Everyone said I was the lucky one who picked up the engagement my sister didn't want. No matter how much I flirted, Liam Sterling, with his prayer beads always in hand, wouldn't even touch the hem of my dress. Until that night, I saw him kneeling by Sofia's hospital bed with my own eyes. He took my comatose sister's hand and pressed it against his burning desire, his voice hoarse. "Sofia, I only agreed to marry your sister so I could come see you every day." The next day, I tore up the engagement contract. "I'm not marrying Liam Sterling. I'm going to marry Adrian Cross." My mother turned pale. "Nora! Adrian Cross was mutilated by his rivals years ago! He's a eunuch! He's ruined!" I looked at her, my heart dead. "Mom, it doesn't matter who I marry anymore." Chapter 1 "I'm not marrying Liam Sterling. I'm going to marry Adrian Cross." I put down my tea cup. My voice was soft but firm. My mom's face changed instantly. She grabbed my arm. "Nora! Are you crazy? Adrian Cross... three years ago..." She lowered her voice, leaning into my ear. "He got his manhood chopped off by a rival gang! He's a living eunuch! And I heard he became a psycho after that, beating people up for no reason. You're walking into a death trap!" I gently pulled my hand back, forcing a bitter smile. "Mom, right now, it doesn't matter who I marry. Besides..." I gestured toward the living room. "Do you think we can say no to the Cross family?" In the living room, my dad was pouring tea for two men in sharp suits, a fawning smile plastered on his face. "It's a huge honor that Mr. Cross is interested in my daughter! But... my eldest daughter is currently in a coma, and my second daughter has been engaged to the Sterling family for a long time..." The man sitting in the main seat slowly put down his coffee cup. "It's just an engagement. Cancel it." My dad rubbed his hands together, sweat beading on his forehead. Although the Cross family held immense power, their reputation in the elite circles of New York was... well... "If Miss Nora agrees to marry," the man suddenly said, "the Cross family is willing to offer the heirloom 'Hexa-petal Crystal Herb' as a betrothal gift. I hear this medicine works miracles for coma patients." I saw my dad's eyes light up instantly. "I'll marry him!" I stood up abruptly, my voice startling everyone. Just like that, my marriage was settled. After the Cross family left, my dad frowned at me. "Nora, haven't you always liked Liam? Why the sudden..." I didn't answer. I turned and went back to my room. Ever since my sister fell into a coma, everyone said I picked up the engagement she discarded. I had loved Liam Sterling for ten whole years, but he was always cold to me. After my sister's accident, the engagement fell to me. I moved into his villa as his fiancée with joy in my heart, thinking I could finally love him openly. But no matter how many times I tried to get close to him, he would only politely drape a coat over my shoulders and turn away. Until last night. Driven by some ghostly impulse, I followed him when he went out, all the way to the hospital. I will never forget that scene. He knelt by Sofia's bedside, trembling as he pressed her lifeless hand against his hardness, groaning her name until his release. "Sofia, I agreed to marry your sister just so I could come see you every day." In that moment, I understood. My ten years of devotion were nothing but a joke. Chapter 2 The Cross family's miracle drug lived up to its name. Within three days, Sofia woke up. My dad was so happy he decided to throw a gala for her. I stood outside the hospital room, watching medical staff bustle in and out. I typed and deleted a message to Liam on my phone. "There's a party at home tonight. Are you coming?" The message, as always, sank like a stone in the ocean. No reply. An hour before the party started, I finally couldn't help but call him. His voice came through the receiver, cold and distant. "I'm in meditation. What is it?" "My sister woke up," I whispered. Clatter! The sound of prayer beads hitting the floor came through the phone. His breathing clearly hitched. "I'll be there." See? As long as it's about my sister, even the most ascetic "monk" will break his vows. Hanging up, I walked to the stairs and saw Sofia wearing the gown my best friend had designed specifically for me, chatting and laughing in the crowd. "Nora, I borrowed your dress. You don't mind, right?" She twirled elegantly, the skirt fluttering. "I just woke up, didn't have time to order a new one." My mom tugged my sleeve carefully, whispering, "Your sister just recovered. Let her wear it." I forced a smile. "Of course I don't mind." As I turned, I heard Sofia say to her friend, "This dress fits me better anyway, right? Nora is too skinny; she can't fill it out." I went back to my room in silence and changed into a plain white dress. My dad stood in the center of the ballroom, face glowing. "My Sofia is awake! From today on, Sofia officially takes over the family company!" The guests applauded. Sofia beamed. "Thank you, Daddy. I'll run the company well." "What about the second miss?" someone asked from a corner. My dad seemed to just remember my existence. "There's a small shop in the south side..." Sofia suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, wasn't that shop meant for my coffee shop project? I even had blueprints drawn up last time..." My dad immediately corrected himself. "Then the one in the north..." I gripped my wine glass. "No need. I don't want it." My dad had always favored Sofia. Even though my mom was his lawful wife, she lived like a shadow. One look from Sofia, and my dad would give her his heart on a platter. I've seen my mom cry secretly at night, seen her smile apologetically while being scolded, seen her unable to even speak properly in front of my dad. As the party reached its climax, the butler announced loudly, "Mr. Sterling has arrived!" Liam walked in wearing a black suit, followed by two servers carrying a gift box. They opened it to reveal the deed to a luxury resort. "Congratulations on Miss Sofia's recovery." "This is too precious..." Sofia feigned refusal, but hugged the deed tightly to her chest. The room buzzed. "Looks like the engagement is going back to the rightful owner soon." "She was the original fiancée anyway. Returning it to the original owner is normal." "The second miss is in an awkward spot now..." I walked to the balcony alone. The night wind couldn't blow away the irritation in my heart. Suddenly, the sound of high heels approached from behind. Chapter 3 "Sad?" Sofia walked over, swirling her champagne, a blatant smirk on her lips. "While I was in a coma, you had a good time, didn't you?" "Dad said it was the Cross family's medicine. But don't expect me to be grateful." "Remember this: you only deserve to live in my shadow." She leaned into my ear. "Just like when we were kids, you only got the dolls I was tired of playing with." As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly splashed the champagne all over her own face. "Ah!!" The scream attracted everyone's attention. Before I could react, Liam rushed over and shoved me hard. "What are you doing?!" I stumbled backward, knocking over a table. Glasses and plates shattered on the floor, sharp shards slicing my calf. Looking up from the mess, I met the gaze of the entire room—some mocking, some pitying. "Nora, are you crazy again?!" My dad's face was livid. My mom hid behind the crowd, afraid to look at me. Sofia was nestled in Liam's arms, smiling triumphantly at me. The look in Liam's eyes was one of thick, unadulterated disgust. My eyes burned. I turned and left. As I turned, I stepped on glass shards, but I kept my back straight, refusing to let anyone see my pathetic state. I went to my best friend Harper's house and stayed for a few days. Hearing everything, Harper stomped her foot in anger. "Even if Liam is a block of ice, you don't have to marry that cripple from the Cross family!" "You did so much for Sofia, and he didn't even say thank you? Some 'saint,' he's just a..." She suddenly stopped. At the entrance of the gallery, Liam was carefully escorting Sofia inside. Sofia wore a yellow sundress, looking as innocent as a daisy. "This painting is beautiful!" She pointed at the one in front of us. "Liam, buy it for me." Harper immediately blocked her. "We saw it first!" Sofia's eyes reddened instantly. Liam's face went cold. "Give it to Sofia." "Why should we?" Harper trembled with rage. I pulled her arm. "Let's go. I don't really like it anyway." For the entire afternoon, Sofia followed us like a shadow. In the end, Liam bought every single painting in the gallery. Just as we were leaving, the crystal chandelier suddenly fell! A child was standing right under it. In the nick of time, I rushed over and pushed the frozen child away. As agonizing pain hit me, I saw Liam hesitate. "Liam..." Sofia suddenly held her forehead weakly. "I'm so scared! I feel dizzy..." Liam supported Sofia and turned away without hesitation. When I woke up, Harper was cursing with red eyes. "Liam Sterling is a beast!" I opened my phone with a pale face. On social media, Liam was admiring flowers with Sofia. "Don't cry, Harper," I whispered. "Did you forget? The one I'm marrying... is Adrian Cross." She cried even harder. Chapter 4 To keep my mom from worrying, I lied and said I went on a trip. In reality, I spent three days alone in the hospital. The day I was discharged, Liam actually contacted me, asking to meet at the most expensive revolving restaurant in the city center. He pushed a delicate gift box toward me. Inside was a light blue silk scarf. "I will fulfill the engagement, as long as you stop targeting Sofia." I laughed at myself. "No need. It was originally my sister's..." "Sofia wasn't feeling well that day..." He explained, which was unprecedented. Before he finished, Sofia appeared in her high heels, carrying the latest designer bag on her shoulder. That scarf was just a freebie that came with her bag purchase. "Nora," she hooked her arm intimately through Liam's, "I specifically asked Liam to pick that gift for you. Do you like it?" Her bag and the scarf were the same color, stinging my eyes. I forced a smile, digging my nails into my palms. When I got home, I saw my mom limping down the stairs, holding onto the railing. "Mom!" I rushed to support her, feeling a bruise on her wrist. "Did Sofia push you again?" My voice trembled uncontrollably. Over the years, Sofia always called my mom a homewrecker and even got physical, even though my mom married in three years after her biological mother died. Bang! The front door was pushed open. Sofia walked in and tossed her bag onto the sofa. "Sofia, why did you push my mom?!" I couldn't hold back. "Who told her to be a mistress?" She raised her hand and slapped my mom. My brain buzzed. By the time I reacted, my hand had already slapped Sofia across the face. "I'll say it again! My mom is not a mistress! My mom married in three years after your mom died!" I was shaking all over. My mom pulled me back in a panic. "Stop arguing, stop arguing, we're all family." Sofia sneered. "Who's family with you, you bitch?" She backhanded my mom again. My mom stumbled into the wall, a bright red handprint appearing on her face. I snapped. But my raised hand was stopped mid-air by a sharp shout. "Nora?! What are you doing!" I looked up. Liam stood at the door, holding the shawl Sofia had left behind. Sofia's face changed instantly. She threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Liam, my sister is trying to hit me..." Watching him hold her tight, seeing the disgust in his eyes directed at me, I suddenly found it hilarious. As they left, I clearly heard Sofia whisper in his ear, "See? Like mother, like daughter..." On the opening day of the resort Liam gave to Sofia, my dad coldly ordered me to attend. "You embarrassed us at the last party. Go play a piece on the piano today," he said, brooking no argument. "Don't shame the family." I sat at the piano, fingers moving mechanically over the keys. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sofia glancing my way. Just as the last note faded, Bang! The piano cover slammed down without warning. Excruciating pain shot through my ten fingers instantly. "Ah—" My vision went black from the pain. Instinctively, I looked toward Liam nearby. But Sofia grabbed his arm. "Ignore her. She's been like this since she was little, screaming over a bug." She shook his arm coquettishly. "Let's go see the fountain." Before I fainted from the pain, all I saw was their retreating backs. When I woke up, my mom was sitting by the hospital bed with swollen eyes. "Nora, the Cross family sent the best hand surgeon." She tremblingly stroked my bandaged hands. "Mom thinks... maybe the Cross family isn't as scary as the rumors say." "Where are Dad and my sister?" I asked softly. My mom lowered her head. "Your dad went with Sofia to buy a yacht... said it was to celebrate the resort opening..." I didn't speak, but tears fell uncontrollably. Besides my mom, it seemed no one in this world truly cared about me. Maybe leaving was the best choice. The day I went to Liam's villa to pack my things, I rang the doorbell, but no one answered. Habitually, I entered the old passcode, but it didn't work anymore. I called Liam. As usual, no answer. Just as I was putting down my phone, a social media notification popped up. His account, which hadn't updated in three years, posted a beach photo. In the corner of the photo, a flash of a yellow skirt stung my eyes. I stared at the screen until my vision blurred. Trembling, I tried entering Sofia's birthday. Click. The door opened. In the empty villa, a phone suddenly rang. "What is it?" Liam's voice came through, cold as always. "Here to pick up some things," I said calmly. "No one's home." "Mm." He paused. "I'm with Sofia looking at shops for the resort." His tone held a hint of impatience. "About the engagement, I keep my word." Then he hung up. A string of prayer beads rolled out of a drawer, making a crisp sound on the floor. I squatted down, looking at this "gift" he had casually tossed to me, and suddenly laughed until I cried. I deleted all photos of him and his contact info from my phone, then went straight to the airport. "Window seat?" the check-in agent asked. "No need," I whispered. "There's nothing left to see here." Liam Sterling, goodbye forever.
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