Chapter 1

Liam Clarke's passion showed no signs of fading even after the 999th time Mia Torres spent the night with him. By the next morning, her body was covered in kiss marks. She could feel her back and waist ache from even the slightest movement. The air in the room still lingered with intimacy. She was wrapped in his slender arms as he basked in her body's warmth before he said casually, "Wear something formal tomorrow. You're coming home with me." Shocked by his words, she looked up at him. Her tone was filled with hope. "Are you finally planning… to make our relationship public?" He raised his eyebrows and shot her a sidelong glance. "Public? What are you talking about? I'm having a blind date at home tomorrow, and I need you to light up the atmosphere. Don't let the lady feel too awkward." His words echoed in her ears and struck her like thunder. Her heart skipped a beat, and her mind went blank. "You're going on a blind date? What am I to you, then?" He was already getting dressed. When he heard her question, he glanced at her lazily. "You? You're just my go-to buddy. My food buddy, my gaming buddy, and my hookup buddy." A chill crept over Mia, draining the color from her face. Her lips trembled. Liam's smile gradually faded after seeing her expression. He leaned closer. "Wait, Mia. You didn't think we were in a relationship all these years, did you?" His mocking tone pierced her like a blade. She held back the urge to cry, and her voice cracked. "W-What? Of course not. I'm going to take a shower." She got up in a panic, stumbling toward the bathroom. Once the door shut behind her, she lost all her strength, sliding to the floor, completely drained. His words still echoed in her ears. Her tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she stared at the marks he had left all over her body. They had known each other for over 20 years. They grew up together, drinking from the same carton of milk and reading the same comics. They had even drunkenly slept together once at the age of 18. And once turned into twice, then a third time… Their bodies fit perfectly together at night. During the day, they played out every scene like a real couple would. They would hold hands in a crowd, kiss at New Year's to promise another year together, and talk for hours on the phone just to stay close. Mia had always believed they were already a couple—they just hadn't made their relationship public. However, he was telling her now that they weren't in a relationship. She was in so much pain that she felt suffocated. She turned the shower on full blast with trembling hands before letting herself cry. She didn't know how long she had cried before she finally pulled herself together and stepped out of the bathroom after her tears had run dry. Liam was already dressed, sitting on the couch and making a phone call. "There'll be a lot of people tomorrow. Get a bigger private room at the restaurant. The lady prefers light favours, so we'll go for haute cuisine. "As for cake, get a Black Forest. The flowers should be pale pink roses. Send me a photo once everything's set up. Prepare a dozen black suits, and I'll choose one when I return. Riley only likes black." Mia's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the name. She looked over instinctively, catching the soft smile on Liam's lips. Riley Chandra? So, the woman he was meeting was Riley. The light in Mia's eyes dimmed. It made sense to her now that Liam looked so happy. He had been head over heels for Riley back in high school and would mention her name countless times every day to Mia. However, Riley went abroad before he had a chance to confess. He never brought her up again since then. Mia thought he had moved on, especially after that night of reckless passion when they started getting closer. She never imagined the woman he never mentioned again was also the one he never forgot. The familiar heartache came back to her again. It was so painful that her phone slipped from her grasp with a loud thud. Liam looked back at the sound and asked with a smile, "All done? You're going to check out later, right? I've already paid." He grabbed his coat and got up to leave. He turned around to glance at her with a faint smile before walking out the door. "Mia, I've always seen you as my buddy. Please don't show me that crushed look in the future. You make it seem like you had caught feelings for me or something. "I know you fully well, and you can tell exactly what I'm thinking with just a glance. Don't you think that kind of life is too dull? It would feel like everything was already over before it even began if we really got together." His footsteps faded into the distance, but his words kept echoing in her heart. Mia sat on the cold bed before she started laughing until tears ran down her cheeks. So, this was how he had seen her all along. She sat there until late at night before she finally went downstairs to check out. It was pouring outside, but she didn't seem to notice as she wandered home in a daze. She was soaked to the bone as she walked through the door. Her father, Hector Torres, and her mother, Isabel Moreno, rushed over with a dry towel and said worriedly, "It's raining so hard. Why didn't you take a cab?" She looked at them with a blank expression. Her eyes were empty, and her voice was hoarse. "Dad, Mom, remember how you wanted to immigrate because of changes at the company? I've made up my mind. Let's do it. Let's leave and never come back." They had tried persuading her for months and were surprised she had finally given in. "Have you truly thought this through? Did you break up with your boyfriend?" Mia felt a wave of bitterness when she thought of everything Liam had said. She gave a wry smile and shook her head. "There was never a boyfriend. I made it up so you'd stop pressuring me to settle down." Her parents couldn't tell if she was telling the truth, but they were still overjoyed. They rushed off to prepare the paperwork and told her to start packing. Mia responded briefly before returning to her room and throwing out everything related to Liam. The photo albums she had cherished for over a decade, the jewelry he gave her, the dresses, and the handmade figurines… All of it went into the trash. "Ms. Torres, are you really letting go of all these beautiful things?" Mia looked at the household staff member's regretful expression and nodded lightly. Her voice was calm. "Yes. I don't want any of it." It wasn't just those things—she didn't want Liam or their relationship anymore.