After graduating from college, my fiancé suddenly said he wanted to stay and work at the university. I instantly guessed it: Liam had fallen for his academic advisor. So, I had a frank and open conversation with him. Either call off the engagement, or get his advisor transferred elsewhere. He disappeared for an entire night. When he showed up the next day, with dark circles under his eyes, he only said one thing: "The engagement proceeds as planned." On the day of our engagement party, right at the moment Liam was about to slip the ring onto my finger... Someone suddenly pushed open the banquet hall doors, holding a baby. "Liam, do you really not want me and the baby anymore?" He instinctively curled his fingers inward. I violently grabbed his wrist, warning him in a low voice. "If you dare leave right now, this isn't over." He stared at the ring. Just as he was about to put it on me... The baby in the woman's arms started wailing loudly, as if sensing something. He muttered an apology and left without looking back. ... "Chloe, you decide what you want to do about this." "Whatever happens, your family will always support you." Saying this, my mom shot a death glare at Liam's parents. "You really can't judge a book by its cover. Human hearts are truly unpredictable. I was wondering why Liam practically disappeared for half a year. Turns out he was off having a baby with another woman!" "So this is the Hayes family's upbringing. If I had a son like that, I'd beat him to death." I froze for a moment. Liam's dream was to become a superstar singer. So, the moment he told me he wanted to stay and work at the university... I knew he had fallen in love with his advisor. My best friend laughed at me for being too sensitive. "Staying at the university is perfectly normal, right? The job is stable, plus he gets summer and winter breaks." I sneered internally. That was because our classmates didn't know Liam's and my family backgrounds. Liam's coming-of-age gift was a ten percent dividend share in his family's corporation. With his resources, he could do whatever he wanted. The only thing he wouldn't do was become a nine-to-five university counselor. Our differing plans for the future were the only point of contention between Liam and me. I had to inherit my family's business, so after graduation, I had to go abroad for further studies. He, on the other hand, had no real ambitions; he just wanted to treat life like a game. This wasn't a big deal originally. Since he didn't want to study abroad, I wasn't going to force him. I still remember the day I decided to study abroad. He hugged me and gently coaxed me. "I don't want to live a life where I can see the end from the very beginning. What if I actually become a pop star? Then you'll be a celebrity's wife." "I'll fly overseas to see you. Wouldn't that be more of a surprise?" I was convinced. So, I went abroad. He stayed behind for his so-called "freedom and ideals." Our families suggested we get engaged first. But I single-handedly resisted the pressure from both sides. My thought process was simple back then. Let him go achieve his dreams. Don't let marriage become a burden. But I never expected his "freedom" would extend to having a baby with another woman. I thought he didn't have time to visit me abroad because of his performances. It turned out it was because he was busy taking care of a pregnant Elena. Actually, it's not like there weren't any clues. I just chose to intentionally ignore them. But this is perfect. The truth is out, and we finally don't have to second-guess each other anymore. My best friend looked at me with immense sympathy. "Girl, the next one will be better." Her expression made me laugh. But the next second, tears slid down my eyelashes and smashed onto the back of my hand. I tilted my head back and covered my eyes with the back of my hand. A deep sigh echoed in my ear. My parents saw the guests out. In the massive banquet hall, fewer than ten people remained. Only then did Liam's parents come over and grab my hands. "Chloe, you're a good girl. What happened today is entirely Liam's fault." "It's also our fault for not disciplining our son properly." "To think he'd do something like this with his college professor... Don't worry, Auntie will handle them—" I cut Liam's mother off. "Auntie, there's no need." "That is, after all, your biological grandchild. This is your family's business; it's not appropriate for the Davis family to interfere." "It's been a chaotic day, so I won't walk you out." My obvious gesture of showing them the door made the Hayes parents' faces look extremely ugly. But they couldn't utter a single word of protest. Before leaving, Liam's father asked, refusing to give up: "Chloe, I'll give you thirty percent of our shares in exchange for you giving the child legitimacy." "From now on, you can just treat the child as adopted. Our two families can join forces to suppress this scandal..." I smiled. "Uncle Hayes, why should the Davis family sacrifice its reputation for your family's scandal?" His face changed, filled with the embarrassment of being completely exposed. Seeing my resolute attitude, the two of them had no choice but to leave in disgrace. I never expected the next time I saw them... Would be at our college reunion. Liam and Elena stood openly in the middle of the private room. Accepting the flattery and congratulations of our classmates. "I can't believe Liam is the second young master of the Hayes family! You hid it so well. You were just experiencing normal life, but the professor dragged you back down to earth?" "Professor, you really should have told us! You already have a kid, but you didn't even invite us for a wedding drink." Elena smiled gently and nodded. "You all know Liam's identity is special. Drink whatever you want tonight; it's our treat." Chapter 2 Everyone cheered. Liam stood next to Elena the whole time without saying a word. But his right hand constantly rested on the baby, gently patting it. His face was filled with the soft glow of a new father. I clenched my fists, a relentless coldness seeping into my heart. Them so brazenly accepting congratulations was no different from slapping me in the face. For a moment, I found the scene before me incredibly comical. The man who almost became my fiancé yesterday. Was today receiving our classmates' blessings with another woman and their child. My best friend, standing beside me, was even angrier than I was. So, she grabbed a glass of wine and walked over. Her tone was pure mockery. "I wonder when Professor Elena and Liam got married and had a kid?" She bit down hard on the words "married and had a kid." Elena's face changed, and everyone else's gaze fixed on my best friend. She then dropped a bombshell. "Did you know Liam has always been engaged? Tell me, as a teacher, does it feel good to knowingly be the 'other woman'?" Like thunder exploding in everyone's ears. Everyone stared at Elena. The people who had just been congratulating her silently took a step back. Openly grouping together to whisper and gossip. Liam suddenly stepped in front of Elena, blocking those probing gazes. "Since you don't know the truth, I advise you to keep your mouth shut and avoid causing trouble for yourself." My best friend wasn't intimidated by Liam's warning in the slightest. Liam shot a vicious glare in my direction. Then he spoke. "Since it's rare for everyone to gather, we might as well be transparent. I do have an engagement with Chloe Davis, but that was arranged by our elders. It doesn't represent my personal wishes." "As an independent person, I believe I have the right to pursue love." "Unlike some people. The feudal era is over, yet they're still playing the arranged marriage game. I will absolutely never let anyone bury my life in a forced marriage." Liam slightly tilted his chin up. Exuding an arrogance built on wealth. A few of the female classmates looked ready to applaud and cheer for him. I didn't expect that to divert attention, he would throw me to the wolves. He thought I was still that accommodating, yielding fiancée. I let out a cold laugh. And took a step forward. "Listening to you, it seems you completely reject the engagement. Why didn't you refuse it earlier?" "Do I need to list out all the benefits the Hayes family extracted from the Davis family because of this engagement? That kid of yours is pretty big; it wasn't born in a day, was it? Before the engagement party yesterday, you had countless opportunities to come clean, but you didn't." "Stop acting so noble and pure, Liam. You make me sick." Liam stayed silent, his face looking awful. Elena, however, got anxious. "Chloe, things aren't what you think. Liam wanted to tell you a long time ago, but you were preparing to go abroad. He was afraid it would affect your performance, so he planned to wait until you got back." "But he was afraid you would blame him. He wasn't completely without feelings for you back then." "Keeping it from you was for your own good." Hearing such high-sounding, hypocritical words coming from her mouth... Made me feel even more that these two were meant for each other. Equally nauseating. My best friend couldn't hold back and unleashed her venomous tongue again. "Oh, so according to Professor Elena, Chloe should get on her knees and thank you two cheating scumbags?" "Shut up!" Liam was angry. "Elena and I did absolutely nothing while I was a student!" My best friend sneered. "So what? You can never change the fact that you were her student for the rest of your life!" Liam instinctively looked at me, opening his mouth as if trying to explain something. But ultimately, he could only grab Elena and leave. Chapter 3 Actually, Elena was originally my academic advisor. Later, during our sophomore year, Liam said he wanted to major in the same subject as me and transferred into our class. Then I noticed he frequently went to Elena's office. Realizing something was off, I asked him about it once. He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist. "My little jealous pot! I transferred to your class just so we could spend more time together." "I have to catch up on the classes I missed, right? I can't believe you doubt me!" I frowned. "Liam, I'm a woman too. The way Elena looks at you isn't exactly innocent." "You're too possessive. Just because we're together, does that mean no one else can even look at me?" "Chloe, your way of thinking is very dangerous." At the time, I couldn't tell if it was just my possessiveness acting up or something else. I didn't dwell on it. But looking back now, Elena probably had her eyes on him from the very beginning. It was just that her position prevented her from making the first move. To be able to seduce Liam into risking having a child with her while he was engaged... that takes some skill. That very night, I packed up everything related to Liam. I thought about the expensive gifts for a moment. I packed them up and arranged for someone to return them to him the next day. But I didn't expect that after receiving the items, Liam's father would show up at my door again. "Chloe, look at these things. Liam really put a lot of thought into them back then." "Which one of these doesn't prove his feelings? It's normal for young people to have a moment of confusion." "Isn't it normal to date a few people before getting married nowadays? For the sake of our families' relationship, please reconsider? What Uncle said yesterday still stands. What do you think?" I pulled my lips into a mock smile. "Uncle Hayes, why don't you ask Auntie? If you had a child with someone else before you got married, would she still have married you?" "Dating before marriage is normal now. But from the day our engagement was set, I haven't had contact with any other guys, because in my eyes, I don't want to hurt two people at the same time." I didn't expect Mr. Hayes to actually bring Liam along too. As soon as I finished speaking, he strode in from behind the door. "But you never asked me what happened back then! You never asked me why I had to do it!" "Chloe Davis, if I say I had my reasons, would you believe me?" "By taking this 'cut the Gordian knot' attitude now, aren't you just hurting me in a different way?" I listened to everything he had to say. Maintaining my composure. "Liam, this is the last shred of dignity I'm giving you, and myself." Liam completely broke down. Screaming without any regard for his image. "But I don't want dignity! I want a wife who loves me deeply!" "I want to marry a living, breathing person, not a high-society heir who acts like a precision machine!" My heart suddenly clenched. So that was it. True, romance wasn't the entirety of my life, but I had already given him everything I possibly could. I didn't speak for a long time, the air seemingly frozen. Everyone thought I was indifferent. Only my mom saw my trembling back. She rushed down from the second floor and slapped Liam hard across the face. "How did the Hayes family raise such a heartless thing like you!" Liam instinctively shoved my mom. "I've never been hit by anyone my entire life. What gives you the right?!" "Let alone the fact that I'm not your Davis family's son-in-law today—even if I were, try touching me again!" I stepped forward to support my mom, looking at Liam in shock. My mom's raised hand was still trembling. But Liam was like a snapped bowstring. His voice hoarse. "If you hadn't bound Chloe with all your rules, turning her into this rigid, inflexible person, how could we have missed our chance?" "This is all your fault!" Chapter 4 "Shut up!" "Liam, you have no right to point fingers at my mother." "Get out of my house." After Liam left, exhaustion seeped into every corner of my body. My mom hadn't yet recovered from the shock. She just looked at me blankly. She wanted to say something, but ultimately kept her head down and went upstairs. I didn't know how to comfort her. After Liam showed his hand, his affection for Elena and their child became increasingly undisguised. Not only did he register the child under the Hayes family name. He also got Elena a much more prestigious job. On her birthday, he even booked the hardest-to-get restaurant in the city and posted a photo of the two of them. Making sure everyone in our circle knew. Some friends who were close to me sent screenshots of his social media posts. 【Chloe, are you just going to let this go? You can tolerate this?】 I didn't reply. I just silently clicked on the post. I noticed many people commenting underneath. Filled with mockery and sarcasm. 【Liam, you're the man. Can't believe you actually bagged your own professor.】 【If you didn't want to marry Chloe, you should have said so earlier! You just wasted her time. Chloe is my ultimate crush.】 【A woman like this is just for playing around with. You actually brought her to the main table? Aren't you embarrassed?】 Just as I was scrolling through the comments. A pinned comment suddenly appeared. 【Background doesn't dictate ability. And Elena is my lover. Disrespecting her means disrespecting me.】 Then, those mocking comments disappeared. My gaze grew even colder. Liam was establishing dominance for Elena. And publicly slapping me in the face. What I never expected was that this wasn't even the worst thing Liam would do. Because she was triggered by Liam last time, my mom hadn't slept well for days. Today, she couldn't even get out of bed. Terrified, I immediately contacted the hospital. And the best hospital for treating this kind of illness was owned by the Hayes family. Fighting back my trembling, I called Liam. I wanted him to arrange a doctor. But he hung up on me three times in a row. With no other choice, I had to take my mom to the emergency room first. But we couldn't even get in. A young nurse looked at me nervously, apologizing profusely. "Ms. Davis, we really don't have any beds available. The doctors are all busy. If you delay this any longer, I'm afraid it'll be dangerous." Of course I knew that, but right now, I had no better options. I could only try to negotiate with the nurse again. "I have—" I was about to say I had shares in the Hayes family hospital. But before I could get the words out, Liam loudly interrupted me. "No matter who comes today, the hospital's rules cannot be bypassed." "Chloe, didn't you cut ties with the Hayes family a long time ago? Does it matter who you are anymore?" "I can let bygones be bygones and arrange a room and a doctor, but she must apologize!" Liam pointed at my mother in my arms. His eyes filled with resentment. Because of that slap last time, he held a grudge against the person who had cared for him for over a decade. My heart turned completely to ice. A stroke is no minor issue. I didn't dare delay. I could only take a step back. "Liam, I'll apologize to you, okay? For the sake of how my mom treated you all these years—" "No. She hit me and humiliated Elena. The fact that I'm not making her kneel is already me showing mercy." Liam blocked the hallway, ignoring the stares of the people around us. Insisting my mom apologize. More and more people gathered to watch the drama. Just as everyone thought my mom would apologize. The sound of an ambulance suddenly rang out outside. Five or six doctors wearing uniforms from the best private hospital in North City bowed to me. And efficiently arranged everything. Before getting into the ambulance, I looked at Liam, who was frozen in place. I made a phone call right in front of his face. "Pull all cooperative projects with the Hayes Group." "Within a month, I don't want to see a single Hayes-affiliated company still turning a profit."
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