This trip had taken almost everything I had left.

After this, I might never have the strength to leave the house again.

Thankfully, at one in the afternoon, Liam finally called and said they were downstairs.

My mother was furious. It took me a long time to calm her down before she managed to keep her expression neutral.

The moment I got into the car, Vanessa turned to me with a coy little smile.

“Sorry, Claire. Liam got a little carried away last night. I couldn’t get out of bed this morning.”

My hand tightened slightly against my coat.

Liam folded my wheelchair and put it away, then got into the driver’s seat. Through the rearview mirror, he glanced at me once.

“Why are you explaining so much to her?” he said coldly.

I turned my face toward the window and waved calmly at my mother.

Liam drove fast.

The car lurched so badly I thought I might throw up, but I swallowed it down in silence.

It reminded me of the year he got his license.

Back then, he would often borrow his father’s car and take me out. He knew I got carsick, so he always drove carefully, slowing before every turn and braking so gently I barely felt it.

I used to feel sick in taxis and buses.

Never in Liam’s car.

Then Liam slammed on the brakes again.

My body gave out. I crashed hard against the back seat, my stomach twisting violently. A small sound escaped before I could stop it.

When Liam heard me, he sneered.

“Claire, you don’t actually think I’m still going to take care of you the way I did eight years ago, do you? No sudden stops. No sharp turns. No hard braking.”

I wiped the dampness from the corner of my eye and said softly, “No. You should take care of Vanessa now. She’s your girlfriend.”

Liam gave another cold laugh.

“You’re right.”

Then he stepped harder on the gas.

My back slammed into the seat again. Pain shot up my spine, sharp enough to steal my breath.

But I still smiled.

Hatred was fine.

At least while I was still alive, some part of me still mattered enough for him to hate.

It did not take long for us to reach the restaurant.

When we got out, Liam carried me from the car.

The moment I was back in his arms, I almost failed to hold myself together.

For one brief second, I could smell the familiar scent of him, clean soap and winter air. My fingers curled against my palm, but I did not dare touch him.

Liam carried me out quickly and set me into the wheelchair just as quickly.

Because the second he put me down, he turned to Vanessa and asked for wet wipes.

Then he scrubbed his hands hard.

Vanessa gave me an awkward smile from the side.

“Sorry, Claire. Liam’s a clean freak. If any woman other than me touches him, he gets uncomfortable.”

I lowered my head and pressed my lips together, pretending I had not seen what he did or heard what she said.

After that, I let Liam and Vanessa push me into the restaurant, walking arm in arm behind me.

As soon as we sat down, Liam picked up the menu and ordered several heavy, spicy dishes.

Listening to the server repeat the order, I quietly lowered my eyes.

I had never been able to eat spicy food.

Neither had Liam.

So it was obvious who he was ordering for.

I did not try to make things hard on myself.

In my current condition, even ordinary food was difficult. There was no way I could handle anything that rich or hot.

So I asked the server to add a plain vegetable soup for me.

For some reason, Liam suddenly lost his temper.

“You’re already skin and bones,” Liam snapped. “And you’re still trying to diet?”

For one foolish second, the concern in his voice caught me off guard.

Then I smiled.

“Evan likes me thinner.”

Evan was the man Margaret had found for me eight years ago, the one who helped me stage the fake affair.

After Liam left the country in anger, I never saw Evan again.

The moment Liam heard his name, his face went cold.

Vanessa, sitting beside him, immediately gave me a soft smile.

“Claire, don’t misunderstand. Liam is a doctor now. He gets upset whenever he sees people harming their health just to lose weight. When we were overseas, I tried dieting more than once, and he scolded me every time.”

As she spoke, she turned to Liam with an affectionate smile.

“Right, Liam?”

But Liam did not look at her.

He stood abruptly, shoving his chair back.

“I’m going to the restroom.”

Then he walked off without another word. He did not look at me. He did not look at Vanessa either.

I watched his back disappear down the hall.

Had I ruined things again?

Ruined Liam’s new life.

Ruined the love he had finally found after me.

Guilt settled heavily in my chest.

Across the table, Vanessa suddenly picked up a glass of hot water and threw it straight in my face.

“You little bitch,” she hissed. “Do you think I’m stupid? You’ve been playing weak and helpless all day just to pull Liam back in.”

The water stung my face. Heat spread across my skin.

I tightened my fingers against the edge of my coat and said quietly, “I’m sorry. If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”

Vanessa only sneered.

Then she came around the table and slapped me across the face.

“You think pretending you can barely walk will make Liam come running back to you?”

“Let me tell you something. Liam is mine. He will be mine for the rest of his life. Don’t think you can steal him just because you were his first love.”

My cheek burned until it went numb.

I could endure the hot water.

After all, I was the one who had shamelessly chased after the last bit of warmth Liam might still give me.

But she had no right to hit me.

So without thinking, I pushed her away.

“Vanessa, lay a hand on me again and I’ll call the police.”

The moment the words left my mouth, Vanessa suddenly dropped to the floor.

Then she screamed.

“My stomach! Help me! Someone help! She attacked me. I’m pregnant.”

I stared at her on the floor, then looked down at my own hands.

I had been sick for eight years.

Getting dressed exhausted me. Some days, I could not even hold a glass of water steady.

There was no way I had enough strength to knock Vanessa down.

When I pushed her just now, I only meant to stop her from hitting me again.

But somehow, she had thrown herself to the floor.

Before I could make sense of it, Liam appeared at the edge of the dining room.

The instant he saw Vanessa on the floor, he rushed to her side.

“Vanessa. Vanessa, what happened?”

Vanessa burst into tears and clutched his shirt.

“Liam, save me. Please save our baby. Claire… Claire tried to kill me.

“The second you left, she started insulting me. She said you were nothing but trash she had thrown away. She said that if she ever wanted you back, you would crawl to her like a dog. I couldn’t take it. I really couldn’t. So I threw a glass of water at her.

“But that only made her angrier. She cursed me. She called me a vicious little bitch. She called me a slut. She said all I knew how to do was pick up men she didn’t want anymore.”

“I lost control and slapped her,” Vanessa sobbed. “Then she got angry and shoved me.”

“You know I’m pregnant. You know I’m not strong. I can’t handle even the smallest fall.”

I sat there frozen, staring at her.

My lips moved several times before I finally managed to speak.

“Liam, listen to me. That’s not what happened.

“I really didn’t do that.”

But Liam exploded.

“Claire, how can you be this vicious?”

His eyes were red with fury.

“Eight years ago, you cheated on me without a shred of shame. Now, eight years later, the second I’m about to get married, you decide you want me back and attack my fiancée?”

He stepped toward me.

“You laid a hand on my woman, didn’t you? Then today, you can find out what it feels like when someone lays a hand on mine.”

With that, he kicked my wheelchair hard.

Once.

Twice.

Again and again.

Then he grabbed the handles and shoved it backward with brutal force.

The wheelchair slammed into the dining table. Bowls crashed to the floor and shattered. The table tipped over.

So did I.

My head struck the corner of the table.

For a moment, the whole world went white.

Then blood ran down my face.

My ears rang. My body began to shake uncontrollably, but Liam did not look at me once.

He only rushed back to Vanessa and gathered her into his arms. As she cried against him, he kissed the corner of her mouth again and again, frantic and gentle.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m taking you to the hospital now.”

Then, without sparing me another glance, he carried Vanessa toward the door.

I watched Vanessa’s triumphant smile over his shoulder.

I watched Liam walk away.

And suddenly, I laughed.

I laughed until tears blurred everything.

It made me think of the year we were eighteen, when a man on the bus groped me.

Back then, Liam was still reckless, fierce, and impossible to stop once anger took hold of him. He grabbed that man, who was a full head taller and much stronger than him, and hit him like a wild thing.

Punch after punch landed on the man’s face.

“You piece of garbage. You dare touch my girl? I’ll kill you.”

Everyone on the bus was terrified.

Only I was crying as I clung to Liam’s arm, begging him to stop. Only then did he finally let go.

Back then, I was Liam’s girl.

So he protected me with everything he had.

Now, the person in his heart was someone else.

So he protected her with everything he had, even if the person he hurt was me.

The servers gathered around in a nervous circle.

Then the police arrived.

The moment I saw them, the last of my strength seemed to leave me.

I clutched one officer’s hand and said, “Please tell my mother not to pursue this.”

“Tell her this was my choice.

“Tell her I’m sorry. I… I don’t think I can stay with her anymore.”

My chest felt tight and hollow.

But strangely, I no longer felt regret.

I had fought cancer for eight years.

I had waited for Liam for eight years.

My greatest wish had only been to see him one more time.

Now I had.

That was enough.

Goodbye, Liam.

I love you.