Chapter 2

2.

I returned to our cold, empty penthouse apartment.

As I walked in, sure enough, Liam wasn't there.

Of course, he wasn't. He was probably busy comforting Chloe right now, with no thought of coming home.

I took a deep breath, pushing all the horrible feelings away.

I just wanted to sleep.

When I woke up again, the sky outside was completely dark.

In a daze, I heard the door slam open with a loud bang.

Then, a powerful hand gripped my arm, squeezing it painfully.

I opened my eyes to see Liam's face, twisted with rage.

"Well, look at you, Summer. Sleeping so soundly."

I frowned, trying to pull my wrist, which was already turning red, from his grip.

But that only made him squeeze harder.

Liam glared at me with eyes that looked like he wanted to kill me.

"Because of the scene you made, Chloe's been crying for hours. Get up, now!"

"You're going to go apologize to her!"

His accusations, combined with the pain in my wrist, made my own anger ignite.

"Liam, get the hell out!"

The words flew out of my mouth, and Liam froze, looking at me in disbelief.

The woman who had always been so obedient had never yelled at him like that.

"What did you just say?"

I ripped my arm from his grasp, my eyes like ice.

"For your proposal today, I turned down a very important gallery invitation. And what did I get? I became a joke for everyone to laugh at."

"You can't even see what you did wrong, and now you have the nerve to blame me? Why the fuck should I apologize to Chloe?"

Hearing this, Liam's face darkened, showing no hint of remorse.

"Summer, when did you become so unreasonable?"

"It was just a proposal. I can plan another one. Did you really need to blow things up like this?"

After venting all my pent-up resentment, I felt calm.

At this point, more arguing was meaningless.

So I got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom without looking at him.

"Save it. Think whatever you want."

Liam followed me, standing there with a frown for a moment, seemingly trying to soften his tone.

"Okay, fine. Today was my fault. I was careless."

Was he really careless? Of course not.

He just didn't care about me at all.

Before the proposal, Liam had promised he would show me how sincere he was, prove that I was in his heart.

And I believed him.

But I had seen all of Chloe’s Instagram posts and photos.

The days he said he was learning to paint for me, he was actually spending with another woman.

I admit it. I lost, completely.

Every word Liam ever said was just a lie to keep me tied to him.

So I didn't turn around, just silently searched the medicine cabinet for some ointment.

Where he had grabbed me, a bruise was already forming on my wrist.

Liam seemed not to notice, continuing to talk.

"I'll plan another proposal, a real one this time. I promise it will be unforgettable. Trust me."

His tenderness and consideration were always reserved for Chloe, never for me.

I found the ointment and carefully squeezed it onto my skin.

Only then did Liam notice the bruise. He snatched the tube from me guiltily, trying to apply it for me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

I didn't bother to fight him; I just let him do it.

At the same time, I noticed the ring on his ring finger was gone, leaving only a faint white line.

Sensing my gaze, he curled his fingers guiltily.

I lowered my eyes, my expression filled with scorn.

A ring he'd worn for six years, and he took it off just like that.

If that was the case, what was there for me to miss about this ridiculous, one-sided relationship?

It was time to let go.

Suddenly, the shrill ring of his phone shattered the brief quiet.

Liam answered, jumping to his feet almost instantly.

"Chloe, what's wrong?"

"Don't cry. I'll be right there."

The anxiety on his face was impossible to miss. As he rushed to leave, he knocked over a cup of hot tea on the nightstand.

The entire cup of scalding tea spilled directly onto my already injured wrist.

The skin immediately turned red, and I cried out in pain.

But Liam didn't hesitate for a second. His back was already disappearing through the door.

As someone who makes a living with a paintbrush, I cherish my hands more than anything.

This time, without any hesitation, I grabbed my phone and drove myself to the Swedish Medical Center.

After getting my burn treated, I sat on a bench outside the emergency room and saw an Instagram post Chloe had made ten minutes earlier.

"Gained two pounds and cried a little, and someone rushed over like it was the end of the world and called me his little piggy. ??"

The picture was of Liam in an apron, busy in a kitchen, looking like the picture-perfect doting boyfriend. The whole screen radiated with pink, fluffy love.

And the same Liam who had ignored my burn was actively commenting.

"I'm your knight in shining armor, remember?"

My finger hovered over the screen. I liked the post, then left a comment:

"You two are a perfect match."

Almost instantly, I received a text from Liam.