The night Liam slashed his wrists, I swore I’d help him rebuild his empire. For two years, I worked the dirtiest, hardest gigs imaginable. But on the very night I finally paid off his last debt, I accidentally saw the texts between him and his frat brother. 【Aren't you worried she'll find out the debt's been gone for weeks and flip out?】 【Nah. Chloe passed my little test. I'm planning to propose. Since she loves me so much, a marriage license is the only thing I can offer her anyway.】 【So, do you need me to get that card ending in 7785 back from her? You're getting married, dude. You can't keep sending Serena money every month.】 I turned and looked at my haggard reflection in the mirror, and I laughed. Liam, starting today, I’ve decided to stop loving you. 1. When I saw the text history between Liam and his best friend, Brad, I felt the blood drain from my body, rushing backward from my feet to my head. Tonight, we had just celebrated clearing the final debt. Liam had opened two bottles of cheap Cabernet and was currently wasted. Right now, he was lying harmlessly in my lap, asking for kisses. A storm of emotions roiled in my chest, finally settling into a cold sneer. That debit card ending in 7785. I knew the number by heart. Because every payday, I transferred almost my entire paycheck onto that card, saving up to pay back Liam’s creditors. I knew who Serena was, too. She was the campus queen bee back in college—gorgeous, flashy. She and Liam had a toxic on-again, off-again thing for three years. But after she failed to get into Juilliard, she chose to move abroad to study. A while back, her Instagram popped up on my feed. She looked vibrant and expensive. Her mirror selfies were dripping with designer labels. Back then, I’d smiled and shown her profile to Liam. "Serena's practically an influencer now. Do you ever regret not choosing her? You wouldn't have to work so hard paying off debt if you had." Liam had looked dismissive. "No regrets. I still prefer a grounded girl like you." I didn't know then that half of Serena's wardrobe was probably funded by my backbreaking labor. No wonder my grandma used to tell me, "Chloe, your hands are too bony. You hold no luck." The year Liam and I got together, his family’s real estate business collapsed. I heard they owed a fortune. I never knew exactly how much. I just knew that Liam, then a junior in college, got dragged down with them and had to drop out, retreating to our small hometown. His family had moved to the city after he graduated high school, so their old Victorian house here was gathering dust. Liam returned alone and locked himself inside. That day, I was glancing at his windows as usual, only to find him lying in the bathroom, the tub filled with crimson water. I practically carried him on my back across town to the ER and saved his life. But he cried and demanded to know why I’d saved him. I held him, and we sobbed together. "It’s just money, Liam! I'll help you earn it back!" He sighed, his eyes suddenly turning gentle. "Silly girl. You only have a high school diploma. What kind of money can you earn?" Despite his doubts, I followed him to the big city to find opportunities. Because I had no degree and no skills, I could only do manual labor to survive. Driving for Uber Eats, working double shifts as a barista, even competing with older ladies for housekeeping gigs on TaskRabbit. During the most intense period, I did cleaning jobs in the morning, pulled shots at the coffee shop in the afternoon, and delivered food until midnight. When payday came the next month, I excitedly showed him my bank balance. A solid four thousand dollars. His eyes got red. He patted my head, held my calloused, bony hands, and choked up with guilt. "Our Chloe is just too amazing." But I didn't feel bitter. For me, as long as I could be with Liam, no amount of hardship mattered. People say true love always feels like it owes something. Back then, looking at the boy who was once the high school golden boy now reduced to living in a cramped tenement apartment, I only wished I could clone myself ten times over to lighten his burden. Thinking back on every moment of the last two years. I stared wide-eyed until dawn. Liam woke up groggily, rubbed his eyes, and hugged me tight. "Why haven't you gone to work yet today?" I fought back the stinging in my eyes and rubbed them. "I quit my jobs." Four thousand a month. Ten hours a day on my feet making lattes. My wrists were chronically inflamed from tendonitis. I had to wear smelly pain patches almost every day. He froze, then patted my head affectionately. "Good. Thanks to you, I was able to pay off the debt so quickly." "When we get married, you just stay home and look pretty. I'll earn the money and support the family." The words I had longed to hear for two years finally arrived, but suddenly, I didn't want them anymore. 2. I walked aimlessly down the street. The owner of the greasy spoon diner I frequented spotted me. "Hey hun, eating here today?" I forced the corners of my mouth upward. "Yeah." She raised an eyebrow. "We got a new meatloaf special. On the house for you today." "The usual otherwise? Two orders of rice, one with no meat, one with double meat packed to go?" That’s how we always ate. Liam had a big appetite and it was never enough. So I secretly asked the owner to add my share of the protein to his takeout box. Actually, he didn't know that I also had a big appetite. But to save money and help him with the debt, I often skipped meals, literally starving myself into gastritis. Now, eating more than a few bites hurt anyway. I shook my head. "No. Just one order today. I'll break my rule and try that meatloaf." Two years. I hadn't saved a dime, and I'd wrecked my body. My life was somehow worse than when I was back in the small town. If my parents and Grandma could see me from heaven, they’d be heartbroken. After finishing the meal, I got a phone call. "Chloe? You asked me before about that Newborn Care Specialist training program, remember?" "The agency has a spot open now. Training is free upfront. Once you get placed with a client, they take 5% of your salary monthly as tuition. I thought you’d be interested." My body trembled slightly. I stood up quickly, my voice shaking with excitement. "Yes! Kelly, I'm in! I'll do it!" When I got back to the rental apartment, Liam had already set up a proposal scene. His buddy Brad was there helping. My sudden return caught them off guard. Liam frantically hid the bouquet and balloons behind his back, looking awkward. "Chloe, why are you back so suddenly?" Brad just started cheering. "The cat's out of the bag, dude. Just propose already." He kicked Liam, and Liam knelt down in front of me. "Chloe, uh." He stammered. "I've rehearsed this scene in my head a million times, but now that it's here, I'm seriously nervous." "I want to tell you, I want to marry you. Will you be my wife?" He pulled a ring from his pocket, one knee on the ground, his eyes burning into mine. Seeing this, my eyes reddened. Yeah. How many times had I fantasized about this exact moment? But now, I didn't know how to face it. Brad was clapping and chanting in the background: "Marry him, marry him..." Liam looked at me with teary eyes and said, "A good wife supports my ambitions; a good wife is worth her weight in gold." "Chloe, after we're married, I won't let you suffer anymore." When he finished, I put away my tears, stepped around Liam, and started packing my luggage. Kelly, the woman who introduced the job, said the training was residential and completely closed-off to ensure quality. I actually felt relieved. Closed-off meant room and board were covered. No extra expenses. Liam watched me putting things into my suitcase, confused. "Chloe, what are you doing?" I took a deep breath, smiled, and brushed his hand away. "Since the debt is paid, my debt of gratitude is also repaid. From now on, let's go our separate ways." Because I was an orphan, I got bullied a lot in school. The worst time, they cornered me in an alley, calling me a jinx, threatening to strip me and film it to sell. It was Liam who accidentally stumbled upon us and saved me, fighting like a maniac against three guys. He ended up with a bloody face, warning them never to touch me again. Thanks to him, before graduation, no one put gum in my hair or dead animals in my desk anymore. Although I was used to it, his appearance made me temporarily give up the idea of looking for my biological parents. Even though he probably forgot about it like a random good deed, every day I survived, I was grateful to him. Later, gratitude turned into love. That’s why I willingly followed him when he had nothing. At this point, I didn't want to argue anymore. These two years... consider the debt repaid. Liam tilted his head. "What does that mean? I don't get it." My teeth bit down hard on my lip, desperately trying not to make a sound. "I mean, we're breaking up." 3. Panic was visible in his eyes. "Chloe, did I do something wrong?" "You're joking, right? This kind of joke isn't funny at all." Brad chimed in, too. "Yeah, Chloe. If Liam did something wrong, tell me, I'll beat his ass for you. No need to break up over it." I feigned nonchalance and shook my head, gesturing for him to check his phone. "Last night, I accidentally saw your chat history with Brad." Liam's breath hitched. Brad immediately tried to explain for him. "Chloe, you misunderstood, it's not..." Liam struggled for a long time, not knowing how to explain. Finally, he just said, "But I really do love you." I smiled and nodded. "Yeah." Love is paying off the debt ages ago and not telling me. Love is using my blood and sweat money to support your white knight complex for your ex. He frantically grabbed my hand, trying to shove the ring onto my finger. "I know what I did was a little messed up, but I only did it because I was sincere about this relationship." "I just wanted to see how long you could last. I was terrifyingly afraid you were just acting on impulse." "My dad and mom were like that. After our family got into debt, my mom couldn't take it and ran off. My dad faced setback after setback and ended it all." "I was so afraid that after I became dependent on you, you'd be like my mom—unable to handle the hardship and leave me." "So for two years, you just watched me go out in the wind and rain every day, living like a dog?" He knew exactly how much I suffered to help him pay the debt. Liam's face was pale. "But isn't everything getting better now? Your sacrifices paid off." "Last year, I made a million dollars trading stocks and crypto. I know you gave up a lot for me. Life will be sweet from now on." I felt a lump in my throat. Finally, I asked him one question: "What about Serena?" Liam suddenly started stammering. "Her family ran into trouble too. Serena is a girl all alone overseas, her funding got cut off. If I didn't help her, she really had no other way." "You... you know how she is. She's a spoiled princess who can't lift a finger. She can't handle things like you can." I clenched my fists, fingernails digging into my palms. Yeah, Serena is the beloved princess who can't handle hardship. I'm the stray kid with no parents, so I deserve to suffer. But Liam didn't know that when my parents were alive, I was their princess too. I looked at Liam, who looked guilty in front of me. He felt so strange, as if I hadn't truly seen him for two years. I wiped my tears, ignored his pleas behind me, dragged my luggage, and left the rental apartment. From now on, I'm living for myself. After entering the training camp, I voluntarily handed over my phone and dedicated myself to the program. In just one month, I graduated as an honor student and got my certification as an NCS (Newborn Care Specialist). The day I got out, standing in the sunshine, I felt emotional. A new life was finally beginning. The supervisor handed me my phone with a serious look. "Someone kept calling your phone. No contact name, and different numbers every time." "Chloe, be honest with me. Did you take out some secret payday loans and now the collectors are chasing you?" Perplexed, I took the phone, charged it, and turned it on. Countless texts flooded in at once. Half of them were bank balance notifications. At first, it was just transfers of a few hundred, then thousands, then tens of thousands. The final number stopped at one million dollars. The unknown numbers also sent many messages. The latest one read: 【Have you calmed down enough? Please talk to me.】
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