When I was twenty, I knitted my first scarf for the boy I secretly loved. At Liam Sterling's birthday party, he accepted the scarf amidst everyone's mocking gazes. Three days after my brother died, I went to the admin office to withdraw from college. I happened to overhear the students inside joking while sorting files. "Are you really going to throw away that scarf from the hillbilly, Grace?" "That thing? It's not even worth comparing to the designer coat Bella bought him. It's worse than a hotel towel. Just toss it." "If I knew Liam didn't want his little follower's gift, I would have taken it as a doormat. It's a pity to throw it away; after all, she knitted it stitch by stitch." Bella was his childhood sweetheart. Liam laughed, crumpled the scarf into a ball, and casually tossed it at the boy. The boy dodged nimbly. The scarf fell next to the trash can, looking pathetic. Our eyes met for a second. I silently took my withdrawal papers and left. I knew I had no right to question him. He stood behind me and seemed to say something, but I didn't hear it. Six years later, when I returned to New York, I heard a rumor. The Sterling family heir had a "white moonlight"—a first love—who had been missing for years. 1 I came to New York to expand my boutique clothing brand. On the first day of opening, an old acquaintance walked in. "Grace?!" I was arranging clothes on the rack. I had changed my name years ago. Hearing that name, I froze. Recovering, I turned and met a pair of shocked eyes. The man in front of me looked somewhat unfamiliar, with handsome features and expensive clothes. But I couldn't remember where I had seen him. I smiled apologetically. "You are?" He scratched his head subconsciously. That action instantly reminded me who he was. Carter. Liam's friend. The boy who said six years ago that he would use my scarf as a doormat. Beside him stood a girl, holding his arm, slender and tall, smiling brightly. In the VIP room. While the girl was in the fitting room, Carter looked around my shop. "You... you opened this? This brand is so popular lately. I didn't expect you to be the owner..." Carter seemed to remember something, a trace of embarrassment on his face. "About back then... I was joking. Please don't take it to heart. Actually, I've wanted to apologize for years, but I couldn't find you." "Where have you been all these years? Why did you suddenly drop out? And there was no news at all..." His voice trailed off. I calmly took the fruit platter from the waiter and placed it on the table. "Nowhere special. Just went back to my hometown." Went back home, changed my name, and restarted my life. He was about to ask more when his girlfriend came out. The clothes fit perfectly. The girl was satisfied and bought several more items. But soon, she offered a suggestion. "Your autumn/winter collection isn't complete. Other stores market hats, brooches, shoes, and scarves together." "I just tried on the clothes and noticed you don't have matching scarves. I think you could improve on that." I explained gently, "Our brand doesn't plan to make scarves yet. Sorry. I'll give you a 30% discount on these items..." Before leaving, Carter spoke cautiously, "Actually, all these years, Liam has been..." Suddenly, a loud crash of metal came from the store. I turned and saw the display rack I had half-assembled collapse. I rubbed my forehead in frustration. Great, have to install it again. Carter was still talking. I nodded hastily, turning to instruct the staff to handle the mess. He was overjoyed and immediately stuffed an invitation into my hand. "It's settled then. Tomorrow is Liam's birthday. You must come!" Before I could refuse, Carter walked away quickly. Giving me no chance to back out. My business partner, Zoe, stretched as she walked out from the back. "What was that noise? Woke me up. What's this... Liam Sterling?" She stared obsessively at the invitation in my hand. Forgetting to put down her stretching arms, she exclaimed Liam's name. I was puzzled. "You know him?" Zoe nodded furiously, her sleepy eyes instantly brightening. "Of course! Isn't he the Prince of the Sterling family? I saw him at a fashion show recently." "He sat in the front row, tall and handsome. Took over the company right after graduation, and profits doubled under him..." "Hey, this birthday invitation? How did you get it?" I said calmly, "Carter gave it to me." Hearing this, Zoe looked at me with admiration. 2 "Carter?! Oh my god, Grace, how many connections do you have that I don't know about!" "Carter, and now Liam Sterling... but..." She lowered her voice mysteriously. "I heard Liam has someone he likes." "But the girl he likes seems to have disappeared years ago. He spent so much effort looking for her but couldn't find her. I remember her last name was Miller... what a coincidence, Grace Miller!" I lowered my eyes, interrupting her fantasy. "Don't overthink it. Miller is a common name." "So, are you going to Liam's birthday party tomorrow?" "No." She was disappointed by the answer. But she seemed more interested in my connections. The autumn wind was bleak, rolling up fallen leaves on the street. I pulled my coat tighter, subconsciously touching my cold neck. Under Zoe's relentless questioning. I opened the past I had deliberately sealed in my heart. "I had a crush on Liam. In my youth." "A crush that was a complete failure from start to finish." Freshman orientation day. Students went up one by one, confidently stating their hobbies. I lowered my head in embarrassment. I was poor. My mom died giving birth to me. My dad shouldered the burden of the family alone. In my junior year of high school, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. My brother dropped out to work. But the monthly medical bills still crushed us. When it was my turn, my palms sweated with nervousness. My stuttering made the students below laugh. "Where is this hillbilly from? Wearing a floral dress? So outdated. Can't she keep up with trends?" "I saw her at move-in. Her family looks poor. Her suitcase lost two wheels, and she didn't even replace it..." "Can't even introduce herself properly. Get off the stage, don't waste our time!" I clutched my skirt, face flushed. My dad and brother took me to buy this dress before school started. I said it was too expensive. My dad paid with a simple smile. "It's okay, don't worry about money. Wear something nice on the first day, leave a good impression." The dress wasn't cheap. $200. Half a month's living expenses. I turned awkwardly to leave, but a loud voice came from the crowd. "Who said it's ugly? It's not. I think it looks good." Following the voice, everyone fell silent. Liam leaned back in his chair, chewing gum. When he said that, his eyes were fixed on me. In that moment, the world faded to black and white, except for him. I could only see the bright eyes of the boy and the smile on his lips. Zoe nodded thoughtfully, shaking my arm excitedly. "So you started crushing on him then?" "Such a handsome guy saving you from embarrassment. I would have fallen for him too." I sipped my tea calmly. Actually, no. My real interaction with Liam started during winter break. I was working at a car wash when the sound of an argument approached. A car braked hard in front of the shop. Then, a bouquet of exquisite flowers was thrown out the window, hitting me on the head as I bent over to adjust a machine. "Liam, what's with your attitude? I came back to fix things, and this is how you treat me?" Liam's lazy sneer followed. "Bella, I picked you up at the airport because I didn't want to embarrass your parents. Why do you think I'd wait for you?" "We agreed to go to Columbia together, but you left for Paris without a word. What, you have the right to pursue dreams, but I don't have the right to pursue love?" Bella laughed in anger. "Love? Don't tell me the great Liam Sterling fell in love with someone else." Liam turned his head, his eyes meeting mine as I rubbed my head. He smiled suddenly. "Did you think you were irreplaceable?" "Bella, let me tell you. From now on, anyone but you will do." He got out of the car, took a black velvet box from his jacket, and tossed it to me. "For you." Bella cried in anger. "Even a car wash girl?" Liam answered frivolously. "Yes." Bella got out of the car crying and disappeared into the crowd. She didn't look back, so she didn't see Liam's gaze fixed on her back the whole time. From that day on, I became Liam's sidekick. Because he paid me to act with him. If I acted well, there was money. 3 I agreed. As a tool to provoke Bella. I spent almost the entire winter break with him. At parties, Liam gently wiped foam from my lips. When I lost at Truth or Dare, he drank for me with a smile, saying no one could bully me. Walking me home in the snow, snowflakes fell on his shoulders, but his umbrella tilted toward me. When I had a fever, he took me to the hospital. His busy figure touched my heart at some point. There were many moments when I even thought Liam was really my boyfriend. Dining at a high-end restaurant, he imitated a couple at the next table and said to me: "I want a scarf knitted by you too." He said it casually, but I inevitably took it seriously. I started secretly preparing materials. Because I wasn't skilled, I knitted and unraveled, over and over. The yarn lost its elasticity in places, looking a bit crooked. Bella didn't care at first. After all, she didn't believe Liam would really like someone as ordinary and plain as me. But halfway through winter break, Liam hadn't given her a single glance. Bella panicked. In a bar, his friends jokingly called me "Sister-in-law." Liam lazily pulled down his collar, revealing a temporary tattoo of my initials on his collarbone. Everyone exclaimed, saying he really fell for me. In that moment, Bella finally snapped. She smashed a beer bottle over my head, the butterfly tattoo on her wrist trembling. "Grace Miller, who are you to compete with me? Does a hillbilly like you deserve him?" Red blood flowed down my brow bone into my eye. My vision turned red, but I still saw clearly. Liam smiled, eyes fixed on Bella. He was trying hard to hide the heartache in his eyes. He wanted Bella to regret, to go crazy, to lose her mind for him. On the verge of Bella's breakdown, Liam finally stopped hiding his pain. He pulled the weeping Bella into his arms, kissing her lips with restraint. "Just a tattoo sticker. You believed it?" No one cared about me, covered in blood. The people who called me "Sister-in-law" cheered for their love. I quietly exited with the others, leaving them space. After treating the wound, I hid the half-knitted scarf deep in the closet. Liam didn't look for me for a whole semester. Maybe he forgot about me. His relationship with Bella seemed to get better. Sometimes in class, I saw Liam video chatting with Bella. His eyes looking at her were always so gentle. Probably due to the time difference, Bella was usually sleeping in bed, like a lazy, noble cat. I don't know why, but my heart felt sour. I suddenly remembered when we lay on the grass watching stars, he said out of nowhere: "If only it could be like this forever." I was confused. "What?" He fell silent. After a long time, he shook his head and said nothing. Later, the hospital urged payment for my dad's bills. My brother's advance wages couldn't cover the expenses. Desperate, I remembered Liam hadn't paid my last installment. So I gathered my courage and found Liam at his usual bar. Liam must have fought with Bella again. He hid in the darkness, the air around him terrifyingly cold. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Liam's answer. He said, act with him one more time. I did. A staged kidnapping. Liam's distress and deep affection when saving me were reported online. He successfully provoked Bella again. I paid my dad's medical bills. Half a month later. He suddenly handed me a birthday invitation. I took it nervously, calculating what to give. He seemed to lack nothing. I couldn't afford expensive things; he wouldn't like cheap ones. Thinking about it, my eyes fell on the unfinished scarf. When I gave the scarf at his party, the room went silent. Then erupted in harsh laughter. Liam didn't laugh. Embarrassed, I tried to pull my hand back, but Liam grabbed my wrist. "Thanks. It's nice. I like it." One day later, I realized this was probably another show for Bella. The next day, it rained heavily. Amidst thunder, I received a call. "Is this Grace Miller? Your brother, John, had an accident at the construction site. He was gone before reaching the hospital. The hospital needs family to sign..." The foreman said my brother fell from a height because he didn't fasten his safety rope properly. I didn't believe it. My brother was never careless. I wanted to ask for details, but the construction company paid $80,000 and closed the case. Holding the money, I felt lost, tears not even falling yet. At the same time, my dad learned of my brother's death. In the hospital. He hesitated for a long time, then said with a trembling voice, "The doctor says it's terminal, medicine won't help. Grace, I'm stopping treatment." I disagreed, insisting he stay. My dad started packing, walking out without looking back. At the hospital entrance, I knelt and blocked him, breaking down. "Dad, please treat it. I only have you left. I'll pay! I'll drop out and work!" "Brother just died. I don't want to live without you!" "I'll kowtow to you. Please!" Passersby stopped to watch, shaking their heads and sighing. In the hospital, this happened every day. Not rare. Three days after handling my brother's funeral, I went to school to withdraw. I happened to hear Liam say he would throw away that ridiculous scarf. Zoe clicked her tongue. "How could this happen..." The welcome chime at the door rang with a gust of cold wind. I silenced myself, wiping a tear. Before I could say "Welcome." A pair of wet men's leather shoes appeared in my vision. "Grace Miller... is it really you?!" 4 It was Liam. Before coming to New York, I imagined meeting old acquaintances many times. So, my gaze was calm. Six years of hardship were enough for me to handle everything with composure. Liam stood there, panting, travel-worn, hair messy, like he rushed from far away. He looked at me. I looked back without hesitation. The emotion in his eyes was familiar. I seemed to have seen it somewhere. But I couldn't remember. But I understood one truth. Business is about service attitude. I stood up unhurriedly. "Hello." In my polite, distant greeting, Liam realized his brashness. He grabbed my wrist, as if afraid I'd run. "Grace, let's talk." I didn't agree, smiling. "We do need to talk. The Sterling Group is hosting the next fashion show. Our autumn designs are ready. Since you're here..." He interrupted me. "Grace, you know that's not what I want to talk about." My business smile faded. Silence for a long time. I spoke slowly. "Liam, you weren't wrong back then. You just didn't like me. We used each other. No misunderstanding." The light in his eyes extinguished. After a long while, he murmured. "I'm sorry." Sorry? I didn't know if he was sorry for saying he'd throw away the scarf. Or something else. But it didn't matter. I didn't know, and I didn't want to know. Just as I was about to call a staff member, I realized Zoe had quietly left. Liam suddenly asked tremblingly, "How is your father?" "Passed away. The day I dropped out." I suddenly remembered Liam had met my dad. There was a flu outbreak in New York. I had a high fever. Delirious. Waking up, my dad's sickly face had a rare teasing look. "You were calling a name." "Who is Liam? Is our Grace in love?" Embarrassed, I pulled the blanket over my head. Tracing his face in my chaotic mind. Until I heard someone calling my name outside the blanket. "Grace, wake up, eat something." "Feeling better today?" My blanket was lifted gently. The person I was missing stood by the bed. He greeted my dad with a smile. "Hello Uncle, I'm Liam, Grace's boyfriend." Facing my dad, Liam never showed his rich-kid temper. When my dad offered hometown specialties, I was nervous. Liam was picky. He wouldn't even look at delicacies, let alone salty preserved meats. But Liam showed no disgust. He gave a thumbs up, saying it was delicious. Before he left, my dad packed a huge bag for him. But later, when I went to his house... I saw the familiar plastic bag in the kitchen trash. In that moment, I understood. The young master had good manners. Even if he didn't like it, he gave me face in front of my dad. My dad didn't know about our deal. He thought we were in a healthy relationship. Seeing us together on the street, he would Venmo me money. "I can tell Liam is a good kid. Get along well. Eat whatever you want." "With him taking care of you, I have no worries." I thought it was just a normal sigh. I didn't expect that after I returned home from withdrawing, a neighbor rushed in shouting. "Grace! Your dad jumped into the ocean!"
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