On the way to finalize our divorce, Liam and I were hit by a truck. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard him whisper, "If I could do it all over, I would've said yes when Ashley confessed her love." "To live a life full of passion with her... that's the life I've always wanted." When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of our engagement party. Just like last time, Ashley stood there, holding a bouquet, asking Liam if he would choose her. Without a single glance at me, Liam took the ring and knelt before Ashley. "Ashley, I love you. Will you marry me?" I knew then that he had been reborn, too. So, I let them have their moment. He got his wish, a life of freedom and passion with Ashley. But later, he came crawling back, kneeling before me, begging through tears for me to marry him again. 1 Ashley was stunned by the sudden turn of events. When Liam asked again, tears of joy streamed down her face. "Yes, I will!" They embraced tightly, completely oblivious to the icy tension that had gripped the room. All eyes were on me. I took off my veil, tossed it aside, and watched the deeply in love couple with a cold, detached gaze. Liam led Ashley onto the stage and took the microphone. "Today was supposed to be my engagement party," he announced. "But standing up here, I've realized that the person I truly love is Ashley." "I've let her slip through my fingers too many times. This time, I won't make the same mistake. I want to spend the rest of my life with her!" No one in the room applauded their whirlwind romance. Liam finally looked at me, his voice devoid of all emotion. "I wasn't thinking clearly before. If you want compensation, I can give you five hundred thousand. I hope you'll stay out of my life from now on." His eyes were cold and numb, a reflection of the twenty years of marriage that had worn him down in our past life. But when he looked at Ashley, his eyes burned with the same passion he'd had in his twenties. We had dated for three years before deciding to get engaged. The moment I said yes, he had announced it to everyone we knew. We were showered with blessings from all sides, with one exception: Ashley. She was his junior in college and had fallen for him at first sight. She orchestrated "chance" encounters all over campus, and after graduation, she found ways to stay close to him. Whenever she saw me, she'd flash a bright, provocative smile. "You're not married yet," she'd say. "I'm not giving up. I'll make him see that life has more than one path!" I was always unsettled by her presence, but Liam would just pull me into his arms and coldly reject her. In our past life, to prove his unwavering commitment to me, he had rushed to hold the engagement party right after proposing. Ashley had shown up at that party, too, wearing a stunning wedding gown. She looked beautiful yet fragile, her gaze fixed stubbornly on Liam. "Liam," she had declared, "this is the last time I'll confess my feelings to you. If you reject me again, I will disappear from your world forever!" In that life, Liam had taken my hand, knelt, and placed the ring on my finger, his actions a silent, final rejection of Ashley. But this time, he took Ashley's hand and confessed his love to her in front of everyone. As the room remained frozen in a stunned silence, I simply took a step back and let them steal my spotlight. Only after their passionate declarations were over did I speak, my voice calm and even. "I wish you both the best. Liam, I hope we never see each other again." 2 Liam flinched, clearly surprised by how easily I had let go. Ashley, on the other hand, let out a squeal of delight, planting several kisses on his lips before finally turning to me. "Sarah, I told you he would choose me!" I gave her a half-hearted nod and turned to leave. As I stepped off the stage, I stumbled. A cool hand steadied me. "Miss Paltrow," a smooth voice said, "perhaps it's time you started looking at other people." I looked up at the man holding my arm—Adrian Stanton. A small smile touched my lips. I recognized his face from countless financial news segments in my past life. I just never expected to see him at my own disastrous engagement party. "Like who?" I asked. A smile spread across Adrian's face, his dark eyes reflecting only me. He pressed a slip of paper into my palm. "My number. Call me when you have a moment." I glanced at him, then gathered my skirt and headed for the dressing room. My parents and Liam's parents followed me, their faces grim. Liam's parents offered a forced, apologetic smile. "Sarah, our son has been so foolish. But what's done is done. We want to compensate you. Just tell us what you need, and we'll make it happen." My mother rolled her eyes. "Who cares about your..." I quickly grabbed her hand, cutting her off. Then, with a bright smile, I said, "Auntie, in that case, how about you give me that plot of land in the North District?" Right now, that piece of land was practically worthless. But in a few years, its value would skyrocket. It was that very plot that had saved Liam's family from bankruptcy in our past life. His parents drew up a contract on the spot. I beamed. After they left, my mother smacked my arm. "How can you be smiling after being publicly humiliated like that?" I pointed to the contract. "With this? How could I not be?" I truly was happy. In our past life, a series of bad decisions by Liam's family had dragged my family's business down with them into bankruptcy. The Stanton family was only saved by that single plot of land. I, on the other hand, had to pour every ounce of my energy into work just to salvage my family's company. He had thrown tantrums more than once, complaining about how dull and boring our life was. Why couldn't I just put work aside so we could see the world, have some fun? That's when Ashley had reappeared. She had become a famous travel blogger, her location tag bouncing from one country to another. Liam was mesmerized by her videos. He started using "business trips" as an excuse to fly to Africa to watch the wildebeest migration with her. One was wild and free, the other yearned for that same freedom. It was inevitable that they would be drawn to each other. His "business trips" became more and more frequent. When I finally grew suspicious, I booked a seat on the same flight and discovered the truth. When I confronted him, the coldness in his eyes stopped me in my tracks. He said that being with me was like being trapped in stagnant water, utterly lifeless. Only with Ashley did he feel alive. Eventually, he hit rock bottom. "Let's get a divorce," he'd said. "You can have three-quarters of everything. You can have the kids. I just want my freedom." "A person like you," he'd sneered, "all you care about is money and profit. You'll never understand the joy of a life without constraints." He sounded like his eighteen-year-old self again, arrogant and reckless. But all I felt was a sense of ridicule. A life of passion and freedom was certainly appealing, but without a material foundation, it would ultimately lead to an empty void after the initial thrill wore off. Once he had had his fill of adventure, he would realize he had nothing to show for his life. For a long time after that, I heard nothing from Liam. I'd only catch glimpses of him when Ashley's account popped up on my social media feed. It seemed he was truly living the life he'd always wanted. But I didn't dwell on it. Because I, too, had found a new life and a new love, one who truly shared my ambitions. 3 I walked into the Stanton Corporation headquarters, holding a proposal for the North District development project. The elevator doors opened, and I found myself face-to-face with Liam. "Sarah Paltrow?" Behind him, Ashley looked up at me. They were both decked out in ski gear, a brand owned by Stanton Corp. I knew one of Adrian's subsidiaries was looking for influencers to be brand ambassadors; I just hadn't expected it to be them. I gave a curt nod in greeting and moved to step into the elevator. Liam blocked my path. "How did you know I'd be here?" "Sarah," he said, his voice laced with annoyance, "I just got back in the country, and you're already chasing me. Can't you just leave me alone?" Ashley clung to Liam's arm, her eyes full of smug satisfaction. "Sarah, you were so dramatic about leaving him. Why are you chasing him now? Liam and I are doing great. I heard things aren't going so well for you, though?" "I heard the Paltrow family business is on the brink of collapse?" she asked, looking me up and down with the disdain one reserves for a failure. "Oh, Sarah, you're so pathetic. Your family's business is gone, you're getting old, you've never even seen the world, and now Liam doesn't love you anymore. Why don't you come be our assistant? We could even pay you a little extra." I looked at them as if they were a pair of fools. Had all that traveling knocked their brains loose? The Paltrow Corporation had been restructured and rebranded ages ago. The "Paltrow business" they were talking about was just a small subsidiary I'd left for my younger brother to practice on. "No, thank you," I said calmly. "I'm doing just fine." I tried to move past them to press the elevator button. But Ashley was relentless. She waved at the receptionist. "Does Stanton Corp just let anyone in? Does this woman even have an appointment?" The receptionist hurried over. "Miss Paltrow does have an..." Ashley cut her off. "So what if she has an appointment? I was personally invited here by Mr. Stanton himself. If you offend me, I'll have him fire you!" Liam chuckled beside her. "Exactly. Besides, this 'Miss Paltrow' isn't really here to see Mr. Stanton. She's just trying to harass me. I can handle this for him." He then pulled out an old photo of us from his wallet and showed it to the receptionist as if it were proof. "Sarah, you really went to great lengths to find me, even booking an appointment with Mr. Stanton. It's pathetic," he said. "If you have something to say, let's take it outside. Don't embarrass yourself here." The receptionist's gaze wavered. "Miss Paltrow, perhaps it would be best if you left." I felt a knot of frustration tighten in my chest. I couldn't believe how these two could so brazenly impose their own narrative on a situation and be so utterly self-righteous about it. I turned to the receptionist. "Please call Mr. Stanton's secretary and authorize the private executive elevator for me." She looked at me, hesitating. "Miss Paltrow, you only have an appointment with Mr. Stanton. The executive elevator is for... well, executives." "Besides," she added, her suspicion growing, "if you're really just here to see Mr. Miller, you don't actually need to see Mr. Stanton at all." Ashley snorted. "Sarah, stop pretending. Your family is practically bankrupt. You have no business using the executive elevator." The commotion was attracting attention from other clients waiting in the lobby. Their whispers were loud enough for us to hear. "Who does she think she is? Trying to use Mr. Stanton's private elevator?" "Probably another gold digger. Even though Mr. Stanton is engaged, he still attracts them like flies." The audience seemed to fuel Liam and Ashley's performance. Their voices grew louder. "Sarah, I know we had a past, but can you please stop harassing me here? Even though I have a good relationship with Mr. Stanton, I can't just let you cause a scene!" "There's a coffee shop outside. Let's talk there." 4 I glanced at my watch. My meeting with Adrian was in a few minutes. I was starting to get anxious. "Liam, Ashley, I told you, my being here has nothing to do with you. Now, please move." "Nothing to do with us?" Liam's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I've been out of the country for months. I land today, and the moment I finish my photoshoot, you appear. You're telling me this isn't a calculated move?" "Sarah, you were the one who said you hoped we'd never see each other again. But the moment I'm back, you're right here. You think I don't know what you're thinking?" A flicker of anger ignited within me. "Are you two done? If you are, then get out of my way!" "Sarah, darling, don't get so flustered!" Ashley cooed. "We're just trying to catch up. After all, Liam did choose me in the end." "He still feels guilty about you. We've been so happy these past few years, so he worries about you sometimes." I finally realized it. These two were living in a world of their own making. I stopped arguing and sat down on the sofa, pulling out my phone to call Adrian. "I'm being held up in your lobby," I said. "The two people blocking my way claim to have a good relationship with you. You should probably come down." I hung up before he could reply. Liam and Ashley exchanged a look and laughed. "Sarah, are you really calling Mr. Stanton?" I ignored her, focusing on my proposal. Ashley snatched the proposal from my hands, flipped through it dismissively, and then ripped it to shreds. "What's this? A few pieces of paper? Do you have any idea who Mr. Stanton is? How dare you speak to him like that?" she sneered. "You probably just dialed a random number." I watched as the proposal my team had worked on all night turned into confetti. A wave of frustration and rage washed over me. I slapped her, hard. "Ashley, have you gone through life without ever facing consequences for your actions?" She clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You hit me?" "Sarah! I was personally invited here by Mr. Stanton! Do you have any idea what you've just done?" "I was going to put in a good word for you, maybe get you a meeting with him to save your precious family business." Liam rushed to her side, pulling her into his arms to inspect the damage. "Sarah, you really don't appreciate kindness, do you? Apologize to Ashley right now, and maybe she'll still introduce you to Mr. Stanton. If you don't, you'll have to face the consequences!" The receptionist's face had gone pale. "Miss Paltrow! How could you hit Miss Lin? She's Mr. Stanton's personal guest! What if something serious happens? Can you afford to take responsibility?" Liam sneered. "Sarah, if you kneel and apologize, I'll put in a good word for you with Mr. Stanton." The commotion had drawn everyone's attention. No one noticed the elevator doors slide open. Not until a warm hand rested on my shoulder. "Honey, what's got you so upset?"
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