Playing Dead

During the year we were madly in love, Julian died in a tragic car accident. Everyone expected me to fall apart, but I didn't shed a single tear, nor did I cause a scene. Two years later, I accidentally walked into the wrong private room at a club. Julian was sitting there, passionately making out with a young girl. His friends scrambled to explain things to me: "The car crash was really bad, Mia. Julian was in a coma, practically a vegetable. He only just woke up, but he has amnesia... We didn't want you to live in constant anxiety, so we kept it a secret." Julian gently pushed the girl away, walked up to me, and furrowed his brow. "So, I hear you're my fiancée? Even though I have no memory of you, seeing as you've been so devoted to me all this time, I suppose I can fulfill the promise and marry you." I smiled faintly and replied, "They're messing with you. We don't know each other." Julian didn't know that on the very day he "died," I received a video. In the video, Julian was laughing and telling his friends: "The thought of only sleeping with Mia for the rest of my life after we get married? I just can't do it. "I'm going to fake my death and play the field for a few more years. Make sure you guys comfort her, don't let her do anything drastic." He also didn't know that during the two years he was playing dead... I had found someone else. 1 The friends in the room froze for a second before frantically trying to persuade me: "Mia, how can you say you don't know him? We were the ones who kept it from you, it wasn't Julian's fault!" "Yeah, Mia, we did it for your own good. We didn't want you worrying yourself sick. Now that Julian is finally awake, please, don't throw a tantrum." The room was filled with accusatory tones. Before I could respond, a mocking scoff cut through the noise. Julian stood up from the sofa, a cigarette pinched casually between his fingers. He spoke with a lazy, arrogant drawl: "If she says we don't know each other, then fine. Saves me the trouble of taking responsibility." The girl standing next to him immediately clung to his arm, looking up at him with a mix of shyness and nervous excitement: "Julian... I know you! If she's going to be so ungrateful... I-I'll gladly marry you, okay?" Julian didn't answer her. He just cast a cold, indifferent glance in my direction, then wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and leaned in to kiss her. Seeing this, his friends immediately formed a human wall, blocking my view. They tried to comfort me: "Mia, Julian has amnesia. You know he loved you more than anything before the accident." "Yeah, Mia. You just need to show him some love and care so he can get his memory back. Stop acting like a spoiled brat." I opened my mouth, ready to tell these 'friends' exactly where they could shove their advice, but a sudden, sharp pain shot through my abdomen. My face instantly drained of color. I didn't stay a second longer. I turned around and walked straight out of the room. I left so quickly that no one inside even had time to react. Only after I was completely gone did they turn to Julian, sighing heavily: "Julian, you took it too far. Mia is genuinely hurt and jealous. Her face went completely white. What if she really dumps you over this?" Julian smirked, sitting back down on the plush sofa. "Mia is easy to manage. We haven't seen each other in two years; there's no way she doesn't miss me. "Besides, I supposedly have amnesia right now. Once I'm done having my fun, I'll just tell her my memory came back and that my actions weren't my own. I won't even need to apologize. I'll just crook my finger, and she'll come running right back." 2 Once I was out of the room, I couldn't hold on anymore. I crouched down on the floor. The waves of agonizing pain radiating from my stomach drained every ounce of strength I had, making it impossible to even reach the restroom. Until a shadow fell over me. A familiar, deep voice echoed above: "What's wrong? Heartbroken? Hoping to rekindle an old flame?" I looked up. A short distance away, Arthur Sterling was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me with a cool, detached gaze. He was dressed entirely in black. He had a sharp, straight nose, and his eyes were hidden in the dim lighting, making it impossible to read his expression. Under the faint light, the lines of his thin lips were sharp and elegant. In that split second, a profound sense of unjust grievance swelled in my chest. To my complete embarrassment, tears actually started falling from my eyes. Arthur panicked instantly. He dropped his arms and practically sprinted over to me. "Don't cry. I won't say it again. I promise." He was in incredibly good shape, strong and solid. With one arm, he effortlessly scooped me up from the floor. The crisp scent of cedarwood filled my nose, subtly tugging at my heartstrings. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered: "My stomach hurts..." Arthur paused for a fraction of a second. "Is it early?" I nodded. My lips accidentally brushed against his jawline as I rested my head against his broad shoulder. Arthur carried me to his car, turned the heat on high, and said: "Wait here. I'm going to buy you some supplies." With that, he shut the door and walked away. The dim yellow streetlights cast a warm glow over his tall, retreating silhouette. Not long after, a video call popped up on my phone. It was Arthur. "They're out of the brand you usually use. Do any of these look okay?" I was just about to pick one when a familiar, obnoxiously surprised voice echoed through his phone. Julian, with his arm wrapped tightly around his new girl's waist, swaggered into the convenience store. He looked Arthur up and down, exclaiming: "We invited you out for drinks tonight and you bailed! Turns out you're busy buying tampons for a girl! "Are you on a video call with her?! Let me see! Who on earth finally managed to melt our resident iceberg?!" Julian reached out, trying to snatch Arthur's phone. I instinctively jerked my face away from the camera. But Julian never laid a finger on the phone. Arthur simply shot him a single, freezing glare, and Julian immediately pulled his hand back. "Alright, alright! If you're going to be that protective of your new girl, at least bring her out to meet us sometime! "Oh, by the way, Arthur, I ran into Mia earlier. She walked into the wrong room and caught me kissing someone else. Scared the hell out of me! Luckily, the guys covered for me and told her I have amnesia. Once I've had my fun, I'll 'recover' my memory. "Honestly, bro, you totally saved my life. I wasn't ready to settle down, and that fake death idea you gave me worked like a charm!" The video feed jolted violently, and the next second, the call was abruptly disconnected. 3 Arthur returned ten minutes later. He didn't make eye contact. He just handed me the bag of supplies, quickly got into the driver's seat, and locked the doors. "I had someone prepare hot ginger and jujube tea at my place. Do you... want to go back and drink it?" His voice carried a hint of nervous hesitation. I couldn't help but find it slightly amusing. Arthur Sterling was a notoriously wealthy and powerful heir in the capital's elite circles. He was also Julian's absolute best friend. In the past, whenever I joined Julian for dinners or events, Arthur was always there. Back then, he was incredibly cold and distant toward me. Whenever the group teased Julian and me, demanding we show some PDA, Arthur wouldn't even glance in our direction. Sometimes, he even looked openly disdainful or disgusted. Because of that, everyone in their social circle assumed he absolutely hated me. Until... on the exact day of Julian's 'fatal' car crash, I received a video. A video sent directly to me by Arthur. In the video, Julian was laughing and telling his friends: "The thought of only sleeping with Mia for the rest of my life after we get married? I just can't do it. "I'm going to fake my death and play the field for a few more years. Make sure you guys comfort her, don't let her do anything drastic." What I didn't know until tonight was that the entire 'fake death' scheme was actually Arthur's idea. This man was incredibly calculating. 4 When we arrived at Arthur's villa, before my feet even touched the pavement, he scooped me up into his arms. After I took care of things in the bathroom, Arthur laid me gently on the bed and handed me his phone to play games on. Once I finished the hot ginger tea, he naturally stripped off his shirt, lay down beside me, and began gently massaging my lower stomach. The overhead lighting cascaded down like a sheer veil, highlighting the sculpted lines of his abs. Every muscle seemed to tell a hidden story, practically begging to be explored. I thought about it, so I did it. Arthur's eyes instantly darkened, and he caught my wandering hand. "Behave." I ignored him. He cupped the back of my head and crushed his lips against mine. Two years was more than enough time for him to learn exactly how my body worked. When things reached a fever pitch, he gripped my hand. His voice was a ragged, hoarse whisper: "Help me—" I had discovered Arthur's terrifying stamina the very first time I got drunk and slept with him. It wasn't until my wrist was aching so badly it felt like it was going to fall off that he finally finished. Just as he was about to carry me to the bathroom to clean up, a phone rang from the edge of the bed. It was Arthur's phone. I had accidentally rolled over and hit the 'Answer' button. "Arthur, I'm thinking of throwing a massive engagement party with Chloe, just to piss Mia off. What do you think? "When she saw I was alive, she didn't even ask how I was doing! She just got jealous and stormed off, and she hasn't even tried to contact me! "Clearly, two years apart gave her an ego. I need to break her down a bit. I want her to experience the agony of losing me all over again. I'm going to plan something epic, and I need you to..." Julian's voice blared through the speaker. But he was abruptly cut off. Because I couldn't stop myself from letting out a sharp gasp. Not because of Julian's psychotic rambling, but because something else had suddenly woken back up. And it twitched aggressively in my hand. 5 I shot Arthur a furious, embarrassed glare. Julian's voice continued through the phone, sounding incredibly amused: "Wow, Arthur! What the hell are you doing right now? Is there a woman with you?! Tell me, is it the same girl you were video chatting with earlier?!" After two years apart, and the fact that I only made a brief, muffled sound... Plus, Julian had been surrounded by countless women over the past two years, so he didn't immediately recognize my voice. Arthur clearly had absolutely no intention of engaging with Julian. His dark, intense eyes were locked entirely on me, overflowing with desire. I glared at him again, wrenched myself out of his arms, and tried to scramble to the other side of the bed. But before I could even make it one step, Arthur grabbed my ankle and dragged me right back. Julian kept talking: "Bro, you HAVE to bring her out and introduce her! I need to see the saint who finally got the iron tree to bloom! And hey, now that you're finally playing the game, you can't turn down the girls I introduce you to anymore! "Oh, right, the engagement party. Originally I wanted you to invite Mia so she'd have to watch, but since I know you hate her..." Before Julian could finish, Arthur impatiently hung up the phone. He tossed the phone onto the mattress, scooped me up with one arm, and carried me to the bathroom. When we finally emerged, three hours had passed. Arthur looked incredibly satisfied. I shot him a death glare and collapsed onto the bed, refusing to acknowledge him. I picked up my own phone and saw a new text message. It was from one of Julian's lackeys. Two years ago, Julian had integrated me into all of his social circles. [Mia, Julian is getting engaged to someone else in seven days! You need to come talk some sense into him! I don't want him to regret this when he gets his memory back! This isn't what he truly wants!] I read the message once, deleted it, and tossed my phone aside. I am not the kind of person who goes looking for drama when I have nothing better to do. What did Julian's engagement have to do with me? Arthur reached out, trying to pull me back into his arms. I glared at him and swiftly shimmied to the far edge of the bed. I absolutely refused to endure another three or four-hour marathon! 6 The news that Julian wasn't actually dead, and was about to get engaged, spread like wildfire. A ton of my friends reached out. Some offered sympathy, some aggressively cursed Julian out for being a scumbag, and some clearly just wanted front-row seats to the drama. My college roommate, Lily, called me, absolutely screaming about Julian. "When I heard Julian was alive, I was so incredibly happy for you! But then I hear he's getting engaged to someone else?! That is completely fucked up! So what if he has amnesia, does that give him the right to betray you?! You're his actual fiancée! Has no one told him that?! "Absolutely not. I am not letting my best friend get humiliated like this! I'm going to find out exactly where this engagement party is, and we are going to crash it and get justice!" I laughed. "People get divorced all the time; engagements can be broken too. My relationship with him died two years ago. Whatever he does now has absolutely nothing to do with me." Lily remained fiercely indignant. "I just can't stomach this... You waited for him for two years! I watched you stay single this entire time!" I choked slightly on the cookie I was eating. Who was waiting for him? It's just that Arthur and I hadn't made our relationship public yet. Lily spent another ten minutes trying to convince me to go confront Julian with her. When I firmly refused again, she sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. Do you want to go out tonight, then? We haven't hung out in forever. Drinks are on me tonight!" Having nothing better to do, I agreed. Lily picked the location. She arrived before me. Looking at the massive, luxury hotel in front of me, I felt a wave of confusion. "Didn't you say we were going to a bar? Why are we at a hotel?" Lily's eyes darted around guiltily as she grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. "Bars are so unsafe at night! What if we get drunk and something bad happens? A high-end hotel is much safer! Plus, we can get some amazing food. It'll be great!" She dragged me straight into the building. The moment the doors to the grand ballroom swung open, my expression turned to ice.

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