Chapter 2 2

I don't remember the subway ride home. The city lights were a meaningless blur through the rain-streaked window. The dress I had spent a week choosing, the one I thought would mark the beginning of my real life, was plastered to my skin, cold and heavy like a shroud.

I moved like a machine, unlocking the front door, peeling off the damp fabric, and stepping into the shower, letting the hot water sluice away the chill of the night but not the cold that had settled deep in my bones.

I was sitting on the edge of my bed, wrapped in a towel in the silent darkness, feeling nothing at all, when my phone buzzed. It was a cruel slash of light and sound in the quiet room.

A text from Liam.

First, a photo: a tiny, perfect baby's foot. Second, an image of an elegant wedding invitation, his name entwined with Sienna's.

Then the words that followed, sharp and clean as a razor's edge.

[Little bird, I have a girlfriend now. We even have a kid. We're getting married soon. Stop loving me.]

I stared at the screen, my heart a dead weight in my chest. Then, with a calmness that felt like it belonged to someone else, I typed back two words.

[Okay.]

After the message sent, I tossed the phone onto my bed. I walked to my closet and pulled a metal box from the back of the top shelf. It was heavy with eight years of memories: movie ticket stubs, amusement park passes, a basketball jersey that secretly smelled like him, stuffed animals he'd won for me at carnivals just like tonight's.

I carried the box to the large trash can in the alley, lifted the heavy lid, and without a moment's hesitation, dumped everything inside. The sound it made was hollow and final.

Meanwhile, in a private room at a high-end club, Liam stared at his phone, his brow furrowed in confusion.

He had braced himself for tears, for angry calls, for desperate pleading. He had never expected this calm, simple reply.

"What did she say?" one of his friends leaned over, his eyes widening. "Just... 'Okay'?"

"Something's not right," another friend mused, stroking his chin. "For a girl as obsessed with you as she is, this is way too calm..."

The group was confused, until someone's eyes lit up with a sudden theory.

"Holy crap, you don't think she was there? That she was outside the park and heard everything? She knows the baby is fake, the wedding is a sham, that's why she's acting so unbothered! She's challenging you, Liam. She's calling your bluff."

Liam's frown deepened at their analysis. Knowing Clara, after waiting all these years, this placid response could only mean one thing: she knew the truth. She was feigning retreat to advance later, a classic hard-to-get tactic.

His friends quickly agreed. "In that case, Liam, you have to go all in with Sienna. This is a golden opportunity to push things forward with her. The little girl obviously hasn't given up. Once you and Sienna are official, she'll have no choice but to back off."

"Exactly. Strike while the iron is hot and win over the woman you love. Once that's settled, all these other problems will solve themselves."

Just as they were getting animated, the door swung open. Ethan Wen stood there, his gaze fixed on Liam.

"Liam, come out. I need to talk to you about Clara."

So she went crying to her brother? Predictable.

Liam looked up lazily, about to speak, when his phone rang. It was Sienna.

"Liam? Are you free? I thought maybe you could help me pick out some baby stuff? It would make the act more convincing."

Hearing Sienna's gentle voice, Liam didn't hesitate. He shot up from his seat, leaving Ethan with a single sentence.

"Talk later. I've got something to do."

As Liam hurried off, his friends blocked Ethan's path. "Let it go, Ethan. He's rushing off to see the woman he loves. You should stop trying to push your sister on him."

Ethan frowned at their words. "That's not what I was trying to do."

He had wanted to tell Liam that his sister had finally seen the light. That she was planning to study abroad and would never bother him again.