Chapter 2

”

I took the bouquet, my gaze flickering, landing on a bright red lipstick stain on his collar. It was so stark, so obvious. I raised a hand and pointed to his collar. “Your shirt’s dirty. ”

Liam looked down, saw the mark Valerie had left when she kissed him, and his heart clenched. He stammered an explanation. “Oh, it… it must have gotten smudged somehow. ”

“Hmm. ” I didn’t call him out. “Take it off. I’ll wash it for you. ”

“No, we have housekeepers. I couldn’t ask you to do it yourself. ”

“The housekeepers just throw things in the wash. I’ll do it properly. ”

Liam, thinking he’d dodged a bullet, quickly kissed me. “Sera, you’re the best. ”

I took the shirt, a bitter smile playing on my lips as I looked at the stain. The best? More like the easiest to trick. Perhaps I washed it with too much force, but his shirt ended up ripped. Liam didn’t seem to care. He just hugged me gently and said, “It’s fine, if it’s torn, just toss it. You can just buy me a new one. ”

He changed his shirt, but the scent of her perfume still lingered. I quirked my lips. “Aren’t some things better when they’re old? ”

“That’s true. ” Liam nodded. “This shirt was really comfortable. Too bad you ruined it, or I could have worn it a few more times. You know, I’m a very loyal person. ”

He was a very loyal person, alright. So loyal that he still loved the girl he liked five years ago, even after she disappeared for five years and then came back. What about me? What did our five years together mean? Growing up, I never lacked admirers. After college, I applied for a job at Liam’s company. The moment I saw him, my heart was lost. But my pride kept me from making the first move. Somehow, Liam later fell for me and started pursuing me relentlessly. At first, I played hard to get, but then one day, there was a fire at the company. The fire alarm blared, sending everyone scrambling, but I was frozen stiff, paralyzed with fear. It was Liam who turned back, scooped me up, and carried me out of the burning building. In that moment, I knew. I wanted to be with him forever. Five years. Five long years. I’d never forgotten the day we got together. Liam swore to the heavens, “Sera, I promise you, I’ll only ever love you in this life. ”

Seeing Liam’s earnest face, I cried and said, “Liam Hayes, remember what you said today. If you ever betray me, I’ll marry another man and make you regret it bitterly! ”

Those vows still echoed in my ears, but his heart had already changed. No, perhaps his heart was never truly mine from the start. A sharp ache rose in my nose. I clutched the torn shirt, and tears I couldn't hold back slipped down my cheeks. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? ”

Seeing my tears, Liam panicked, quickly pulling out tissues to wipe them away. “I’m fine. ”

Liam was the one who betrayed me first. So I would keep my promise. I would marry another man! Chapter 3

After finally calming me down, Liam, as usual, leaned in to kiss me, but I pushed him away. He awkwardly cleared his throat, released me, and held out his hand for a gift. “Hey, what about that gift you promised me? ”

I told him to wait, went back to my room, and retrieved the wedding invitations Liam and I had picked out together. I grabbed a pen, crossed out the groom’s name, and wrote my name and Ryder Blackwood’s on it. Then, I put the invitation back in the box. Downstairs, I handed him the box. “What’s this? ”

Liam was curious and reached to open it, but I stopped him. “Open it on the first of next month. ”

At that date, Liam’s hand trembled. Wasn’t that the day he was supposed to marry Valerie? “Why? ”

“Because the first of next month was supposed to be our wedding day, right? A perfect day. ” I smiled, taping the box shut. “Now that the wedding’s postponed, I’m giving you a big gift. You’ll be surprised. ”

“Great, I love surprises. ” He playfully poked my nose and pulled me into a hug. “Sera, I’m so happy today. ”

Happy? The light in my eyes faded, just like those wilting roses he’d given me, silently dying. But Liam didn’t notice. What was he happy about? Probably that he successfully proposed to another woman, assuming I was none the wiser. That evening, Liam went to take a shower. I was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through my phone, when I accidentally saw a post on Ins from one of Liam’s friends. It was a video of Liam’s proposal to Valerie. The caption read: “The love we always envied has finally found its happily ever after. Let’s celebrate tonight at our usual spot. ”

I froze, about to tap on it, when a comment popped up below. [You actually posted this? Did you block Sera Adams? ]

The friend replied: [Do you think I’m stupid? Of course, I blocked her. ]

I looked at the comment, a mocking smile twisting my lips. When Liam and I first started dating, he introduced me to all his best friends. They called me “Liam’s girl” and treated me like family. They’d said, “Hey, Sera, if Liam ever messes with you, just tell me. I’ll beat him up! ”

“Yeah, Sera, don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on him. He won’t be fooling around. If he ever finds another woman, we’ll be the first to tell you. ”

But now?