I had been with Liam Grasso since I was eighteen.

By day, I was a diligent university student. By night, I was his bedwarmer.

No matter where he was or what I was doing, when he called, I had to drop everything and go to him.

On my twenty-second birthday, I flew halfway across the world with a fever burning through me just to see him.

The moment I stepped through the door, I saw flowers and a diamond ring waiting on the table.

Like a wild beast, he pinned me against the door and kissed me hungrily.

After the storm of passion, he calmly detached himself, rose from the bed and started dressing.

My legs were shaking, but I forced myself to get up and help him with his tie.

As he smoked, his eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth.

"I'm proposing to someone," he said. "Go decorate the place."

My hands trembled as I tied his tie. "I thought you didn’t believe in marriage?"

"I won’t marry because she won’t agree to it. As for you, Anya, you're just a way to kill time."

——

It was as though the ground gave way beneath me, plunging me into a pit of ice.

I thought he remembered my birthday. I thought the flowers and the ring were meant for me.

"Okay." I lowered my head, desperately trying to hide the humiliation that crawled up my throat, but my body couldn’t stop trembling.

Liam didn’t notice. Or perhaps he simply didn’t care. He tossed a handful of birth control pills my way.

"Don’t forget to take them."

"I know."

I didn’t need his reminder. I knew all too well that I didn’t deserve to carry his child.

After all, the last time I found myself pregnant by accident, all he had done was throw money at me and send me off to the clinic.

Whenever Liam looked at me, his gaze was always void of emotion.

Except in bed, there, he was always the cold, distant superior.

"You’re a smart girl. Don’t cause me any more trouble. I’m marrying Salome Amadeo."

"I understand."

My fingernails dug into my palms and I laughed bitterly at myself for ever thinking I might be special; there had never been another woman, yet I’d fooled myself into believing I meant something to him.

Liam went out to the balcony to take a phone call. Even through the glass, I could see the soft, almost affectionate smile tugging at his lips.

My body felt weak and sore, but I forced myself to clean up the mess left by our brief encounter.

As I gathered the trash, tears slipped down my cheeks.

I was discarded by Liam like refuse on my twenty-second birthday.

It had been four long years.

So much time had passed that I’d nearly forgotten how it all started between us.

I had been a university student he’d sponsored, never once daring to dream of anything more.

But fate, as it often did, had other plans.

One night, I found Liam drunk and unconscious at a bar.

When I brought him home, he pinned me beneath him.

He was gentle, so tender in his touch, it felt like he could cast a spell and I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

The truth was, I had fallen for him.

But when he woke, there was nothing but icy indifference in his eyes, as though he hadn’t just shared an intimate moment with me the night before.

"Anya, you’ve got guts. You even dare to scheme against me. How much do you want this time?"

"I..."

I wanted to explain, but I couldn’t find the words.

He was drunk, but I wasn’t. I knew I should’ve stopped him, but I didn’t.

"I’m sorry."

Liam had never dated anyone before; he was like a distant star, untouchable.

And I had tainted him.

He threw money in my face and shoved the birth control pills into my hand.

"Get lost."

I had no dignity left. I took the money and walked away.

But days later, he came looking for me again. I couldn’t resist him, not once.

And so it went on, tangled in this mess for four years. He never cared about my life.

To him, I was just someone sinking willingly into the mire. And I knew I wasn’t worthy of saying anything else.

But after four years, I finally woke from the dream. I didn’t know what I owed Liam, but even when I was sick and preparing for my thesis defense, I still flew thousands of miles to help him just to set up the scene for his proposal.

When I finished, Liam didn’t even glance at me. He simply waved me away, dismissing me like an afterthought.

In front of the mirror, he practiced his proposal, kneeling, then standing again, flustered in ways I had never seen. Every word, every sweet sentence he rehearsed, pierced my heart like a knife.

How wonderful! It turned out he had found the love of his life.

And I was on the receiving end of a scolding phone call from my advisor.

“Do you want to delay graduation? Do you even know which big shot is coming to hear your thesis defense?”

“You’re not off dating again, are you? Everyone’s saying you’ve latched onto some sugar daddy. What kind of man would need you to cling to him personally?”

I didn’t even know how I made it through the call. All I could feel was the fever burning through me.

I booked a hotel room for myself, then asked the front desk to send up some medicine.

When I opened the door to get the medicine, there she was, Liam’s fiancée.

She was just like him, flawless, elegant, every strand of hair in place. Even in her simplicity, she radiated an untouchable nobility.

As Liam opened the door, she threw herself into his arms.

He held her close, then shot me a cold, impatient glance. The message was clear: Why haven’t you left yet?

My fever clouded my mind and hot tears streamed down my face.

I would leave.

I would leave so far away, no trace left behind.

I would follow my advisor’s instructions and never again let myself be tangled in anything to do with Liam.

The waiter who had brought me the medicine nervously asked where it hurt and if I needed to go to the hospital.

But Liam didn’t say a word, as though whether I lived or died was of no consequence to him.

Even his fiancée asked quietly, “What’s wrong with that young lady? She looks really unwell.”

Liam pulled her into the room and answered flatly, “Don’t worry about her.”

That indifference cut deeper than anything else.

***

After taking the medicine, I curled up against the cold.

I dreamt of Liam again.

Even in my fevered state, he wouldn't let me go.

I had been adopted by a couple who couldn't have children, but when they later had a son, they saw raising me as nothing more than a way to eventually sell me for a bride price.

I couldn’t accept that fate, so I ran away, seeking help from the government, from anyone who would listen.

By some strange twist, I ended up receiving financial aid from Liam.

He even added me on WhatsApp, though he never sent a single message until my adoptive parents created a scene in front of him.

They claimed I was just a toy he had been keeping.

They said he had ruined their daughter and demanded compensation!

They threw tantrums, rolling on the ground.

Liam looked at them with pure disgust. I felt my face burn with shame, wanting nothing more than to disappear.

Liam paid them a so-called bride price and, in the end, had them arrested for extortion.

That was the first time I met him face-to-face.

My clothes were torn, ripped by my parents as they dragged and hit me.

Liam stood there, untouched by the chaos surrounding us.

He took off his suit jacket and draped it over me.

“It’s handled. Go back and focus on your studies.”

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I liked him, but I was too afraid to admit it.

That was why I couldn’t refuse him when he was drunk.

My dreams swirled with those hazy, lustful four years.

He seemed to truly enjoy my body, to want me in a way that felt like he couldn’t live without me.

He promised me forever and said he wanted me by his side for life.

And I believed him.

But now, looking back, how could I have ever believed anything a man said in bed?

Then, the truth hit me.

Liam was getting married.

He didn’t need me anymore.

I opened my eyes; the fever was finally gone and I was clear-headed.

This fleeting entanglement, this dream, was finally over.

***

Right now, I am interning at Liam’s company.

I submitted my resignation to HR and they informed me that I would need to undergo a three-day handover process.

No one at the company knew about my past with Liam.

He seemed to take extra care of people like me, those who might try to latch onto him.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a WhatsApp message from him. [Come over.]

Had he found out about my resignation?

Nervously, I went to his office and knocked on the door.

But when the door opened, it was his fiancée who stood there.

That sweet, delicate girl was wearing one of Liam’s dress shirts.

“Hi, I’m Salome Amadeo. You left something in our room.”

In her hand was my employee ID badge.

Liam glanced at me, his eyes cold and indifferent.

It was a look I knew all too well, the same one he had given my shameless parents.

He thought I had deliberately left my ID in his room.

I was utterly humiliated, feeling like nothing more than the "other woman."

"Hello, Miss Salome," I said, my voice trembling. "I’m President Grasso’s assistant. I must've dropped my work badge while setting up the proposal venue."

"I’m not mad. Your face is so red from nerves." Salome winked at me.

"Last night, Liam proposed to me," she continued with a smile. "I want to hold the wedding here. You know, they don’t allow divorce in Ireland. I hope you can help out."

"Okay."

It felt like a thousand needles were lodged in my throat.

I had spent four years with Liam, no title and no promises, while she had been proposed to just last night and was already preparing for her wedding today.

Salome turned to Liam and threw herself into his arms.

"Let’s go pick out a wedding dress!"

While they eagerly prepared for their wedding, I was left running in circles.

I had to pull strings and spend money just to get a spot at the hottest church in town.

I dug deep to find the best wedding videographers.

I even had to tag along as they chose dresses and rings.

When Salome slipped into her gown, she pursed her lips, lifting her foot slightly toward me.

I instantly understood and despite the sting of humiliation, I knelt to help her slide on her shoes.

The moment I first saw Salome, I knew. She was cut from the same cloth as Liam, raised in wealth, accustomed to commanding with effortless grace.

She studied me, her gaze sharp.

“Assistant Amadeo, we look a little alike. No wonder Liam kept you around.”

I knew. We were about seventy percent alike.

From the moment I saw her this morning, everything clicked.

So that’s why Liam had sponsored me.

So that’s why he’d lost control in his drunken haze and pinned me beneath him.

So that’s why he’d whispered “Sweetheart” while tangled in sheets.

It turned out I was merely a cheap replacement.

I carefully wiped the dust from her shoe’s heel.

“Looking like you is my honor.”

Salome raised her foot, the stiletto heel landing squarely on the back of my hand.

“I was originally going to marry someone else. But Liam was so devoted, I gave him a chance.”

I didn’t want to feel anything. I didn’t want to care. But still, my eyes filled with tears.

The man I’d longed for, the one I could never have, had become an afterthought to someone else.

Liam walked in, dressed in a suit and as Salome stepped off my hand, her sharp heel nearly pierced my skin.

I clenched my jaw, biting down hard on my lower lip, as tears spilled from my eyes, big and heavy.

It was okay, Anya.

It did not hurt.

It did not hurt at all.

Salome helped Liam fix his tie, teasing him about how handsome he looked, before standing on tiptoe to kiss him.

I straightened myself up, but through the floor-length mirror, I caught a glimpse of Liam’s gaze.

He was looking at me.

His expression was unreadable and for a fleeting second, I thought I saw a flicker of pity.

But as our eyes met, he quickly turned away, shifting his attention to Salome and adjusting her hair.

***

The entire day was spent shopping with them, my feet aching in high heels. Yet, no ring seemed good enough for Salome.

She let go of Liam and came over to me, proudly showing off a 10-carat diamond ring from her friend.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, her voice full of pride.

I smiled and nodded, though it was hard to pretend I hadn’t already heard the endless stories of how much Liam adored her, how he spoiled her, how he’d give her the world.

But just then, the crowd around us erupted into chaos.

It seemed like a protest or some kind of demonstration had broken out.

Liam tried to make his way toward us, but the crowd surged, pulling us in opposite directions.

For once, Liam seemed genuinely alarmed.

He shouted toward me, “Protect her!”

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly; what a joke.

But despite the absurdity, I still moved to shield her, trying to push her closer to him.

Yet, Salome shoved me aside, stepping forward as she made her way toward Liam.

In the midst of their embrace, a stranger’s hands gripped me tightly.

It wasn’t an accident; someone was deliberately pulling me away.

Panic clawed at my chest and I screamed, but Liam never seemed to hear.

He was too focused on protecting the trembling Salome, guiding her through the chaos.

In that split second, I saw a flash of steel, a knife slicing through the air toward me.

Through the blur of movement, I caught sight of the bodyguard pulling up in the car.

Liam, still holding Salome, climbed into the vehicle and without a second glance, they drove off, leaving me behind.