Chapter 3

Everyone kept telling me to go easy on Matilda, but what did I ever do?

Instinctively, I made a run for the door, but Liam yanked me back.

"Do you have a death wish?" he snapped.

I'd worked my ass off for ages, saving every penny to buy that coat for myself. I'd been wearing it for three years.

Someone like him, who grew up sheltered in his ivory tower, could never understand.

My chest heaved with anger, my eyes blazing with fury as I slapped Liam hard across the face.

"Stop the car!" I shouted.

The driver slammed on the brakes, startled.

As soon as I pushed the door open to get out, Liam yanked me back, his hand cocked, ready to strike.

Instinctively, I crouched down, arms wrapped over my head to protect myself.

Liam paused, let out a cold snort, twisted open the pill bottle, and dumped the white tablets over my head.

He spat, "I actually felt a little sorry for you, but you're absolutely shameless. Even when you're sick, you're still scheming to get Lawrence's attention. People like you, why don't you die already!"

Maybe I really should just die.

I looked up at him, dazed, and the disgust in his eyes hit me like a punch to the gut.

The brother I once knew was looking at me with nothing but hatred, and I had no idea when things changed.

I didn't even have to wonder why. Matilda must've been poisoning his mind against me.

I didn't bother defending myself.

Liam tossed the pill bottles and containers to the floor, sending white pills flying everywhere.

The door slammed shut with a bang, and Liam stormed off without looking back.

I crouched down, slowly picking up the pills covered in dust and putting them back into the bottle.

There was not a soul in sight, just emptiness all around.

Once again, I'd been abandoned.

I found my coat tossed in a trash can not far away, brushed off the dust, and slipped it back on.

I curled up on the ground, huddled there for a long time, just trying to pull myself together.

Finally, I pulled up my phone's map and started walking home, one step at a time.

As Matilda's wedding approached, everyone was caught up in it.

Meanwhile, my mom was more focused on finding me a match than anything else.

Her pick, Randy Ross, was the heir to the Ross family.

The moment we met, Randy made it obvious that he wasn't interested in me.

I suggested, "Let's keep it strictly business. We team up. You live your life however you want, and I won't interfere."

"What's in it for me?" he asked.

"You won't have your family breathing down your neck about getting married," I replied.

Back then, with the way things were for me, the Ross family wouldn't even have been allowed to come knocking on our door to propose.

But things were different.

If someone was actually willing to marry me, maybe I could finally stay in Pitzville.

At the very least, Lawrence could finally relax, knowing I wouldn't be harboring any delusions about him anymore.

Randy gave me a lazy grin.

"Alright, but you gotta come running whenever I call," he said.

"Sure," I replied.

Randy had been trying to woo an actress lately.

He'd been at it for ages, but still hadn't gotten anywhere.

So he wanted me to pretend to be close to him to make the girl he liked jealous.

I agreed.

But during our dinner at the hotel, with warm golden candlelight flickering all around, Randy reached out and gently cupped my forehead.

He leaned in, clearly aiming for a kiss.

Without missing a beat, I stepped back just enough so he wouldn't notice.

Randy said lightly, "You really think I actually wanted to kiss you? Please, that's just nasty..."

I knew it was just an act.

When I turned my head, I saw Lawrence standing at the doorway. I had no clue how long he'd been there, watching us, but his expression was dark as thunder.

My instincts screamed at me to get out of there, so I tried to make a quick exit.

But Lawrence was faster. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so fierce that it felt like he was about to break it.

"Already found yourself a new man?" he sneered.

Lawrence would never have laid a finger on me before.

"Mr. Moore, please keep your distance," I said coolly.

Honestly, he should be happy that I stopped chasing after him.

But Lawrence looked even more grim.

He yanked me into the car and shoved me inside.

I huddled in the corner, tense and uneasy.

Lawrence kept clicking his lighter, sparking it on and off, the tiny flame flaring and dying in his restless hand.

After a long pause, he finally said quietly, "Nellie, all that chasing after me three years ago, saying you liked me, was it all just a lie?"

My heart was racing with fear. Lawrence warned me three years ago, "If I ever hear you say you like me again, I'll make you pay for it."

And I'd already learned my lesson the hard way.

I replied, "It was all fake. Every bit of it."

I remembered that night, when the blizzard raged outside.

The only thing Lawrence ever gave me was a worthless little necklace.

It broke while I was washing dishes, slipping straight down the drain.

I dug through that filthy gutter, but it was gone. I ended up on my knees in the snow, hands scraped raw, the freezing wind cutting right through me.

It hurt so much that I could barely breathe.

I hugged myself, crying my heart out, harder than I had in the past three years.

It hit me then. Letting go would hurt just as much as holding on tight.

That necklace was just something Lawrence threw at me on my birthday, barely even thinking about it.

But I treated it like some priceless treasure, keeping it safe year after year.

When I lost it in the third year, it was like a wake-up call.

These years have been more than enough.

I took a shaky breath and whispered, "Guess I've finally run out of shamelessness."

I thought Lawrence would finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But he just looked even more serious, not a trace of relief in his eyes.

"Is that all, Mr. Moore?" I said coolly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, then motioned for the driver to drive off.

Stepping out of the car, my whole body felt weak and shaky. I realized that, whenever I was around Lawrence, all I felt was fear.