My boyfriend loved to test my love for him. He would fake being sick, making me run out in the pouring rain to buy him medicine in the middle of the night. He would deliberately leave hickeys on his neck just to make me jealous. He would even force me to wait three hours in the rain just to show off to his friends. I unilaterally announced our breakup. Yet, he still thought I was just throwing a tantrum. On my birthday, he called me. "Alright, stop being mad. Come to the Starlight Club tonight, I have a surprise for you." I told him I was busy today, but he didn't believe me, scoffing: "What could you possibly be busy with?" "I'm getting married today." 01 I had been waiting downstairs with a cake for three hours. The messages I sent him vanished into thin air like stones dropped into the ocean. Just as I was about to leave, cheers erupted from the apartment upstairs. Ethan and his friends excitedly poked their heads over the balcony, whistling. "Sister-in-law! Ethan said you would wait for him in the rain for three hours! I can't believe it's actually true!" "Your love story is so enviable!" "Ethan is such a lucky guy!" They were loud, surrounding Ethan and cheering him on. I stared at them blankly, the colors of everything around me slowly fading to black and white. Only Ethan remained. He had a smirk on his face, looking at me like he was looking at a little puppy that had just earned him some bragging rights. Suddenly, it felt like my chest had been violently ripped open, the cold wind rushing in, freezing and painful. Ethan waved at me. "Chloe, come here." I looked at him for a few seconds, turned around, and walked into the rain. I had been dating Ethan for five years. From the days when he had nothing, to now, when he had established his own company. I had been the unwavering witness to his transformation from a poor boy to a small business owner. When he closed his first business deal, he held me and cried like a child. "Chloe, I will definitely, definitely treat you well. I will love you forever." Back then, he spoke with such sincerity. So much so that I believed him without hesitation. I don't know when he changed. I only know that in my memory, the things he left me with were no longer beautiful. He once faked being sick and made me go out in the middle of the night to buy him medicine, just to test my love. It was the dead of winter, snowing heavily. As soon as I heard he was sick, I rushed out without a second thought to get him medicine. The roads were icy, and I fell four times. When I got back, Ethan stood at the door and gave me a hug. He said, "Baby, you're the best." He told me he wasn't sick, he just wanted to test my love for him. I don't know what I felt at the time, but the pain from the bruises on my legs made my eyes sting. Another time, Ethan deliberately left hickeys from other women on his neck just to make me jealous. We had the biggest fight in history, but he turned around and posted on Facebook. [My baby really loves me, otherwise she wouldn't be so jealous.] Over the years, he had done too many absurd things. I was losing count. Passing by a trash can, I smashed the cake in my hands into it. After so many years, Ethan had finally depleted my love for him, bit by bit. 02 Walking in the rain, I was reminded of a rainy night many years ago. At that time, Ethan and I were only sophomores in college. It started raining on my way back from tutoring. As I stepped off the bus, I looked up and saw a boy standing under the dim streetlight. He was holding an umbrella, waiting for me. The moment he saw me, he ran over with a smile. He pulled a baked sweet potato from inside his jacket and shoved it into my hands: "It's still hot, eat it quickly." That kind of blatant, passionate affection, it was the first time I had ever felt it. But it had only been five years. The person was the same, but everything else had changed. Actually, I had been disappointed for a long time. I just clung greedily to the beautiful moments he once gave me, which was why I kept holding onto a sliver of hope. What if? What if he changed back? The facts proved that it was just my wishful thinking. From the moment he started treating my kindness towards him as his bragging rights, the love between us had already mutated... Today was his birthday, and I originally wanted to have a serious talk with him. About us, about our future. Ethan didn't give me that chance; he used three hours to make me face reality. There was no future between us anymore. Thinking about it that way, those three hours were actually quite worth it. Before walking out of their line of sight, I heard them talking. "Sister-in-law seems mad." "Should you go coax her, Ethan?" Ethan's casual voice rose slightly: "No need, she's just throwing a tantrum." "After all these years, I'm used to it. It won't be long before she comes back on her own." He was very confident. He felt that since he was successful now, even if I was stupid, I wouldn't give up on a catch like him. But I would not be coming back. Ethan, I don't want you anymore. 03 That entire night, Ethan didn't call me once. The next morning, I stood downstairs and watched him leave for the office before returning to the apartment we shared. I left him a letter. I didn't even need to pack any luggage, just my ID and passport. When I pushed the door open to leave, I couldn't help but look back one last time. This was the apartment Ethan and I rented after graduation. At the time, it was just a bare concrete box. We decorated it ourselves, picked out furniture together, hung decorative lights together. Later, when we had money, we bought this apartment. The apartment was very small, but we never moved out. Every little detail here held our memories. Now, those memories felt like a joke. On the day I boarded the plane to leave Seattle, I changed my SIM card. I left everything related to Ethan behind in that city. Years later, I finally returned to Los Angeles. The taxi was stopped at the entrance of the prestigious Oakwood Estates: "This is a private residential area. Unauthorized entry is prohibited." I rolled down the car window: "Uncle Charles, it's me." The elderly security guard looked at me with wide eyes, head lowered: "Miss! Miss, you're finally back!" "..." There weren't many people in the sprawling estate. So I knelt in the courtyard for an hour before someone quietly brought me a cushion. "Dad, I really know I was wrong." My father, his hair already turning gray, lay in a rocking chair with his eyes closed. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I can still remember how fiercely determined you were when you left home for that poor boy." "Your mother tried so hard to persuade you, but you wouldn't listen to a single word." "I hit you, I scolded you, but what was the result? You said you wanted to sever your ties with me..." "Dad." My tears couldn't be held back anymore, spilling out: "I regret it." "From now on, I will do whatever you tell me to do." The rocking chair stopped moving. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at me. "Since that's the case, you should go ahead and hold the wedding with Liam first!" I froze for a moment. "Liam?" That unfamiliar name dug out memories I had almost forgotten. The Sterling family and my family were old friends. I was engaged to Liam when I was eighteen. Back when I was so fiercely determined to leave Los Angeles for Ethan, before I left, I specifically went to apologize to Liam and asked him to step forward and break off the engagement with me. What did he say back then? He said: "Growing up, when have I ever denied you anything you wanted?" So I naturally assumed that the engagement between him and me was no longer valid. I looked up, confused: "Liam, isn't he married yet?" By my calculations, he should be thirty by now. "Who would he marry if you weren't here?" My mom came out from inside carrying a fruit platter, put it on the table, and glanced at me: "Aren't you going to stand up? Kneeling there is in the way." I stumbled to my feet. I heard my mom say: "Since you're back, the first thing you need to do is hurry to the Sterling family to apologize, and while you're at it, go get the marriage license with Liam." 04 When I went to the Sterling family, Liam wasn't there. I heard he was abroad negotiating a project. The elders of the Sterling family were very happy to see me. This was quite different from the scene I had imagined; there were no cold stares or sarcastic remarks. "I heard you went abroad to clear your head these past few years. Now that you're back, I assume you won't be leaving again for a while?" I nodded in a daze: "Yes." Auntie Sterling took my hand: "Back then, our Liam broke off the engagement with you without explanation. That was indeed inappropriate of our Sterling family. Your Uncle Sterling has already disciplined him, and we can understand you running abroad to clear your head." "So now, about your marriage with Liam..." I felt so ashamed I wanted the ground to swallow me whole: "I'll leave it entirely up to the elders of both families." After leaving the Sterling house, I called Liam. It didn't take many seconds for him to answer. Liam's voice hadn't changed much; it was still as calm and collected as ever, deep and magnetic: "Hello?" "Liam, it's me." Facing Liam, I felt very guilty. "I didn't expect the engagement between us to still be..." I paused: "I thought you'd mind being entangled with someone like me, I'll figure something out as soon as possible, to see if there's a way to resolve this in the most peaceful..." He interrupted me before I could finish. "Mind what?" He said: "It's not like you committed murder or arson. You just had a rather unpleasant relationship with someone else, that's not a stain on your character." "When is the wedding date?" He changed the subject so fast, I couldn't react. "It hasn't been set yet... but both sets of parents are very anxious." "Okay, I'll be back as soon as possible." Until the call ended, I was in a daze. Actually, kids from families like ours should have realized early on that our marriages are not in our own hands. Understanding it is one thing; accepting it calmly is another. I thought, I should learn from Liam on this point. Liam returned half a month later, and on the day he returned, he brought gifts to Oakwood Estates. He had become more mature and reserved, speaking mildly and modestly to my dad, and he effortlessly made my mom happy without showing off. No wonder they liked him so much. I watched him from the side, and the moment his gaze shifted to me, I looked down and took a sip of tea. My wedding with Liam was set for May 5th. That day was also my birthday. While getting my makeup done in the morning, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. "Hello?" "Holy crap, this number really is you!" The voice sounded exactly like Ethan's friend, Kevin: "Sister-in-law! I finally found you!" "Sister-in-law, where have you been hiding this whole time? Ethan's been going crazy!" I didn't know how he found out about this number. I just frowned slightly: "Stop contacting me, he and I have already broken up." Suddenly, there was a commotion on the other end, and someone else took the phone. "You just left me a letter and unilaterally proposed a breakup, I didn't agree, so it doesn't count!" It was Ethan. "Chloe, what exactly are you mad about this time? Is it just because I made you wait in the rain for three hours?" "Is such a trivial thing worth running away from home over?" I listened in silence, too lazy to even argue with him. He made me realize once again that my decision to leave was absolutely correct. "OK, I apologize." Ethan's voice softened: "Baby, don't be mad, okay? I just felt insecure and wanted to test your love for me, please don't be mad." "Today is your birthday, I prepared a surprise for you at the Starlight Club, could you please come over?" There were cheers from men and women in the background. "Sister-in-law! Ethan's going to propose to you!" "Whoa~ So romantic!" "Get lost!" Ethan laughed and scolded: "If you say it out loud, it's not a surprise anymore!" Listening to the noise over there, my head throbbed, and I couldn't help but rub my temples. The makeup artist was startled and hurriedly asked: "I'm sorry Miss Davis, did I hurt you?" "No, keep going." "Okay Miss Davis, I will definitely make you the most beautiful bride in the world today!" On the other end, Ethan froze: "Chloe, what are you doing?" I was silent for a few seconds, then said word by word: "Ethan, I'm getting married today." There was no sound on the other end, and just as I was about to hang up, Ethan suddenly laughed. "Chloe, you've learned from me, haven't you? Are you trying to make me jealous too? You almost had me fooled." His tone was deliberately light. I suddenly felt a sense of relief. Maybe I had figured it out, I would never have any entanglement with him again in the future. "I'm not fooling you, we got the license last month, holding the wedding today." I also smiled: "I won't invite you for drinks, it wouldn't be appropriate for you to come, my husband probably wouldn't be happy either." "Chloe!" Ethan's voice suddenly spiked: "Are you done making a scene or not! You..." I hung up the phone, pulled out the SIM card, and threw it in the trash. The makeup artist was also frightened by me and didn't move for a while. I faced the mirror and smiled at her: "Sorry about that, please continue." 05 My wedding with Liam was held in a church in Los Angeles. The scene decoration didn't look like a standard assembly line job; it was clearly done with care. I couldn't help but ask an assistant: "Which company did this? It's quite nice." The assistant replied in a low voice: "Miss Davis, this was personally designed by Mr. Sterling." "Ah..." I was stunned. I didn't expect Liam to be so attentive to this arranged marriage. There was someone guiding me all the way on what to do and how to do it. I just walked into the hall in a daze like that. Liam, wearing a crisp suit, had his back to me. At the priest's signal, he turned his head and looked over. With the cheers of the crowd filling my ears, I gazed at Liam from afar. Was I seeing things? The smile in his eyes actually seemed quite sincere. Perhaps I should learn from him and perform my superficial duties to the extreme. I adjusted the expression on my face, was led forward by my father, until I placed my hand in Liam's warm palm. The wedding proceeded very smoothly, except after the ceremony ended, we were dragged around by our parents to socialize with numerous uncles and aunties. My legs were almost worn out from all the walking. It wasn't until 11:00 PM that we finally returned to the bridal suite. It was a small villa, the surrounding environment was very nice and quite peaceful. I went off on my own to shower and remove my makeup. By the time I finished and came out, it was already midnight. Liam was sitting on the sofa in his pajamas, his hair not completely dry, a few stray strands falling across his forehead. This was quite different from his usual meticulous, elite appearance, making him seem... much more approachable. I saw him looking down at a tablet and instinctively said: "Still working this late?" Liam's gaze shifted from the tablet, and he looked up at me: "I'm not working, I'm waiting for you." Liam and I really weren't very close, and we rarely chatted. While I was wondering why he was waiting for me, I saw him put down the tablet in his hand, get up, and walk towards me. "It's getting late." I nodded: "Yes, it is late." So? Liam: "Time for bed." In my momentary distraction, Liam had already pinned me against the wall, his hand resting on the back of my head, forcing me to look up at him. I was bewildered by his sudden action. Before I could react, I felt the change in the mature male body pressing against me from the front. The air around us began to grow thick and scorching. My thoughts slowed down. Maybe it was because I hadn't been touched by a man in a long time, maybe it was because Liam's body was truly top-tier, or maybe it was because his gaze was too intense. I found myself inexplicably reaching out to wrap my arms around his neck. "Let's go to the bedroom." He and I got married today, our identities were as legal as they could possibly be. We hadn't signed any prenuptial agreements, and I definitely didn't plan on being celibate forever. Now that there was such a man here to pleasure me, I couldn't really resist. In just a few seconds, I convinced myself. We're both just getting what we need. We're all adults here. We stumbled into the bedroom all the way. I don't even know where the robes on our bodies were thrown. I originally thought Liam was the ascetic, aloof type, or at worst, someone who was secretly wild but outwardly proper. But who knew he didn't even pretend, directly exposing his truest self and desires to me. The chandelier on the ceiling wasn't lit, but it kept swaying before my eyes... The moment my thoughts drifted to the clouds, I couldn't help but take a bite of Liam's shoulder. He let out a muffled groan, then chuckled softly. "Chloe, why do you still love biting people so much?" I didn't hear that sentence clearly; I was already not quite lucid by then. I don't know how many times I bit him, I only know that when I woke up the next day, Liam had his back to me, getting dressed. The exposed muscles on his back were well-proportioned and attractive; they would look even better if you could ignore the red and purple bite marks. I silently buried my head under the covers and began to pretend to be asleep. Liam finished dressing, walked straight over, and patted my head through the blanket. "I know you're awake, if you don't want to get up, don't. I'm heading to the office first, remember to eat when you get up, and if you feel uncomfortable anywhere, give me a call." He said all of this unhurriedly. His voice was still a bit hoarse. It wasn't until the sound of the door closing rang out that I slowly poked my head out from under the covers. Lying flat on my back on the bed, I stared blankly at the large chandelier above. This was really not what I had expected... 06 My relationship with Liam actually drew much closer after that night. He would come back at night to have dinner with me, listen to me gossip about the wealthy elite circle, and occasionally respond to me. And I would accompany him to various galas and cocktail parties, playing the role of an elegant wife by his side. As a bedmate, Liam was even more qualified. He didn't have the habit of messing around outside, got regular health checkups, was healthy, rigorously selected by the Davis family, and always guaranteed. I became more and more satisfied with this arranged marriage. My parents also noticed my changes. "Chloe, it's been a month since you got married, you seem to have gained a little weight, and your complexion is much better." My mom smiled: "It shows that Liam knows how to care for people." "They say loving someone is like raising a flower, you can tell at a glance if the flower is raised well." Speaking of this, my mom changed her tone and sighed: "Looking at how haggard you were when you suddenly came back before, it broke my heart just looking at you." My strong smile froze for a moment. "Tsk, I was in such a good mood." My dad was still very quick at changing the subject: "Now that you're married, you should settle down. How about this, come intern at the company next month, familiarize yourself with the company business." He had the final say, arranging my future work. When I got home that evening, Liam was just heading to his study. He was meticulous in his work, sometimes staying in the study until midnight. He asked me: "Have you eaten?" "Yes?" I politely asked back: "And you?" "No." I paused: "It's so late... I sent you a message saying I wouldn't be back for dinner." Liam nodded: "I saw it, but because you weren't here, I didn't have much of an appetite." What he said was a bit intriguing, and I stared at him for a few seconds without speaking. Liam walked into the study, paused, and turned to look at me: "Do you need something?" I looked away, pretending nothing had happened and picked at my nails: "Nothing much, my dad said he wants me to help out at the company. I'm planning to buy an apartment near the company, it's too far from here, commuting isn't very convenient." "Then buy one." Liam said: "Let me know when you decide on the location, I'll have someone set it up. We'll need to buy another set of the things we're used to using." Huh? We... us? I jerked my head up: "Are you moving there too?" Liam looked at me, his tone flat: "We've only been married for a little over a month, and you want to separate from me already?" But I actually detected a hint of grievance in that flat tone? "That's not what I meant... If you want to move there, fine." "Then it's settled." Liam smiled: "Get some sleep, wife." Me: "?" Until he closed the study door, I was still a bit dizzy. Did Liam take the wrong medicine? Before going to work at the company, Liam and I moved into an apartment nearby. I didn't buy a very big one, since it was just the two of us living there, and he wouldn't be there every day, so buying a big one would be a waste. My dad didn't publicly reveal my identity at the company, he just had me work as a small assistant by his side, teaching me by example every day, assigning me a ton of tasks. He was seriously grooming me. Once I got busy, the days flew by. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed. In early winter, an unexpected guest arrived at the company. Kevin. When I walked past the General Manager's office with documents, he chased right after me. "Sister-in-law?" Kevin looked at me in confusion: "Why are you here?" I didn't expect to run into him here either, and smiled politely: "I work here, and also, I'm not your sister-in-law." He was a bit embarrassed: "Sorry, I misspoke." He was also an executive at a company, and was probably here to talk business today. I didn't say much to him, walked straight into the elevator, and headed to the top floor. Kevin stood there for a few seconds, then turned and went inside. He asked the manager: "What's the position of the young lady who was just here at your company?" "Chairman's Assistant." The General Manager was confused: "What's wrong?" "Nothing, nothing." Kevin thought for a moment and asked: "Do you know what her husband does?" The General Manager was taken aback and turned to look at his secretary. The secretary said: "Assistant Davis doesn't seem to be married yet, right? I've never heard her mention her husband..." The first thing Kevin did when he left the company was to call Ethan. "Ethan! Guess who I ran into today?!"
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