- 12.
Mason took me to a bar that night.
As soon as we walked in, I couldn’t help but feel surprised.
He noticed my hesitation and asked, “Never been to a place like this before? We can
leave if you’re uncomfortable.”
“No, it’s not that,” I replied. “I’m just surprised someone like you–you know, someone
who seems like such a good guy–would come to a place like this.”
Then I added, “Besides, I’m allergic to alcohol.”
My words seemed to deflate him a little, but he quickly recovered.
“Well, if this isn’t your thing, why don’t you take me somewhere you like?”
So I brought Mason to an internet café.
We spent the entire night playing video games.
By the time we left the next morning, my legs were so sore I could barely walk.
But for the first time in a long while, I felt lighter.
Mason was right. He’d told me the night before: There are 7.8 billion people in the world. The odds of two people even crossing paths are 0.00478. The chances of getting to know
each other are one in 5 billion. And love? Even rarer.
Meeting Liam was already a miracle, Seven years together–it was enough. I should’ve learned to let go.
What I didn’t expect was to see Liam waiting for me outside my house.
As Mason helped me out of the car, Liam stood up from where he’d been sitting on the steps. His eyes were red, his expression weary
The moment he saw Mason, his gaze hardened, and his voice was sharp with accusation.
22:20 Fri, Jan 10 Gu
- 71%
The odds of two people even crossing paths are 0.00478. The chances of getting to know each other are one in 5 billion. And love? Even rarer.
Meeting Liam was already a miracle. Seven years together–it was enough. I should’ve
learned to let go.
What I didn’t expect was to see Liam waiting for me outside my house.
As Mason helped me out of the car, Liam stood up from where he’d been sitting on the
steps. His eyes were red, his expression weary.
The moment he saw Mason, his gaze hardened, and his voice was sharp with accusation.
“Is that him?” he asked, pointing at Mason. “The guy from last night’s phone call?”
“You came back for him, didn’t you?”
I didn’t feel like answering his questions. I tried to walk past him, but Liam grabbed my wrist, his grip firm.
“Answer me!”
Before I could respond, Mason stepped in, pulling me away.
Liam didn’t hesitate–he punched Mason, sending him stumbling to the ground.
Things escalated quickly.
The two men were fighting before l’could even process what was happening.
I tried to pull them apart, but it was useless.
The commotion brought my brother outside.
When he saw Liam, he froze for a moment before his face twisted with anger.
“Liam Carter!” my brother shouted, his voice trembling with
rage.
Liam stopped mid–punch and turned to face him.
LIONI YOI VON my vivusi anjoutou, m3 YUIVG
Liam stopped mid–punch and turned to face him.
My brother stormed over, his fists clenched. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here. Do you even know why my sister came back?”
Liam didn’t answer, but my brother didn’t wait for a response.
“If you cared about her, you’ve had seven years–seven years to marry her! But you didn’t. Why? Because you never planned to.”
His words cut deep, like knives slicing through old wounds I tried to ignore.
I reached out to calm him, but he shook me off, his eyes bloodshot.
“You ate at our table, slept under our roof,” he continued, his voice breaking. “My mom broke her leg because of you, and now she’s bedridden. Do you know how humiliating it was when your family tried to pay us off?”
“Seven years, Liam. If you had even a shred of decency, you wouldn’t be here fighting in
front of her.”
Liam stood there, silent for once.
The arrogance he usually carried was gone, replaced by something quieter, almost
apologetic.
Finally, he turned to me.
“Emma,” he said softly, “will you come back with me?”
I shook my
head.
“Why?” he asked, his voice strained.
I smiled, but it was a bitter, hollow smile.
“What about Nina?” I said.
22:21 Fri, Jan 10 G
“What about Nina?” I said.
Liam opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.
“That deal you landed all those years ago–it wasn’t fate, was it? Nina arranged it for you,
didn’t she?”
His silence was all the confirmation I needed.
“You owe her, Liam,” I said. “Her family’s falling apart. She needs you.”
Liam didn’t deny it.
And I didn’t need him to.
The truth was, the social circles Liam and Nina came from were small, and news traveled
fast. It wasn’t hard to piece things together.
When Nina’s father cut off Liam’s business connections years ago, it wasn’t out of spite. It
was because the family was in trouble.
Desperate to protect her family, Nina had been sent al road to keep her out of the fallout.
But she couldn’t let go of Liam.
She’d secretly sent his portfolio to a business partner, begging them to give him one last
chance.
And Liam, to his credit, took that chance and ran with it.
He rebuilt his success from the ground up, but in the process, he and Nina lost touch.
She came back because her father was dying, and the family was out of options. A
marriage with Liam was their best hope of survival.
And honestly? They were perfect for each other.
Liam’s phone buzzed.
22-21 Fri, Jan 10 (GM
71%
I didn’t need to guess who it was.
He glanced at the screen, his face pale.
“It’s Nina,” he said quietly. “Her dad…”
His voice trailed off, but I could hear the anguish in it.
Even I couldn’t help but feel sympathy. Nina’s sobs on the other end of the line were audible even from where I stood.
I watched as Liam turned and walked away.
He didn’t look back.
As I stood there, watching his retreating figure, I finally understood.
This was the end of our story.
And that was okay.
