The year Liam Smith was at his lowest, I left him for three hundred thousand. Years later, at a class reunion, he was a roaring success, proposing with three million. Everyone said Liam was madly in love with me. But then, he treated me like a prize, delivering me straight to his rival’s bed. And I? I just took it. No tears, no fuss. He completely lost it, his eyes blazing crimson. “Elara, are you just naturally trashy? Will anyone with money get to fuck you?!” I just smiled. For someone dying of stomach cancer, none of that really mattered anymore. Five years after breaking up with Liam, I saw him again at a class reunion. I was a down-on-my-luck stripper, and he was a powerful CEO, a titan in the business world. They all whispered that Liam was still head over heels for me. He’d just returned to the country, flaunting his immense wealth, and married me. Making me the envy of every woman in our social circle—Mrs. Smith. But on our wedding night, he brought a stunningly beautiful woman into our bridal suite. I recognized her instantly. She was Chloe, my once-best friend. Liam doted on her, giving her everything she asked for. For two years, Liam brought her back almost every night, to sleep in our marital bed. He’d grip my chin, a chilling warning in his eyes: “Elara, I didn’t spend all that money to marry you just so you could live a life of luxury as Mrs. Smith. Mark my words: from the day we got married, you’re nothing but a servant in this house.” He shattered my heart, turning me into a nationwide joke. Everyone knew I was just a maid Liam had married. But I didn’t divorce him. There was a clause in our marriage agreement: if I divorced, I’d owe him three million. I’d hide in my room, silently planning how to use that money. A few days before, I’d been to the hospital. The doctor said I only had about three months left. It’s only when you’re facing death that you realize how fiercely you cling to life. The day I came back from the hospital, I got news. My dad’s case had new developments. If I could find someone to help, he might clear his name and get out early. Right now, Liam was the only one powerful enough to help my dad appeal his case. No matter what, I had to save my dad. I baked Liam’s favorite cookies and took them to his company. His employees pointed and whispered. “Dressed so shabbily, looking pale as a ghost. How did she end up marrying Mr. Smith?” “I heard she was Mr. Smith’s first love. Men always have a soft spot for their firsts, I guess.” “I think Ms. Chloe is a better match for Mr. Smith. She’s the heiress of the Chloe Group, after all…” I waited outside the company for ages, only to learn Liam wasn’t even there. He’d gone to a party with Chloe. I found their party. The place was buzzing, mostly with Liam’s friends. The moment I stepped in, the room fell silent. Chloe walked up to me, a sickly sweet smile on her face. “Elara, what are you doing here? Bored, looking to get back to stripping?” I didn’t get angry. “You don’t need to mock me. Being the other woman isn’t exactly more noble than being a stripper.” No sooner had the words left my mouth than Chloe splashed a glass of wine on me. “Elara, I’m not the other woman! You’re the one who dumped Liam for three hundred thousand back then! If you hadn’t come back, Liam would have married me! Your father is a murderer, you don’t deserve Liam at all! And your mom…” Before she could finish, I shoved her away. “Chloe, shut up!” My dad isn’t a murderer! My dad was framed!
Chloe stumbled, falling to the ground. Her palm scraped against glass shards. The people in the private room panicked, rushing to kick me out. Caught off guard, I fell too, my own palm getting cut by the glass. I watched as Liam immediately rushed to Chloe’s side, scooping her up and placing her gently on the couch. His face was etched with pain. “Don’t be scared, I’m here.” It was clear he cared about her deeply. Just like he used to care about me. Everyone else was fussing over her, showering her with concern. And I? I was the punchline of their cruel joke. Only after Chloe’s wound was tended to did they turn their venomous gazes on me. I didn’t care about their insults or their disgust. I clenched my bleeding palm, looking up at Liam. “My dad’s case has new developments. Help him with the lawsuit.” Liam wasn’t just a brilliant businessman; he was an exceptional lawyer too. Every case he’d ever handled, he’d won. If he just agreed to help, my dad would be cleared. Liam looked at me, a mocking glint in his eyes. “Elara, do you really think I’m still that poor kid who’d do anything for you?” My face went white, my heart freezing in my chest. He refused. But I couldn’t give up. Chloe peered out from his embrace, her voice soft and fragile. “Liam, you don’t have to be mad at Elara just because I got hurt. I know she hates me, she hates that I was always by your side after you two broke up.” “But Liam, my heart broke for you too. You were so desperate back then, and I just wanted to stay with you, even if you never loved me, I wouldn’t have left.” Liam reached up, gently wiping away her tears, soothing her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” Seeing Chloe crying because I’d supposedly bullied her, his friends quickly jumped to her defense. “It’s just a lawsuit, right? All you have to do is get on your knees and apologize to Chloe, and everything will be fine. Right, Liam?” After a few silent seconds, Liam spoke, his voice slow and deliberate. “Elara, apologize.” I squeezed my fists tight, then let out a soft laugh. “Fine. I’ll apologize to her.” With that, I knelt directly in front of Chloe. “Chloe, I’m sorry.” Then I glared at Liam. “Are you satisfied now?” Turns out, they weren’t. Liam’s friend said I’d ruined the party atmosphere and “punished” me by making me drink a whole bottle of liquor. “I’m sick, I can’t drink alcohol.” As soon as I said it, his friends burst into laughter. “A stripper, saying she can’t drink? That’s hilarious!” Finally, Liam spoke. “Elara, drink this bottle, and I’ll help your dad with the lawsuit.” I looked at him calmly. “I’m not lying. I really am sick. This bottle could kill me.” He seemed furious, his smile chillingly cold. “Do you still think you’re that delicate, privileged girl you once were? A little alcohol is going to kill you?” He forced me to chug that whole bottle. Then, dragging my aching body, I hailed a taxi home. I was scared I wouldn’t make it through the night. So, while my mind was still clear, I had to do something. After closing the notebook in my hands, I shakily pulled out my phone and sent a message. If I was still alive tomorrow, I could finally leave this place.
A noise from the living room broke my train of thought. Liam was back. I stayed quietly in the staff quarters on the first floor. In two years of marriage, I was only allowed upstairs when he brought Chloe back. Even then, they’d be in their room, and I was expected to guard the door. After Chloe left, I would replace her as Liam’s convenience for the night. I stared down at the cuts on my arm for a long time, my eyes downcast. At some point, he appeared behind me, frowning as he looked at me. “Why are you so pale? Did you catch a chill?” He reached out to touch my forehead, but I flinched away. “Why my face looks like this? Don’t you know? Are you here to make me watch your romance again? Give me a minute, I’ll be right there.” I stood up, walked past him, but he grabbed my arm. Something was pressed into my hand. I looked down. It was a jewelry box. “I bought this for you. Dress yourself up properly from now on; don’t embarrass me.” I stared at the jewelry box for a few seconds, then without hesitation, threw it out the window. Just like I had done years ago, throwing the necklace he gave me into the river right in front of him. As expected, Liam’s face instantly turned ashen, and he glared at me, his eyes filled with fury. “Elara!” I tilted my head back, my smile bright. “I’m helping you. If your ‘other woman’ finds out you bought me a necklace, she’ll fight with you.” He suddenly laughed. He pressed me onto the bed, kissing my face repeatedly, his eyes bloodshot. “Elara, are you jealous? Don’t you know I’ve been waiting for you to come back all these years? I waited for you to give me an explanation. Don’t you know that if you just played nice, if you just apologized and acted a little spoiled, we could go back to how we were?” A wave of nausea hit me, and the pain in my body made me want to cry. Liam, I’ve seen how you loved me. The way you pretend to love me now, when you clearly don’t, is truly sickening. I looked up. “Liam, we can go back to how we were, but you have to promise me one thing. Ruin the Chloe family, and throw Chloe in jail. Then, I’ll give you a reasonable explanation. How about it?” Liam reached out and touched my forehead. It was a tender gesture, but his expression was utterly cold and distant. “You can ask for anything else, but you can’t bully her anymore.” I pushed his hand away with force, countering, “If you truly love her, then let’s get a divorce soon, so I can make room for her.” His expression changed, his gaze instantly turning savage. “Elara, I forbid you from mentioning divorce again! Don’t forget, you owe me this!” Yes, I owed him. But I was tired of this pain. “So, between Chloe and me, who do you choose?” I didn’t get his answer. Because his phone rang. It was his best friend calling. “Liam, Chloe’s in trouble…” I could clearly feel Liam’s body stiffen, and a flicker of panic in his eyes. But he merely hung up, his voice cold. “Alright, I know.” In that moment, I felt my wrist squeezed so hard it hurt. I turned to look at Liam. His eyes were distant, his tightly furrowed brows betraying his worry. The next second, he stood up. I instinctively grabbed his sleeve, my voice firm. “Don’t go!” He stared at me for a few seconds, moving his lips as if to say something. But I spoke first. “If you walk out that door today, we’re over for good.” Liam didn’t hesitate. “I’m sorry, it’s a matter of life and death. I have to go. I’ll explain when I get back.”
Just as my 25th birthday was ending, I felt a searing pain in my stomach. Before I could even call 911, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was in a hospital room, with only a nurse present. “Who brought me here?” Seeing me awake, the nurse quickly explained, “Professor Asher brought you in. He saved you.” “Your condition was very serious last night, and we needed a family signature. We called your emergency contact numerous times using your phone, but no one answered. In the end, Professor Asher took the risk and signed for you.” I scrolled through my phone. All the calls were to Liam. Dozens of calls, and he hadn’t picked up a single one. When I was in critical condition, needing a family signature, he was with another woman. Lying on the cold hospital bed, a wave of sadness washed over me. In my moment of crisis, it wasn’t my husband who saved me, but my childhood rival. The hospital room door opened, pulling me back to reality. “How are you feeling now?” Seeing Asher after so many years, I felt a little disoriented. He had changed so much since we were kids. If the nurse hadn’t called him Professor Asher, I might have thought I’d mistaken him for someone else. A soft chuckle came from above me. “Elara, my dear, you ungrateful wretch, you haven’t forgotten me, have you?” Yes, this was the annoying, irritating Asher I remembered. My physical condition was dire. Especially after drinking so much alcohol yesterday. If Asher hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead already. I also just learned that Asher had been abroad for years and was now a renowned Professor in the medical field. He was now my attending physician. “Elara, my dear, if you want my help, you have to be a good girl and cooperate with my treatment.” I couldn’t die yet; I still had so much left to do. I was comfortable in the hospital, but that comfort was soon shattered. Because I ran into Chloe. She looked me up and down, her eyes full of triumph. “Elara, I’m so sorry, really. It was your 25th birthday that day, but because of my troubles, Liam had to abandon you to take care of me.” There weren’t many people around, and Liam wasn’t with her, so she dropped the act. I sneered, then slapped her. “What’s there to be sorry about when you’re the other woman? I think you quite enjoy the role.” Chloe hadn’t expected me to hit her; her face instantly hardened. She walked closer, whispering, “Elara, do you really think you’re still the pampered heiress you used to be? What if you’re married to Liam now? It doesn’t change the fact that your dad is a murderer and your mom is in a vegetative state! Seeing you so miserable, pathetic like a dog, that’s all the satisfaction I need.” I glared at her furiously. “Chloe, are my parents’ troubles connected to you?” She didn’t answer, but her triumphant smile, that challenging look in her eyes, was all the confirmation I needed. It was her, indeed! I raised my hand, wanting to tear this woman apart. But before I could, I felt a sharp pain in my wrist. Liam’s voice came from behind me. “Elara! Why do you always target her? Take your anger out on me; she’s innocent!” She’s innocent? What about my family? What about us?! “Liam, let go! You’re hurting my hand.” I cried out dramatically, and as he instinctively loosened his grip, I slapped him hard across the face. “You’re pathetic!” Liam stared at me, dumbfounded, his eyes filling with rage. I didn’t bother with them anymore, just ran out. I glanced back. He didn’t follow. Chloe was sobbing uncontrollably. “Liam, I truly love you… I’d die without you.” I saw his face soften with immense pity. “I won’t leave you.” Then he leaned down and kissed Chloe, fiercely, desperately.
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