I had been arranged to marry Liam, the heir to New York's wealthiest real estate dynasty, since we were kids. Because of this status, I controlled almost every aspect of his life growing up. Whenever I got too strict, Liam would always spit out the same vicious threat: "Chloe, just you wait. Sooner or later, I'm going to break off this damn engagement." Later, I accidentally discovered I was switched at birth and was actually a fake heiress. I decided it was time to lay low. I stopped asking about his life. I stopped forcing him to fulfill his "fiancé duties." After noticing I hadn't nagged him for over two weeks, Liam's frat-bro friends threw him a massive "Freedom Party" to celebrate. I never expected Liam to completely lose his mind on the spot. "Mind your own business! All of you, mind your own fucking business!" "Are you happy now?! She actually found someone else!" 1 "Chloe, Liam is out messing around with Carter and that crowd again." The bass in the nightclub was deafening. When my best friend, Harper, leaned in to tattle on Liam, I was completely distracted. I took her phone. In the video, Liam was wearing a flashy burgundy silk shirt, leaning lazily against a sports car, a lit cigarette pinched between his fingers. He was surrounded by a group of trust-fund playboys, each with a gorgeous woman hanging off their arm. I watched the clip calmly and handed the phone back to Harper. "It's fine. Let him do whatever." "What's wrong with you?" Harper pressed the back of her hand against my forehead. "You don't have a fever." "Are you an imposter? Who are you and what have you done with Chloe?" "Harper." I shot her a look. "Do I need to bring up the time you peed your pants in first grade to prove my identity?" With that, I grabbed my purse and walked out. Honestly, I couldn't blame Harper for overreacting. Ever since I was eight years old and got engaged to Liam, I had kept him on an incredibly tight leash. Before, I had the right to control him. Now... I wasn't so sure. Because very soon, I wouldn't be Liam's fiancée anymore. 2 Just three days ago, I accidentally found out I wasn't my parents' biological daughter. I was switched at birth. It wouldn't be long before the real heiress of the Sterling family was brought back. The fate of a fake heiress like me was entirely predictable. Over the years, riding high on my status as the Sterling family heiress and the future Mrs. Vance, I had offended quite a few people. Half of Manhattan's elite circle was waiting to watch me fall from grace. Especially Liam. Since the day our engagement was set, I used his grandfather's backing to control him. When he turned eighteen, I laid down three absolute rules: Rule 1: No smoking, no heavy drinking, no fighting, and no hanging out with garbage friends. Rule 2: No staying out all night. You must be home before midnight. Rule 3: You must fulfill your physical duties as my fiancé. We sleep together at least three times a week. Whenever I enforced these rules, Liam would glare at me and spit: "Chloe, just you wait. Sooner or later, I'm going to break off this damn engagement." I never took his threats seriously. But things were different now. In high-society marriages, equal social standing is everything. No matter how much Liam's grandfather liked me, he would never let his grandson marry a woman with zero social capital to offer the family business. This engagement was doomed. If I didn't want Liam to completely destroy me once my fake identity was exposed... I needed to cut my losses immediately and stop interfering in his life. 3 I didn't go looking for Liam. I just went straight home. But the moment I walked through the door, Liam arrived right behind me. Hearing the noise in the foyer, I instinctively looked up. Our eyes met. Liam looked slightly guilty and tried to look away, but then forcibly locked eyes with me. He raised his chin, intentionally raising his voice: "That's right, Chloe. Not only did I hang out with Carter and the guys today, but I also drank and smoked." I didn't argue with him like I usually would. I just gave a soft "Okay," stood up, and headed for my bedroom. "Chloe—" Liam closed the distance in three strides and grabbed my wrist. His dark eyes stared intensely into mine, his tone carrying a trace of hidden anxiety: "Listen to me. I said I smoked and drank today." "I know." I looked at him calmly. "You don't need to report to me. As long as you're happy." "Alright, Chloe." The corner of his mouth quirked up, sounding incredibly certain. "I know you're still mad." "It was my fault for not going to the gala with you last time." "You haven't spoken to me in three days." "No, I wasn't..." Before I could finish, Liam cut me off: "You can be on top tonight. I won't complain." Saying that, Liam started unbuttoning his shirt. He had an incredible body. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and solid eight-pack abs. He looked amazing. I had ridden those abs more times than I could count. He grabbed my hand and pressed it flat against his stomach. Then, he arrogantly turned his face away, though the tips of his ears slowly turned pink. "Consider it a favor. You can touch whatever you want tonight." I glanced at the calendar and realized today was one of our scheduled "duty" days. Usually, I had to remind him. But tonight, Liam was being terrifyingly proactive. "Liam, I'm not in the mood tonight." I dropped that sentence and practically sprinted back to my room. 4 When I woke up at noon the next day, Liam surprisingly hadn't left the house. He was sprawling lazily on the living room sofa, casually scrolling through his phone. Seeing me walk out of the bedroom, he put his phone away, let out a low cough, and said casually: "Chloe, didn't you complain that your closet was getting boring? I have some free time today. I can take you shopping." "No thanks, I have plans with Harper." I rejected him without a second thought. "Seriously, Chloe, how long are you going to stay mad?" Liam marched over, grabbed my wrist, and furrowed his brow. He pressed his lips together, sounding impatient: "I'm literally giving you an out right now. Are you planning to tattle on me to my grandfather again?" So that was why he was acting so weird today. I couldn't really blame him; I used to do that all the time. "Relax, relax." I quickly waved my free hand to deny it. "I won't. I admit I used to be way too controlling." "The three rules I made? They're all void. From now on, you can do whatever you want. I won't interfere in your life anymore." "I swear." Afraid he wouldn't believe me, I raised three fingers like a scout. "I promise." "Chloe, you..." Liam stared at me in disbelief. A watery, red sheen began to pool in his eyes. His eyes grew redder, his chest rising and falling heavily. Finally, he coldly turned his face away, his voice hard as rock: "Fine. Whatever." Immediately after, the front door slammed shut with a massive BANG. What the hell?! What was he so mad about? I met Harper at a cafe. I told her the truth about my identity. Harper sat there stunned for a long time before she could process it. "So you think you and Liam are going to call off the engagement, which is why you stopped keeping him on a leash?" "But have you ever thought that maybe Liam actually cares about you? He wouldn't just break off the engagement that easily." "Liam doesn't like me." I pulled a bitter smile, mocking myself: "Just last week, he said it himself." "I didn't realize until then just how much he despised being engaged to me." 5 After being with Liam for so many years, saying I had no feelings for him would be a lie. The night I accidentally found out I was a fake heiress, I desperately wanted to find Liam, sleep with him, and vent my emotions. But standing outside his VIP room at the club, I overheard his conversation with his friends: "Liam, are you seriously going to let Chloe control you for the rest of your life?" "Everyone says you're totally whipped, completely controlled by a woman." "You haven't actually fallen for her, have you?" "Impossible!" Liam declared with absolute certainty. "I could fall for anyone in the world, but not her." "Chloe is just pale with big eyes, she is absolutely not my type." "If my grandfather hadn't forced this engagement down my throat, I never would have bowed down to her." Standing outside the door, an unspeakable mix of emotions crashed over me. The tiny sliver of fantasy I had harbored about Liam shattered instantly. I quietly left the club and walked alone for a very long time in the dark. "He said it himself." I looked at Harper, pursing my lips. "He can't wait to get rid of me." Harper opened her mouth, looking at me like she wanted to say something, but ultimately stayed silent. I told her my concerns. I have always cared deeply about my pride. Once the news broke that I was a fake heiress and the Vance family dumped me, the entire elite circle would laugh me out of town. So I planned to initiate the breakup myself, before the real heiress was officially brought back. 6 Without me managing him, Liam didn't come home for the next few days. Normally, if he wasn't home by midnight, I would either blow up his phone or personally hunt him down. One night, just as I was getting ready for bed, one of Liam's lackeys sent me a video. [Boss lady, Liam insisted on hiring some 'conversation companions' tonight. Do you want to come handle this?] I clicked on the video. Liam was slouching lazily on a club sofa, a very innocent-looking girl standing nervously in front of him. My chest tightened. It seemed he had taken my "do whatever you want" speech to heart very quickly. [Okay, noted.] I closed the app, but another video immediately came through. Liam had his arm around the innocent girl and shoved a black Amex card into her chest: "My fiancée doesn't care about me anymore. Use whatever tricks you've got." My eyes burned. I immediately blocked the lackey's number. Before officially breaking off the engagement, I needed to move out of Liam's penthouse. This place was originally bought by the Vance family as our future marital home. Since we were breaking up, I had no reason to stay. After looking at apartments for a few days, I found one I liked and went to sign the lease today. Stepping out of the elevator, I unexpectedly ran into Ethan, an older guy from my college days. We were chatting and laughing as we walked out of the building. But right at the exit, I ran into a very familiar figure. Liam was staring dead at me and Ethan. His eyes were a chaotic storm of absolute disbelief, rage, and insecurity. His gaze locked onto my face. His eyes were inexplicably red, and he asked through gritted teeth: "Chloe, who is he? Don't forget, you have a fiancé." "Not for much longer," I murmured very quietly. Liam's pupils contracted violently. He charged forward and grabbed my shoulders, his fingers digging in so hard his knuckles turned white. He was breathing heavily, a watery, furious sheen building in his eyes: "Chloe, are you fucking telling me you're dumping me for this guy?!" I opened my mouth to say something, but Liam grabbed my arm and violently yanked me into his car. He crashed his lips onto mine, then bit down hard on my earlobe: "Chloe, we are childhood sweethearts! What the hell is he compared to me?!" "Get off!" I shoved hard against his chest, but his kisses just trailed down to my collarbone. "Chloe, you're telling me to get off?" Liam slid his hand up my thigh, kissed me aggressively, and threatened: "If you dare get out of this car, I will kiss you right in front of him." ... That night, Liam walked around half-naked, showing off his eight-pack. "Chloe, inspect the goods." He grabbed my hand, pressed it against his abs, and desperately explained: "I didn't touch anyone that night. When you blocked my guy, I drove straight home." "Chloe, you obviously still care about me." Hearing this, my heart softened slightly. Deep down, Liam actually did care about me, didn't he? I pushed him away slightly, ordering: "You still smell like alcohol. Go take another shower." Liam looked like he wanted to talk back, but obediently walked into the bathroom. 7 While Liam was in the shower, his iPad on the sofa lit up. I opened it. It was messages from his group chat with the guys: [Liam, we looked into him. That guy is an upperclassman from Chloe's college.] [If you care this much about that guy, you must actually be in love with Chloe, right?] Liam: [Who the hell likes Chloe? I'm just pissed off that she shifted her attention to someone else.] [I don't want a woman who jumps from bed to bed.] [Once I train Chloe properly and make her fall completely in love with me, I'm going to dump her!] So his anger today was completely faked. Behind my back, he was planning this. I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. While I was lost in thought, a freshly showered Liam pressed himself against my back. His breath was scorching hot. His kisses trailed down my neck, his voice raspy: "Chloe, we haven't done it in a long time." I raised my hand, shoved him away, and said coldly: "Liam, don't touch me. I don't want to!" Liam cursed under his breath, frowning deeply: "Chloe, you won't let me touch you? Are you saving yourself for Ethan now?!" Remembering the messages in his group chat, I suddenly didn't want to explain anything. This engagement was going to end anyway. At least this way, I looked like the winner. I wouldn't look so pathetic. I pursed my lips: "Yes. From now on, I won't interfere in your business." "And don't interfere in mine. We can both do whatever we want." "I refuse!" Liam's eyes were completely bloodshot. "Chloe, you either cut him off completely, or we call off the engagement." "Fine." I followed his lead. "Then I'll arrange a meeting between our families tomorrow." Having said that, I fought back my tears and slammed the door as I walked out.
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