Chapter 1

I'd been playing the role of the perfect girlfriend to Liam Myers for three years. He was successful, powerful, and always distant.

Tonight, like always, I leaned in before bed, teasing him for a goodnight kiss.

Then suddenly, a wave of comments appeared before my eyes.

[This is hilarious. Olivia flirts with Liam and instantly goes to bed, leaving him all worked up.]

[Who would have thought Mr. Myers, all cold and untouchable on the outside, would sneak a whiff of his girlfriend's hair at night? That's creepy but kind of cute.]

I froze, then quickly rolled over to face him.

He frowned, but he didn't say a word.

The comments exploded.

[Holy hell, he's turned on.]

[He wants her so bad, but doesn't dare say it.]

Confused, I asked, "Are you okay? Do you feel unwell?"

Liam swallowed and subtly shifted away from me. "I'm fine."

His voice was even colder than usual.

The comments didn't hold back.

[Look, his ears are flushed.]

[Stop pretending, Liam. I can literally see you trying not to lose control.]

[They're made for each other. Olivia teased Liam without a care, and our poor guy is struggling to hold back.]

Feeling a bit awkward, I changed the subject. "If you're not feeling well, tell me. I'll get you some medicine."

"No need." Liam got out of bed. "I just remembered I still have some work to do. Go to sleep. Good night."

As soon as he left the bedroom, the comments went wild.

[Mr. Myers is lying. He went to take a shower to cool down.]

[Did anyone else notice he smiled when Olivia asked if he was okay?]

[Yeah, he's completely fallen for her.]

I kept my eyes on the disappearing comments, feeling a little frazzled.

Three years ago, my family's company's finances collapsed. My dad was stuck in the hospital, and creditors were pounding on our door.

That was when Liam showed up.

He handed me a contract, his words straightward. "Be my nominal girlfriend for three years. I'll sort out the debts and pay you an extra 30 thousand dollars."

The terms were as clear as a sales contract, except for the "level of intimacy" section, which read: [Maintain moderate closeness in public, no demands in private.]

Clutching the pen, I asked, "Why me?"

Liam looked out the window, his face tense. "You're the quiet type."

Later, I learned that the Myers family was pushing him to settle down. He needed a cover, and I was just the person who had nowhere else to turn and wouldn't complicate his life.

For three years, I did my best to play the sweet girlfriend.

When he worked overtime, I'd show up with dinner. At business parties, I'd run interference for him with the drinks. When his parents came to visit us, I kept them company.

And Liam stayed cold as ever, barely talking and showing no emotion.

I figured he didn't feel a thing for me. Even the "moderate intimacy" part of our deal felt like he was just going through the motions.

Whenever we held hands, his fingers were stiff as a board, and when we kissed, he just brushed his lips against mine, barely even a real kiss.

And now the comments were saying he'd been sneaking glances at me in the middle of the night. Seriously?

My phone buzzed. It was a message from my bestie, Lucia. [Party tonight. Are you coming? I heard Liam's first love, Leah Harding, is back. She'll be there, too.]

She followed it with a popcorn emoji.

I felt a jolt in my chest.

Leah was the girl Liam had a huge thing for back in college.

Back then, she said she wanted to travel the world, and Liam nearly followed her overseas. In the end, his dad threatened to cut off his inheritance, forcing him to stay.

That was something the comments never mentioned.

I texted back, [Gotta make dinner for Liam tonight.]

Lucia replied in a flash, [Girl, isn't three years of playing housekeeper enough for you? Come on, join us, and check out Leah.]

I hesitated for a few minutes.

Liam never held me back. He actually told me to "go meet more people".

However, I knew it was because he didn't want me getting too attached. That way, when our deal was up, we could part ways without any drama.

I ended up going anyway.

Before heading out, I shot Liam a quick text. [Party tonight. You're on your own for dinner.]

He replied with a single word, "Okay."

He didn't even tell me not to get drunk.

The party was in a fancy private room downtown.

As soon as I walked in, I saw Leah sitting at the table, dressed in a white dress, her smile lighting up the whole room. A bunch of old classmates were gathered around her, hanging on her every word as she shared stories from abroad.

She caught sight of me, and her smile grew even warmer. "Olivia, you're finally here. It's been ages."

I nodded and took a seat next to Lucia.

Leah looked me up and down, her voice all sweet and familiar. "Liam mentioned you've been taking care of his day-to-day stuff. That must be tough."

Basically, she just called me a housekeeper.

Lucia squeezed my hand under the table.

I gave a polite smile. "That's my job, I guess."

Suddenly, the comments popped up.

[Go at her.]

[Leah is being snarky. Olivia, fire back.]

[If Liam heard this, would he regret pursuing Leah?]

I kept my head down, nursing my drink, not saying a thing.

After a while, Leah sauntered over with her glass, her voice perfectly pitched for drama. "Honestly, there was a bit of a misunderstanding between Liam and me back in college. I'm hoping to really clear the air with him."

The whole room went silent, all eyes zeroed in on me.

I clutched my glass so tightly that my fingertips went pale. And the comments were going absolutely nuts.

[Olivia is totally declaring war.]

[Olivia, stand your ground. You're the legitimate girlfriend here.]

[Yeah, it might be a contract, but Liam hasn't gone after Leah in three years. You've totally got the upper hand.]

Leah leaned close, whispering so only I could hear. "Did you know Liam has a mole on his left chest?"

My mind went totally blank.

I didn't know that.

For the past three years, the most intimate moments were when he got drunk at gatherings, and I helped him change his clothes.

He always went into the bathroom alone, locking the door tight.

Leah gave me a sly smile. "Guess he's still keeping his guard up around you."