Come on, let’s go together! Drinking alone is so boring.” I was about to refuse when Liam’s furious voice cut in beside me. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?” I froze for a second, then gave a cold laugh. “Following you? Do you own this bar? Only you and she can come here, but I can’t?” Liam was speechless for a moment. He stepped forward as if to say more, but Skylar pulled on his arm. “Liam, don’t. I’m still just a little girl.” I stopped watching their public display of affection. My desire to drink vanished. I turned to leave. Before I reached the door, I was bumped into by a strange man.
He was reeking of alcohol and about to curse, but when he saw my delicate and pretty face, he flashed a yellow-toothed, lecherous grin. “Well, look at this pretty little thing. What’s the fun in drinking alone? Come have a couple with me.” I frowned, trying to avoid him, but he grabbed me tightly. Seeing I was ignoring him, the man burst into an expletive. “Bitch, you don’t want a nice face, huh?” I instinctively looked in Liam’s direction, unable to help but shout, “Let go of me!” More and more people gathered, including Liam. He strode over, took my hand, glared at me, then politely said to the drunk man, “I’m so sorry. This is my little one. She’s clumsy and bumped into you. I apologize on her behalf.” Then, without waiting for the drunk man to react, he quickly pulled me into a corner. I was upset. “He was touching me and called me a bitch! Why did you apologize to him?” Liam’s face was grim. “If you didn’t come to a place like this, would you have bumped into him? If you hadn’t bumped into him, would he have suddenly gotten perverted with you? Chloe, when are you going to grow up?” “A place like this?” I suddenly laughed. “What do you mean by ‘a place like this’? Is it sleazy? Or immoral? If you think coming here is improper, then you and Skylar are meeting here – how proper is that?” *Slap!* I clutched my cheek, staring at Liam in disbelief. In all these years, it was the first time he had ever hit me, and it was because of Skylar. “Liam Donovan, no matter what our relationship is, and no matter what happens in the future, right now, I am your girlfriend.” Though it wouldn’t be for long. “Are you threatening me?” More coldness seeped into his eyes. I met his deep gaze with a cold stare. “I wouldn’t dare.” I forcefully shook off his hand and said fiercely, “I’m leaving. You can enjoy your date with your old flame.” But the man in front of me said nothing, only stared at me silently. Speechless, I turned and walked away. Just as I reached the door, I heard someone inside shout, “A fight’s broken out!” “Liam! Stop fighting!” I was about to take my final step out but was startled by the familiar voice and name. Logically, none of this should concern me anymore, yet my feet uncontrollably turned back. At the center of a crowd of onlookers, Liam had a large, burly man pinned beneath him, savagely beating him. This man was the same one who had harassed me earlier. He wildly threw punches, repeatedly smashing them into the man’s face, muttering, “You animal! Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson, you pervert who harasses women!” Skylar sat on the ground nearby, trying to stop him, but flinched away, afraid of being caught in the crossfire. She could only cry out, pleading for him to stop. I stood rooted to the spot, watching him go wild for Skylar, until security finally pulled the two apart. The man’s face was covered in blood. He yelled that he would press charges against Liam, but Liam met his gaze with a furious glare, completely unfazed. Ultimately, because the man was in the wrong and it was his second offense that day, he couldn’t withstand the public outcry and fled in a panic. Liam then straightened his collar, turned, and saw me, who had been watching for a long time. “Why are you still here?” His tone was not good. I tried to calm myself. “I’m leaving now.” “Chloe.” Seeing me about to go, Liam quickly called out to me. “Let’s leave together. I’ll take you home.” I glanced at him and Skylar, then sneered, “No need. Go take good care of your Skylar.” My movement to leave paused for four or five seconds, then I walked away without looking back. Liam took two steps in the direction I left, but ultimately turned back to Skylar, putting his arm around her as they walked away. I went home, took out all the packed luggage, and checked into a hotel. Lying on the bed, my mind involuntarily replayed the events of the night. I had also been sexually harassed by that man. I was clearly one of the victims, yet when Skylar was harassed, he went wild wanting to protect her. But I had to be yelled at by Liam, and he even apologized to that pervert on my behalf? I opened my phone, unconsciously scrolling through social media. Skylar had posted a photo of clasped hands, with the caption: “This filthy world isn’t worth it, but he is. After all this circling, he’s still the only one by my side.” On the man’s hand in the photo, there was a circular mark on his middle finger. I was all too familiar with that mark. It was the imprint of a ring. The day after Liam and I officially became a couple, I eagerly rushed to the counter and bought the pair of couple’s rings I had longed for. I had saved up my allowance for three years to afford them. I waited until I was finally with the man I loved before I finally brought them home. I still remember that day, smiling brightly, I personally slipped the men’s ring onto his finger. Then, shy but with a hint of possessiveness, I said, “This ring took me ages to save for, so you can’t take it off! As long as the ring is there, I’m there. If one day the ring disappears from your middle finger, that means you’ve completely lost me.” Liam smiled indulgently, gently hugged me, and kissed my forehead. “I’ll never take this ring off, not even in death.” Hearing that, I hastily covered my mouth, playfully chiding, “Don’t say such things!” A frantic ringtone jolted me from my reverie. It was Liam calling. I hesitated for a few seconds. Just as I was about to answer, Liam hung up.
After a brief lull, he started a barrage of messages. 【Chloe, where are you right now? Are you home?】 【Reply quickly, let me know you’re safe.】 【Are you being unreasonable again? I’ll come home tomorrow to find you. If you want to make a scene, let’s talk about it when I get back.】 I bit my finger, pondering for a long time before replying: 【Liam, if one day I disappeared, would you miss me?】 I hadn’t expected Liam to say anything nice, it was just a farewell before I left. It wasn’t until my phone’s alarm woke me up that I realized four hours had passed since I sent the message. “Hello?” I rubbed my eyes, answering weakly. But a familiar yet strange voice startled my heart. I had just fallen asleep and hadn’t checked the caller ID. Unexpectedly, it was Skylar calling from Liam’s phone. Skylar’s voice carried undisguised mockery. “Chloe, I mean, how old are you? You’re an adult, how can you be so shameless? You’ve been living with Liam all these years, he’s practically your brother, and you always speak to him in such a slutty tone? Ha – what a tramp.” I cleared my head, frowning. “We’re in a relationship right now. How I speak to him is my business. On the other hand, you’re monopolizing someone else’s boyfriend in the middle of the night. What exactly are you?” Skylar was speechless for a moment. “You… you shameless woman, don’t you know you’re just being used as my stand-in? After Liam and I broke up, he only got with you because he missed me. Don’t you have any self-awareness?” I said nothing. Skylar on the other end continued, “Guess why Liam has been spending all his time with me since I came back? And then think about why I’m calling you from Liam’s phone so late? You’re old enough to understand that there’s a difference between men and women, and we women should have some dignity, don’t you agree? He’s already reconciled with me, why are you still clinging to him?” “Oh, Liam, don’t kiss me yet, I’m on the phone chatting with your little sister. Stop… that tickles so much…” “Liam… I’m still on the phone… mm…” After a string of extremely suggestive words, the call abruptly ended, like a sharp blade plunged deep into my heart. Though I clenched my eyes shut, my fists tightened, nails digging into my palms, trying desperately not to cry, tears still streamed down my cheeks. I don’t know how long I cried before I fell asleep clutching my phone. When I woke up again, it was already the next day. I sprang out of bed, immediately changing my flight time. Every second I spent in this city now felt sickening. I looked at my swollen, tear-stained eyes reflected in my phone screen and cursed myself for being an idiot. After washing up, I grabbed my suitcase and headed straight to the airport. At the same time, I sent Liam one last message, then changed my phone’s SIM card. My future life might be peaceful, or it might be exciting, but it would definitely be without Liam, and I didn’t need Liam. 【I’m gone. I wish you and Skylar a long and happy life together, filled with love and trust.】 Stepping out of the terminal in Los Angeles, I was wrapped in a black trench coat. A silver Bentley pulled up in front of me. The driver got out, walked over to me, and respectfully took my suitcase. “Good afternoon, Miss Chloe.”
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