Five years after my divorce, I received an old diary from my ex-husband. It contained things he couldn't let me know until he died. [An arranged marriage? Seriously? Over my dead body!] [Chloe Sterling just had a kidney removed, she's not dying. She's just being overly dramatic.] [Ridiculous. She actually thinks she's special, that this will make me want her back?] [Where are you? Please, come back.] [Chloe Sterling, I was wrong.] [In the next life, I hope you never meet Liam Thorne again.] I was getting Leo ready for preschool when Liam Thorne’s package arrived. I tossed the delivery box onto the entryway table without a second thought. My heart, which I thought had long been calm, still rippled with emotion. Back home, I hesitated for a long time. Eventually, I opened that old diary. [July 25, 2015, Saturday, Sunny to Cloudy My old-fashioned father actually wants me to get into an arranged marriage with that naive Sterling girl. Doesn't he know how much I can't stand her? And an arranged marriage with her? You’ve got to be kidding me. (Unless it was her sister, Willow Sterling, then maybe I'd consider it.)] Only these few lines were on the first page of the diary. The handwriting was light and messy, reminding me of our younger days. Our families, the Sterlings and the Thornes, had been intertwined for generations. So Liam and I were practically childhood sweethearts. Too bad I was raised as a daughter of the prominent Sterling family but wasn't their biological heir. Willow Sterling was the true Sterling daughter, found after being separated from the family for years. But after all, I was the daughter the Sterlings had raised for eighteen years, and I had a compliant personality. The Sterlings decided not to send me away, letting me stay as the younger Sterling daughter. The Thorne family also continued to treat me warmly. Except for Liam Thorne. He always picked on me, ever since we were kids. At three, he pulled my pigtails. At thirteen, he pulled my bra strap. Now he was mocking me for being a fraud. He was utterly annoying. At my eighteenth birthday party, a fallen candle ignited balloons, causing a fire. Unexpectedly, the annoying Liam Thorne was the first to rush over, shielding me from the flames and getting a large burn on his back. From that moment on, I fell hopelessly in love with my hero. For four years in college, I did everything to pursue him. Friends in our circle called me Liam Thorne’s biggest simp, but I didn't care. I loved it. After college, I begged my father for half a year before securing an arranged marriage with Liam Thorne. I knew he wasn't happy; he scowled throughout the entire engagement party. He only spoke to Willow. Back then, I was foolish enough to believe. Even if Liam was an iceberg, I could slowly melt him, making him fall in love with me. It wasn't until after we were married that I found him and Willow kissing in our marital home. The heartbreak felt like a dagger twisting in my chest, making me refuse to admit it. He really didn't love me. "Chloe Sterling, our marriage is purely to maintain family interests." "As you can see, the one I love is your sister, Willow." "How about, from today on, we live separate lives?" I sat dejectedly on the floor, watching the mockery in his eyes, my hands clutching the carpet, feeling utterly powerless. He left with Willow and didn’t come back for six months. I searched the city like crazy for him. I became the talk of the town as a deserted wife, scorned and ridiculed by everyone. Until that night, I saw a drunken Liam Thorne outside a private club room. He'd been dumped. Willow had broken up with him. I took him back home and nursed him back to health, treating him like he was the most precious thing. "Chloe Sterling, are you really that stupid?" "I think you're just pathetic. Saving you back then was a mistake." "You're like a leech, impossible to shake off." During that time, Liam drank all day long. Drunk or sober, he'd always say something to hurt me. I took it all in. What else could I do? I loved him, hopelessly so. I put down my car keys, walking to the living room while reading the diary. I opened the fridge and grabbed an ice-cold soda. Curling up on the couch, I turned to the next page.
[December 8, 2017, Friday, Light Rain Married Chloe Sterling for two years now, and she's still so boring, always just circling around me. It’s really annoying. Besides, I’m the city’s most notorious playboy, so what if I go out with some girls? What’s the big deal? She's just like my dad, always trying to control me, so old-fashioned. I, Liam Thorne, swear, I will never love Chloe Sterling even a little bit in this life. If I ever do, may I rot in hell.] A mouthful of soda nearly choked me. I tossed the remaining half bottle. Anyway, I didn't even like the stuff. It was Liam’s favorite, though. Liam loved thrills, adventure, and everything challenging. That's how he fell for Willow, too. Willow was brought back home from the countryside when she was eighteen. She was different from me. She was fiery, daring, and willing to try anything new and exciting. Liam loved her bravery and detested my timidness. Later, the brave Willow also found Liam timid and boring, so she dumped him. She called me that day. "Chloe Sterling, I never loved Liam. I just purely envied you for living my heiress life for eighteen years. So, I took Liam from you purely for the thrill of it. Now, I'm giving him back. We're even from now on." She was as impulsive as ever. Before I could say a word, she hung up. But how could Liam, who had once loved Willow, settle for ordinary? So he started his own challenges. Challenges like collecting twelve zodiac girlfriends, and twenty-four seasonal girlfriends. I remember December 8, 2017, was the hundredth time I caught him out cheating. His left arm was around a young model, and his right hand was getting cozy with a B-list actress. When I arrived, I smashed his table, drenching him in whiskey. "Chloe Sterling, you've gone too far!" He surged to his feet in a rage, clutching the liquor bottle tightly, but he didn't throw it. I gave him a cold stare, grabbed the bottle from his hand, smashed it on the floor, and yelled. "Come home with me!" For the first time, he actually listened to me. It was drizzling outside the bar, and I just dragged him, stubbornly walking him all the way home. "Liam Thorne, how long are you going to keep playing these games?" "None of your business!" "We're married." "Pfft, you think I wanted that?" I stared at him. He stripped off his clothes right in front of me, not caring one bit, and walked into the bathroom. Two years married. He had never touched me, yet he had no qualms about letting me see his body. I knew he was trying to disgust me, to insult me. From that day on, I started trying to change. Liam loved soda, so I filled the fridge with it. He loved to see my pained expression when I drank soda, so he forced me to drink can after can. My throat burned like fire, and I looked at Liam through teary eyes. Over time, I actually started to like soda. Liam, then, found it boring. Later, on our fourth wedding anniversary, he unexpectedly gave me a motorcycle. "Here, Chloe Sterling. Since you love me so much, come ride with me!" "You're not scared, are you?" My heart churned as I touched the motorcycle, but I kept a brave face. "What's there to be scared of? I've already gone skydiving with you, this is nothing!" Liam’s lips curved into a smile, and he took me to the most dangerous cliffside road in the city. I followed him on my bike, the wind making my legs tremble. Liam was definitely doing this on purpose. He knew I had a fear of heights. "Chloe Sterling, if you can follow me around this track today, I'll promise to be a proper husband. Do you dare?"
He looked at me provocatively, his contemptuous and disdainful gaze clearly visible through the helmet visor. "What, what's there to be, to be scared of? Let's go!" The roar of the engine drowned out his mockery, and the motorcycle exhaust stung my nostrils. I revved the engine and sped up, determined to fight for a new life. Cleaning up the soda spilled on the table, I picked up Leo’s leftover sandwich, eating it as I turned to the next page. [May 20, 2020, Sunday, Cloudy What right does Chloe Sterling have to demand I spend Valentine's Day with her? That incident was just an accident, I don't feel guilty at all. Besides, Chloe Sterling just had a kidney removed, she's not dying. Why are both the Sterling and Thorne families fawning over her? I think she’s just being overly dramatic.] I closed the diary, shaking my head with a bitter smile. Thanks to Liam Thorne, I'd had one kidney removed, making my life much more inconvenient afterward. My memory drifted back to that cliffside road. The winding mountain road was narrow and winding; for a novice, completing the entire route was impossible. I could only cling to Liam's trail, staring at the back I had chased for years, trying to boost my own spirits. But fate, however, had other plans. After a sharp turn, a large pothole appeared on the road. I slammed on the brakes in fright, and the inertia sent me flying off the bike. When I woke up again, I was already on the operating table. Under the glaring fluorescent lights, several doctors stood, their faces grim, operating on me. Eight hours of surgery. I passed out, woke up, passed out again. It wasn't until I was moved to a regular ward that I fully understood. After I was thrown off the cliff, a tree branch had punctured my left kidney. Mom held my hand, crying uncontrollably. "Chloe, don't blame me. If your left kidney isn't removed, you won't live!" I looked at her swollen, red eyes, my heart aching as I gently stroked her hand. Later, I stayed in the hospital for three months. During this time, Liam only came once, secretly peeking at me from the doorway before leaving. Actually, I knew it all. I was taken back to the Sterling family estate to recover, and Mom and Dad still doted on me like I was their precious gem. But my heart felt hollow. I understood then: it no longer beat for Liam Thorne. Two days before May 20, 2020, I sent Liam a SnapChat message. "Spend Valentine's Day with me, and I'll set you free." On May 20, I waited for him at the restaurant where I had held my coming-of-age party. I thought he'd rush over, eager to get his freedom. But by the time the restaurant closed, he still hadn't arrived. I called him, but the line was busy. I laughed at myself bitterly. I'd overestimated my importance. Stepping out of the restaurant, a blast of cold air hit me, making me sneeze. "Chloe Sterling, it's so cold, why aren't you dressed warmer?" A familiar scarf was slipped around my neck. I looked up. It was Liam. He still looked so impatient. But he had come, to claim his freedom. That night, we drank a lot. He spent the entire night telling me how much he detested me. He hated me so much he couldn't even find a comfortable way to kiss me. He hated me so much he was afraid of hurting me when we got intimate. Yes, after that night, we finally started acting like a married couple. He would occasionally wake up early to make me breakfast. He would sometimes join me for walks by the river. I finally lived the life I had dreamed of for a while. But... why did I suddenly find it so boring? On August 20, 2020, our fifth wedding anniversary. That day, I kept my promise and divorced him. There was no cooling-off period; the day after we finalized the divorce. I vanished.
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