Chapter 2

When Liam brought Chloe home, I was with his relatives, watching TV.

"Daisy, you and Liam have been married for three years now, right? Why haven't you had kids yet?"

"Yeah, hurry up and have one!"

Mrs. Reed chuckled. "Daisy used to run that vet clinic, and I was worried about her being around all those cats and dogs, you know, germs. But Daisy closed the clinic this year. So, she should have a baby soon."

At that moment, the popular actor, Leo, appeared on TV.

I looked up sharply, his familiar face on the screen.

A reporter interviewed Leo. "How will you be spending New Year's Eve?"

Leo smiled gently. "With the most important person, of course!"

Mrs. Reed couldn't help but exclaim, "That actor is so handsome!"

Chloe interjected, "He's every girl's dream guy! I've binge-watched so many of his shows."

They had no idea that Leo's "most important person" was me, and he was coming for me tonight.

A long time ago, Liam had also told me I was the most important person to him.

On my seventh birthday, my mother died in a car accident.

My father was lost in grief, sometimes sitting at home all day, completely oblivious to me.

I didn't dare cry at home and often found myself spacing out alone in the park.

Liam would always find ways to cheer me up.

Later, my dad's business relocated to Chicago, and after college, I chose to marry Liam.

But last year, he missed my birthday.

That day, Chloe had made a huge blunder, and he stayed late to clean up her mess, then took her to dinner to comfort her.

It wasn't until he saw the unopened cake on the table late that night that he realized he'd forgotten my birthday.

That was our first real fight.

After that, our conflicts grew more frequent.

Liam always complained that I was petty and jealous, unable to tolerate even an intern next to him.

Time and again, he left me behind to help Chloe move, celebrate holidays, or take her to the doctor.

My phone vibrated, pulling me back from my thoughts.

Someone in my group chat posted a photo, asking if the person in it was me.

I clicked on the photo. It was a recent Ins post from Leo.

"Family Photo," the caption read. The accompanying picture was a large group shot of volunteers, and I was standing right next to Leo.

In front of us was a group of abandoned cats we had rescued.

Before I could respond, Liam replied to the group.

"No way! It's just someone who looks a bit like her. How could Daisy possibly be in a celebrity's family photo? Impossible."

Seeing him so flustered and angry, I found it almost laughable.

He finished his message and tossed his phone onto the table, accidentally knocking over a can of soda and soaking his pants.

Chloe quickly grabbed some tissues and, without thinking, gently dabbed his leg.

Liam cleared his throat awkwardly, and she finally stopped.

I let out a soft laugh. "Why don't you just wash them for him?"

Chloe's face instantly flushed. "Daisy, what are you saying? I treat Liam like a big brother. Don't get the wrong idea."

I ignored her, simply explaining a few things in the chat.

I'd been helping out at an animal rescue, and a celebrity doing charity work happened to be there.

Unexpectedly, the group chat became even more frantic.

"Oh my god, Daisy actually met Leo!"

"What kind of cologne does he wear? I need to know!"

I was so overwhelmed, I stopped typing.

Just then, Leo messaged me: "Finished recording. Heading to the airport now."