Chapter 2

The interview soon concluded. As the wind from the terrace, carrying the cloying sweetness of champagne, swept in, I drained the last of my wine. The burning sensation of the alcohol sliding down my throat hadn't yet faded when my wrist was suddenly seized by a brutal force. Liam had appeared behind me unnoticed. The temperature of his palm was scorching, but his grip was so forceful it felt like he might crush my bones. "Had enough of pretending?" His voice was lowed, carrying the lingering chill from the terrace. "Evelyn, this act of yours is truly disgusting." I shook off his grip with a backhand motion. The red wine glass shattered on the marble floor, the dark red liquid splashing onto his custom-made black suit trousers, eerily reminiscent of the blood-red twilight run over by car wheels the year he saw me home. "You flatter me, Mr. Sullivan." I bent down to pick up the broken stem, my fingertip cut by the sharp glass. A bead of blood welled up and dripped onto the goose-yellow carpet. "Compared to the performance you just put on for the reporters, my skills are truly amateurish." His gaze fell on my bleeding fingertip. His pupils constricted sharply, and he reached out to touch it, but I sidestepped to avoid him. "Don't touch me." I took half a step back, creating a safe distance. "Mr. Sullivan should be more concerned about your fiancée. She seems unwell." Maya was standing at the terrace door, her face pale as she watched us, the champagne glass in her hand shaking violently, spilling wine all over her hand. Hearing my words, she hurriedly lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "I'm fine. It's just a bit windy." Liam seemed to remember her existence only then. His brow furrowed, but his tone softened slightly. "Go inside and wait for me." Maya bit her lip and nodded. As she passed by me, she suddenly said softly, "Evelyn, I know you and Liam have past misunderstandings, but one must always look forward, don't you agree?" Looking at the deliberately feigned innocence in her eyes, I suddenly laughed. "Maya, do you know how many lives the word 'misunderstanding' is built upon?" Her face instantly turned as white as a sheet. She staggered back into the banquet hall. Liam's face darkened, looking like it could drip water. He raised his hand as if to grab the back of my neck, but stopped just before touching my hair. His fingers hung in the air, their pads trembling slightly, strikingly similar to his expression seven years ago in the hospital corridor when he learned my mother had acute kidney failure. My mind was in turmoil, unwanted memories flooding back. "That winter, you stayed at the hospital for three days and nights." I suddenly spoke, my voice as light as a feather. "You said that as long as we could save my mom, you'd even sell the company." Liam's breath hitched violently. "You swore to me that once my mom got better, you'd take us skiing in Switzerland." I watched the storm raging in his eyes, enunciating each word clearly. "Do you remember those words, Liam Sullivan?" He stumbled back a step, hitting the terrace railing with a dull thud. The night spilled over his shoulders, fragmenting his silhouette. "Remember? So what?" He tugged at his tie, his Adam's apple bobbing rapidly. "Evelyn, you betrayed me first." "Betrayal?" It sounded like the biggest joke I'd ever heard. "My mother was lying in the ICU, waiting for money to save her life, and you took the funds meant for her surgery to cover the hole from your embezzlement. Liam Sullivan, who betrayed whom first?" Noise from the guests came through the glass door. Someone walked past holding a glass, curiously peering toward the terrace. I suddenly felt incredibly bored. Knowing the outcome, yet still seeking confirmation from the man before me. For five years, we'd been like two beasts trapped in an arena, tearing at each other with our sharpest claws and teeth. It was enough! Maya stepped forward, placing her delicate frame protectively in front of Liam. "Evelyn, please stop this. You and Liam are over. It's meaningless for you to pester him like this." The guests erupted in murmurs. Clearly, Maya's words were meant for them. I looked Maya up and down. This seemingly fragile girl had her own cunning. I smiled slightly. "A piece of trash I discarded long ago can't be any great treasure. It's just that you treat him like one."