Chapter 2

The last expression Liam left me with was one of intense disgust.

I should have been used to his attitude toward me by now.

But seeing it again, a bitter ache still twisted in my heart.

His bride was truly beautiful, just as gorgeous as he'd always raved about.

No wonder he'd kept her in his heart for so many years.

Five years ago, he accompanied me to my twentieth birthday party.

He suddenly half-knelt, begging me for half a day off.

"Scarlett, I just need half a day off. Melody collapsed while working her stall outside, and I have to go take care of her!"

In an instant, all the guests stared at us, their gazes filled with curiosity.

My face burned crimson, all the way to my earlobes.

Liam, too, was sweating nervously.

Everyone knew that Scarlett, the eldest daughter of the Campbell family, was moody and unpredictable, yet she inexplicably cared most about her poor bodyguard.

And to hear another woman's name from his lips, especially in front of everyone?

My anger surged to my head.

I raised my hand and slapped him, hard.

Liam turned his face, and I scoffed coldly:

"You want to protect her, but have you ever considered that your duty is to protect *me*?"

"What kind of life do I live? If anything happened to me, could you afford the consequences?"

At my words, the usually stoic man's eyes reddened.

His chest heaved, but in the end,

He gritted his teeth, nodded, and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett. I didn't think it through."

That very night, I arranged for Melody's stall to be destroyed and bribed the neighboring vendors, making it impossible for her to earn a living there.

The next day, Liam's low-hanging bangs couldn't hide his bloodshot eyes.

I think that's when he started to hate me.

The more he cared about others, the more my heart ached with jealousy.

Three years ago, I accidentally noticed that despite the exorbitant salary I paid him,

He still wore worn-out, holey shirts, living frugally as always.

When I asked him why, he just looked down and said it was to build a future for someone important to him.

I secretly rejoiced, and when I told my friends, they all insisted that the person in Liam's heart must be me.

"He's been by your side for so many years! He must know he's not good enough for you, so he's saving up to marry you later!"

My heart swelled with joy, and I rushed home, eager to confess my feelings to Liam.

But instead, I saw massive bank transfer receipts scattered in his room.

Each note read: "To my dearest Melody."

That's when I finally understood. Liam's heart.

It had never paused for me, not even for a second.

And the one he wished to marry would never be me.

Later, I gave him his freedom, and he was so overjoyed he didn't even say goodbye.

The next day, he picked up his meager bag and walked out of the Campbell estate's gates.

He never looked back.

In his room, he left behind everything I had given him over the past ten years.

Even the good-luck charm I'd spent a month embroidering for him was tossed into a corner.

Less than a year after we parted, he completely shed the humble, obedient facade he wore around me.

He became a ruthless and skilled businessman.

He even donated a hundred million dollars to medical charity to bless his fiancée.

I turned off the TV, shaking my head with a wry smile.

Scarlett, isn't this what you wanted?

Why wallow in self-pity?

"Patient in Room 4, prepare for your medication!"

The nurse's shout pulled me back to reality, and I quickly responded.

"Alright."

I painstakingly pulled the thick IV needle from my arm, watching the blood flow back into the tube.

I was long past being surprised by it.