When Liam accompanied me to set off fireworks at sea to celebrate my birthday, a phone call lured him away. He never returned that night. In the quiet, empty expanse of the night, my loneliness didn't last long. Mia, a female artist under his agency, posted an explosive social media update. It was a photo of a man and a woman's hands intertwined on a bed. The caption read: "Saw the most beautiful white fireworks tonight. Thank you to my boss." I knew then that I never wanted to see fireworks again. The love story between Liam and me was finally reaching its end. 1. "Ms. Hastings, this is the fake death service plan we've customized for you. It includes practical scheduling and arrangements based on your proposed boat explosion scenario. Please review it and let us know if you're satisfied." I took the proposal, skimmed it, and signed my name with a flourish. Seeing my decisiveness, the staff member couldn't hide his surprise: "Honestly, many people still hesitate a bit at this stage. There are a lot of factors to consider. You are truly bold." "Especially the scenario you requested... that's an incredibly expensive, luxury yacht." "And because of the fame you and Mr. Sterling share, the coast where that yacht is moored has become a highly popular landmark for couples on dates and singles seeking romance." "Are you sure you won't regret blowing it up just like that?" I lowered my eyes, my expression darkening. Regret it? Maybe a little. That yacht was Liam's eighteenth birthday gift to me, worth nearly forty million dollars. And Liam was only eighteen himself at the time. At such a young age, such a grand gesture immediately dominated the entertainment news headlines, causing a sensation across the city. I was both shocked and playfully scolding him: "How could you be so impulsive, spending so much money all at once..." Liam pressed his fingertips against my lips, then smoothed out my slightly furrowed brow: "Don't mention money. No amount of gold can buy my happiness. You should give our boat a name." Since his public declaration of love had shaken the whole city, my answer slipped out naturally: "Love of a Lifetime." On that night, with the moon bright and the wind gentle, Liam and I sailed out to sea on the Love of a Lifetime to celebrate my coming of age. Brilliant fireworks bloomed against the night sky, loud and fiery. I hugged him tightly, my left ear pressed against his chest, feeling his heartbeat, which was more vigorous and passionate than the fireworks. In our youth, we stood at the bow of the ship. Mimicking the characters from the movie Titanic, we shouted: "I am the king of the world!" "I am the queen of the world!" "You jump!" "I jump!" That night, we lingered in each other's arms on the boat until the horizon began to glow with the hazy light of dawn. I felt myself completely melt, becoming the dancing waves beneath him. Liam and I were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since we were kids, naturally falling into a teenage romance. But I still felt that the night on the yacht when we turned eighteen was the true beginning of our love. Because that was the first time we connected physically as adults, and we solemnly promised to love each other for a lifetime. So, what that ship carried, besides our most inextricably sweet and passionate memories, was also my most fervent and earnest longing for our future. But... Last night, during our annual celebration on the boat, he was called away by someone else. I watched the loud, grand fireworks all alone, but my heart was as dim and desolate as the dark night that followed. Liam never came back. In the quiet, empty expanse of the long night, my loneliness didn't last long. Mia, a female artist under his agency, posted an explosive social media update. It was a photo of a man and a woman's hands intertwined on a bed. I had known Liam for so many years; I had held his hand since we were kids. It was as familiar to me as my own. So, I immediately recognized the man's hand in the photo as his. Moreover, Mia's caption directly called him out: "Saw the most beautiful white fireworks tonight. Thank you to my boss." 2. There was no wind or waves, yet I still felt myself swaying. The storm inside me grew more intense, threatening to smash this huge ship to pieces and swallow me whole. I felt dizzy and disoriented, but I fought back the nausea. I thought about my past with Liam, and I thought about his intimacy with someone else. After the yacht birthday party back then, the romance of our eighteen-year-old selves became known to everyone in Seattle. The public, in a clichéd yet fairy-tale-like way, dubbed us the Princess and Prince of Seattle. At eighteen, I had already been discovered by a talent scout and debuted as a singer, so I stayed in Seattle for college. And Liam, in order to accompany me, forcefully rejected his family's plans for him to study abroad, stubbornly choosing the university I attended. No matter how much others, or even I, tried to persuade him, he refused to leave. At that time, he said to me: "Any time spent without you is a waste to me. I don't want to waste my life, not even for a single day." During college, we were seen together every day, drawing everyone's attention wherever we went. After graduation, to boost my career, Liam founded an entertainment company. He essentially stepped half-foot into the entertainment industry to build a career with me. We were still inseparable. Our love truly became a fairy tale whispered in the streets and alleys of Seattle. But it turns out, there are no fairy tales in the real world. I never thought that the relationship between Liam and me would be tainted by the typical decay found in the entertainment industry. During our twenty-eighth year, my world tour kept Liam and me apart for half a year. And in that blank space of my absence, Liam found someone else to spice up his life. Just like he had once gifted me a yacht. When Mia first appeared before my eyes, I was so shocked I couldn't recover for a long time. That was only a few days ago. I had traveled a long distance to return from abroad. But among the people cheering and welcoming me at the airport, Liam was noticeably missing. Without a moment's rest, I rushed to find him. In Liam's office at the company. Her hand was intimately hooked with his, the glimpse of cleavage from her deep-V dress almost pressing against his face. Seeing me enter, they both panicked for a moment and pulled apart. But an indescribable, ambiguous scent lingered in the air. I didn't say a word, just pulled a long face and slammed the door as I left. And Liam didn't chase after me. My fury unabated, I didn't go home that day but stayed in a hotel. It grew completely dark, and Liam still hadn't contacted me. Sitting in the dark, my mind was a chaotic mess. Who was that woman? What exactly was her relationship with Liam? And before I pushed that door open, what were the two of them doing in the office? In the hazy confusion of the darkness, I remembered the way Liam looked at her. I remembered their disheveled clothes, the sneaky atmosphere in the office... And Liam's neglect and coldness toward me. I had just walked away. He ignored me, didn't even make a single phone call. A bone-deep disappointment enveloped me. Just then, a crisp sound echoed, sounding almost like the breaking of my own heart. It was a knock on the door. Liam had finally come. I moved toward the dark doorway, hesitated, and didn't open the door. He turned and left without much persistence, leaving me in further disbelief. I slumped weakly against the door to the floor. I didn't understand what was happening to us. How could everything have changed just because I left him for half a year? But just as tears streaked my face, I received a message from him. It was an aerial video. The dazzling large screens all over the city were displaying my photos, along with slogans congratulating me on the perfect conclusion of my world tour and welcoming me home... Then, brilliant fireworks bloomed outside the window. I ran over to look, and suddenly saw Liam's figure under the night sky. He stood beneath my window, looking up with a gaze of foolish devotion, his dark eyes shimmering with tears. So, he didn't come to find me immediately because he was busy doing all this? But was this a temporary apology or a pre-planned surprise? My phone rang again. On the phone, Liam said: "Please stop being mad at me, okay? I know you're tired, and my heart aches seeing you tortured by these emotions." My heart felt a mix of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, an incredibly uncomfortable feeling. I couldn't understand how he could flirt with someone else while being so attentive to me. With no answer and unable to speak, I simply hung up the phone. But the icon of the entertainment app on my phone suddenly showed countless red notification dots. I clicked it. Unsurprisingly, Liam celebrating my return to the city was trending. The internet was flooded with comments of praise and envy: "Mom, I made it! I'm witnessing the magical romance between the CEO and the female star again." "Mr. Sterling and Chloe are so sweet together. I'm willing to believe in love again." "The fireworks are too flashy, Mr. Sterling and Chloe are too sweet. It's so beautiful it revived this exhausted corporate slave working overtime." ... Most of these comments came from the "shippers" of Liam and me. I was very familiar with the usernames and avatars of those top fans. They were all good friends who had accompanied Liam and me along the way. Even they were so emotionally invested in our love, so my heart softened again. I rushed downstairs and tightly hugged Liam's cold body, sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. "You made me angry today." Liam wrapped his arms around me, burying his head in the crook of my neck, taking a deep breath as if craving my warmth: "If I hold you like this, are you still mad?" I bit my lip, staying silent. He kissed me gently: "It was my fault for forgetting to pick you up at the airport today, but there really is nothing between Mia and me. We've been together for so many years, don't you trust me?" I believed him. But for the next few days, Liam became extremely busy. He would stay with me for a short while before getting a phone call, then use an emergency at work as an excuse to leave. Meanwhile, I was busy preparing for the final concert of my tour in Seattle. As a result, we rarely had time to be intimate together. I was conflicted, and my suspicions about what Liam was doing resurfaced. Yet, I didn't know if I should make a scene again, or if I was truly making a mountain out of a molehill. Until yesterday, my twenty-eighth birthday. He decorated our Love of a Lifetime yacht with great care, making it look exceptionally beautiful. It was adorned everywhere with pink and purple ribbons and balloons. A massive display of Floyd roses spelled out our names. Liam popped the champagne himself, his eyes radiant: "Let's remember every important day in our lives. Happy birthday, Chloe." I thought he had been busy planning this surprise for me the past few days, and all my suppressed unhappiness was swept away. But when the fireworks bloomed, he lied and left once again, rushing toward someone else. The bubbles in the champagne were still fizzing upwards, like sounds growing within the wine. But the next second, the sea breeze scrambled that sound. I tilted my head back and downed the champagne... It turns out that many things are just like the foam in this wine—they surge to life for a moment, and then vanish without a trace. Then, Mia posted that social media update... It was as if the Sword of Damocles, which had been hanging over my head, finally fell. Liam had truly betrayed me! My mind went blank, seemingly visualizing the "white fireworks" belonging to Liam that Mia had mentioned. I knew then that I never wanted to see fireworks again. I never wanted to step onto that boat again. The love story between Liam and me was finally reaching its end. 3. At the fake death agency, before I could answer the staff member's question about whether I felt regret, I suddenly received a call from Liam. The voice on the other end was full of tension and concern: "Chloe, where did you go? Didn't we agree to have dinner at my parents' house today? Why aren't you home yet?" I took a deep breath. How I wanted to scream at Liam that I wasn't coming home because he hadn't come home for the entire night! Even if he used a fire in the company practice room and people being trapped as an excuse, I still knew what he did all night. Because last night, I also received a call from the female protagonist of that "accident," Mia—perhaps calling it a live broadcast of his infidelity would be more accurate. On the phone, Liam and Mia's voices intertwined. Each sound formed a massive net that blotted out the sky and heavily ensnared my heart. Liam's voice was coarse and obscene in a way I had never heard before: "You dared to set a fire just to seduce me? Are you really not afraid I'll have you thrown in jail?!" Mia just laughed: "Right now, Mr. Sterling, it's you who has 'gone in'." Liam began to exert more force: "You caused trouble to seduce me back here, so you must bear the consequences yourself!" "Weren't you acting crazy and giving it your all just now? Why are you moaning so weakly now, as if I'm forcing you?" Mia's voice sounded pitiful, a mix of laughter and crying: "Does Mr. Sterling like me like this?" "I love it. That's why I couldn't bear to stay away." ... Like a fish caught in a net, experiencing a suffocating dull pain, I struggled through listening to over an hour of betrayal. After a long groan from Liam, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Then came Mia's satiated, sharp, and venomous provocation: "How was it, Ms. Hastings? Did you enjoy listening?" "I'm just being kind. Mr. Sterling told me you are rigid and boring in bed, so I'm giving you a chance to learn." My mind was already at the breaking point. I had no energy, nor did I want to argue with her. But her words were truly sickening, so I gritted my teeth and let out a cold sneer: "I also think Miss Mia has a real talent in this area. You'd definitely have a grand career as an adult actress. Why bother being a singer here?" Mia laughed too, deliberately making her words vague and suggestive: "You don't need to mock me. It's my skill that keeps Mr. Sterling fascinated by my body." "That's why he spent so much money to sign me to his company, keeping me by his side every moment... anytime, anywhere..." I felt all the blood in my body turn cold. It seemed all the seawater rushed into my veins at that moment, making my head swell and my teeth chatter from the chill: "You think that's love?" Mia laughed wantonly: "Why wouldn't it be love?" "People say you can't exchange true feelings for true feelings, but effort definitely exchanges for sound." "You heard how loud we were screaming. It's been a long, long time since Mr. Sterling put this much effort into you, hasn't it? He loves me far deeper than he loves you." "Besides, Mr. Sterling gives me money, resources, and connections. He's very dedicated to helping me climb up." "You probably don't know this, but as soon as he signed me, he gave me major productions. I'm already the most popular female singer in Seattle." "Oh, and that yacht symbolizing your 'love of a lifetime'—I have one too." "During the half-year you left Seattle, Mr. Sterling and I were intimately entangled on the boat he bought for me." "My new boat is bigger and more luxurious. Your boat is old now, and so are you." "So, I will completely replace you very soon. In bed, in your career, in life... in every aspect." Every word she spoke felt like concentrated sulfuric acid, splashing heavily onto my heart, burning my skin and flesh. I never imagined my Liam would fall in love with someone else. Even more unimaginable was that Liam and Mia had only known each other for half a year, yet he could devote himself so fully to her! So what were the past twenty years between Liam and me? What was his promise at eighteen? What was our grand ship, the Love of a Lifetime? Or did the tragedy begin when we mimicked Jack and Rose's sweet words? It turns out there are sudden disasters in this world, sudden partings, and naturally, sudden losses of love. The Titanic sank, and so would our Love of a Lifetime. After a night of agonizing reflection. Perhaps Mia was right. My ship was old, and so was I. But the Liam she had used was old now too. Then let's discard all the old things. Whether it was the old yacht or the unfaithful Liam, I didn't want them anymore. And to achieve this goal as quickly as possible, I brought myself to the fake death agency. I was going to blow up that ship. It seemed I had to use such a tragic and grand method to make Liam understand exactly what he had lost. 4. The extreme desolation in my heart had truly made me forget about the dinner with Liam's parents. Until Liam called me. Although his heart had strayed and I decided to cut all ties with him, Liam's parents watched me grow up and were very close to me. So, I decided to suppress all the displeasure in my heart and go to this dinner properly. To say a proper goodbye. Thus, I swallowed the sarcasm that almost blurted out to Liam: "It's been a long time since I've seen your parents. I'm preparing a gift. You don't need to wait for me; I'll head over there myself later." "You're always the most thoughtful and considerate." Liam's voice, which had just carried a hint of nervous tension, relaxed. I didn't know why he was so nervous. Did he realize he couldn't find me? Or was he feeling guilty about his absurd night with someone else? But that didn't matter to me anymore. The story between us had already ended with his betrayal. Therefore, not wanting to waste any more time, I spoke decisively to the agency staff: "The yacht must be blown up. I don't want people to continue flocking to a symbol of deteriorated and fake love. It's best blown to pieces; there's nothing to regret." "Alright, the plan will be executed in three days. If there are no issues, please sign here." "Okay." Without any further hesitation, I signed my name with sharp, decisive strokes. From eighteen to twenty-eight, exactly ten years. Time has passed, and everything is so different now. The me of ten years ago absolutely never imagined that ten years later, Liam and I would fall apart so completely. And in such a resolute way. I buried my love for Liam in my heart. Let the sea also bury the ship that carried our most beautiful memories and our deep promises to each other. Let the story end exactly where it began. Turn the starting point into the breaking point.
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