On the eve of Valentine's Day, my fiancé, who works at a classified government agency, sent me a text. [Baby, I'm so sorry. The team got called out on an emergency mission, and my wedding leave has been canceled again.] The moment I received this message... I was standing less than thirty feet from the main gate of his agency. With my own eyes, I watched his female "bro," Mia, slip inside his winter coat. He laughed and ruffled her hair. "Just to satisfy your sick sense of humor, I've stood Chloe up six times now." "This is the absolute last time. Next year, no matter what, I'm marrying her." Mia laughed and offered him a sip of the boba tea she had been drinking. "Didn't you guys just buy a new mattress for the wedding? I'm going to help her 'test it out.'" "No need to thank me, just consider it an early wedding gift." Hearing this, I dug my fingernails so hard into my palms that they almost bled. I dialed Liam's parents' number. [Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, let's get everyone together and decorate the new house tonight.] [Yeah, I mostly just want to give Liam a huge surprise.] Since he wanted to be shameless. He couldn't blame me for burning everything to the ground. 1 [Let's keep the fact that we're all in Seattle a secret from Liam for now.] [Okay, I'll wait for you guys downstairs at the apartment complex.] After hanging up the phone. I opened the app for the security cameras I had just installed yesterday. On the screen, they were tangled together, stumbling all the way from the entryway into the master bedroom. I saw the lucky charm I had once prayed so hard to get for him... Now lying discarded, broken in half amidst a pile of scattered clothes. My body went stiff, letting the freezing wind bite into me. It didn't take long for both sets of parents and our relatives to arrive. Before they even got close, my parents hurried over, full of anticipation. "How is it, Chloe? Did you see Liam yet?" "Don't worry, your grandpa just called his agency director." "Even if the sky falls tomorrow, his team won't be calling him out on any emergency missions." I fought back the overwhelming urge to break down. I forced a smile for them. "Okay." "Chloe, didn't you say you wanted to surprise Liam?" "What are we waiting for? Let's head up and start decorating." Seeing the bright red balloons and streamers in my family's hands. My nose stung, and I let the tears spill from my eyes. I've known Liam for ten years, we've been dating for eight, and we agreed to get married six years ago. Six years ago, exactly one month before our wedding... He said he wanted to run for team leader, so I agreed to postpone the wedding for a year. Three years ago, exactly one week before our wedding... He said he had to go on a classified mission. I agreed to postpone the wedding for another year. Until this year, when both sets of parents finally lost their patience. Three days ago, we brought all our relatives and friends... Arriving early in the city where his agency is located to prepare for the wedding. But I never, ever would have guessed. The home I spent six years carefully designing and furnishing. Every piece of furniture, every inch of the floorboards... Had been claimed by his female "bro," Mia, first. The thought made my stomach churn. I rushed to a nearby trash can and threw up for a long time. I wanted to tell them. I wanted to tell everyone. Just half an hour ago. Liam personally texted me to say... The wedding scheduled for tomorrow was being postponed for another year. I wanted to tell my parents that Liam had betrayed me. For six years, every time he lied about his wedding leave being canceled... He was actually messing around with his female "bro," Mia. But I found my throat felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't squeeze out a single word, couldn't make a single sound. As I walked into the apartment building, I chugged a bottle of freezing cold water. "Liam, it's time you got a taste of what it's like to be played for a fool." As soon as everyone stepped off the elevator. They saw a pair of women's shoes and a coat scattered in the hallway. Seeing me awkwardly kicking the clothes toward the wall... Liam's mother covered her nose and chuckled knowingly. She unlocked the door with a knowing smile. At the exact same moment, heavy, indescribable panting came from the master bedroom. "Liam... this bed is pretty comfortable." "When you're doing it with Chloe here in the future, are you going to think of me?" "We should change the sofa to leather; the fabric one scratches my skin when we're on it." Hearing this, everyone's expressions froze. It was as if someone had cast a freezing spell on them. No one stepped closer to see what was happening. And no one made a sound. I forced my legs, which felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, to move. I picked up the lucky charm, shattered in two, from the pile of scattered lingerie and shirts. Even though I had prepared myself mentally for this... Actually being in the moment, I still acted as cowardly as a child who had done something wrong. 2 "Liam Hayes, get your ass out here right now." "Liam, did you hear me?" "How dare you betray my daughter! You must have a death wish." My dad charged toward the master bedroom, ignoring everything else. He slammed both fists heavily against the wooden door. Just as he was furious enough to kick the door down... Liam, wrapped in a bathrobe, slipped out through a crack in the door. "Mr. Davis, Dad, Mom, Mrs. Davis..." "W-why are you all here?" "Why didn't anyone tell..." Before he could finish, my dad kicked him hard. "You heartless animal, you have the nerve to ask us?" "Chloe waited for you for six whole years, counting the days and the stars." "Was it just so she could wait and see how you betrayed her?" Before Liam could recover from his shock. My mom had already rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a meat cleaver. "Where is that little tramp? How dare she ruin my daughter's marriage!" "I'm going to kill her!" Just as she raised the cleaver, ready to storm the master bedroom... Liam snatched the cleaver from her hand and threw it on the floor. "Mr. and Mrs. Davis, are you misunderstanding something?" "My original plan was to leave the base and come home at 7 AM tomorrow." "I wanted to give Chloe a surprise, so I came home early." "I just finished showering and was about to change when you guys showed up." While he was talking, my cousin had already charged into the bedroom. "Liam, if you really cheated on my cousin, I'm going to end you." The moment he pushed the door open... The wedding bed was made impeccably. He scanned the entire room, but couldn't find a second person besides Liam. Seeing this, Liam's mother immediately chimed in to change the subject. "See, I told you. How could my Liam do something like that?" "Looks like we all misunderstood him." "Chloe, really, you should have just waited upstairs with Liam for us." "What, were you afraid we wouldn't be able to find the way with so many people?" She grumpily picked up the coat from the floor and handed it to her son. "Honestly, Liam. Showering is one thing, but why were you watching porn?" "Now look what happened. Everyone misunderstood." Liam's cousin chimed in from the side. "Honestly, you and Chloe totally just had a passionate moment, didn't you?" "You didn't even clean up the 'battlefield' before having everyone come decorate the house." "Yeah, you're really treating us like family, not holding back at all." Having quickly thrown on some clothes, Liam immediately played along with the excuse. "See, this is just my luck." "Who else watches a little video in their own home and gets treated like they're being caught cheating in public?" He faked an awkward cough. "Since everyone is here, why don't we go out to eat?" "Chloe, what do you think?" Seeing that I remained completely unmoved. He walked right up, took my arm, and leaned in close to my ear. "Let's just take everyone out to eat first. I'll explain the video thing to you later." "Things aren't what they seem, trust me." "Say something, hurry up. Everyone is waiting." Hah. Is he afraid everyone is waiting? Or is he afraid the person hiding in the master bedroom is waiting? After ten years together, Liam knew exactly how to manipulate me better than anyone. He knew that every time he and Mia crossed the line under the guise of being "bros"... I would patiently believe his excuses, time and time again. But what he didn't know was... when I found out that he had been lying about his wedding leave being canceled for six years, all for this so-called "bro"... I didn't want to marry him anymore. At all. But I didn't want to just rip the band-aid off right now. I wanted to see with my own eyes how they would reap what they sowed and suffer the consequences of their own actions. 3 I sneered and pulled my arm free from his grasp. "What just happened really was a misunderstanding." "It's our fault for not being careful and making a fool of ourselves in front of everyone." "Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, since it's so rare for us all to be together..." "How about we just order some hot pot delivery and eat here? It can be a housewarming party for us." "No!" As soon as I said that, the three members of the Hayes family objected almost simultaneously. Seeing my confused expression... Liam's mother was the first to explain. "There are no ingredients in the new house. Eating hot pot here would be poor hosting." "Besides, it's getting late. There's no time to go grocery shopping and cook now." "Liam's mom is right. Let's just go out to eat." "My parents are right, Chloe. Mr. and Mrs. Davis, let's just go out to eat." In the entire room... Only me and the three members of the Hayes family knew. There was a master bathroom behind a hidden door. Did they want to use dinner as an excuse to get me and everyone else out of the apartment? So Mia could use the opportunity to sneak out? Keep dreaming! I ignored the Hayes family's attempts to look calm. I pulled my parents and relatives to sit down on the sofa. "Oh, everyone has had a long day. Let's not make things more complicated." "I just ordered delivery on DoorDash. It'll be here in twenty minutes." "Does everyone want cilantro and green onions? I remember Tim doesn't eat spicy food, right?" "Okay, I've added a note for the restaurant." Although they looked incredibly reluctant. The Hayes family still had to bite the bullet and sit down. While I was in the pantry making tea for everyone. Liam looked embarrassed as he whispered an explanation to me. "Chloe, did you get my text? I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect to mess it up like this." I pretended like nothing happened, asking him casually. "What text? Did you just text me?" "Sorry, I was so focused on decorating the house, I haven't had time to look at my phone." I was about to pull out my phone when he raised his hand to stop me. "It's good you didn't see it. The wedding is going ahead as planned. After tomorrow, you will officially be my wife." I sneered and pushed him away. I went back to the living room and warmly entertained my family and friends. While waiting for the hot pot. People were putting up wedding decals. People were blowing up balloons. And the task of decorating the master bedroom... Was given to the two of us, the engaged couple. I was just about to lift the blanket to scatter dried red dates and longans on the bed. When Liam yanked the fitted sheet and the duvet off the bed in one swift motion, throwing them on the floor. Seeing my confused look. He explained with an awkward expression. "No one has slept in it for a long time. I was afraid it was dusty." He pulled out a brand-new set of sheets from the closet. "You sit down and rest for a bit. I'll change them." "Chloe, I know it's been hard on you planning the wedding all by yourself these past few years." "Don't worry, once I get promoted in a little while, I'll request a transfer." "Then, we can live the normal, 9-to-5, everyday life you've always wanted." I couldn't be bothered to listen to his lies. I was just about to reach out and push open the hidden door to the bathroom. When he grabbed me from behind, hugging me tightly around my waist. "Wait!" 4 I looked furious and demanded loudly. "What are you doing? I need to use the bathroom." The moment I broke free from his embrace. I acted completely enraged and demanded loudly. "Liam, what the hell are you hiding?" I rushed into the bathroom behind the hidden door like a madwoman. Even though I practically tore up the floorboards... I couldn't find a single trace of Mia. Liam visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, stop being so paranoid." "Let's get back to the living room. The hot pot is almost ready." As the steam from the hot pot filled the air. I felt my eyes misting over too. This moment was exactly what I used to dream of the most. Parents, my fiancé, relatives, and friends, all by my side. Everyone eating hot pot together, having a few drinks. The elders talking business and family gossip. The younger generation talking about dreams, the collision of reality and the soul. "Chloe, what are you spacing out for?" "Eat up. After we eat, I have to take everyone back to the hotel." It wasn't until Liam started frantically throwing food into the pot, trying to rush the process. That I finally woke up from the illusion in front of me. "What's the rush? Who finishes a hot pot dinner in an hour?" "Since everyone is here today, whatever else you guys want to eat, I'll order more." "Two orders of sliced beef, two orders of tripe, two orders of shrimp paste..." I completely ignored the anxious eyes of the three members of the Hayes family. If she wasn't hiding inside the room. And the bathroom window happened to face the external AC unit. Then there was only one possibility left. Mia was currently hiding on the AC unit outside the window. At this point, I just wanted to see. Would Mia be frozen to the point where she had to beg us for help while stark naked? Admitting that she was the other woman destroying someone else's relationship. Or would she, for the sake of her so-called dignity... Bite the bullet and endure the sub-zero temperatures? Social death or actual freezing death. Let's see which one she chooses! As the second delivery order arrived. No one showed any intention of getting up to leave. Liam finally started to visibly panic. He was practically begging as he urged me. "Chloe, let's head back to the hotel after we finish eating. If we stay any longer, something bad is going to happen." "If you like eating hot pot, after the wedding tomorrow, we can eat it every day, okay?" I used the alcohol as an excuse to act belligerent and grabbed him by the collar. "What could possibly happen? What bad thing could happen?" "Liam, don't tell me you actually hid someone in our new home?" "Where would you hide them? Outside the window? No, I have to go check." As I stumbled drunkenly toward the master bedroom. Liam's parents hurriedly followed behind me. "Chloe, are you drunk? How could someone hide outside the window?" "Exactly. Does this person have superpowers or something?" "In this freezing weather, wouldn't someone freeze to death hiding outside?" At that moment, Liam scooped me up and carried me back to the sofa. "Chloe, your family is here. You can't be acting like a crazy drunk." "Mr. and Mrs. Davis, it's getting late. I'll take everyone back to the hotel first." "Yeah, the in-laws should head back to the hotel quickly. We have the wedding ceremony tomorrow..." Before they could finish their sentence, the doorbell rang frantically. The moment the door opened, a group of firefighters and paramedics rushed in carrying a stretcher. 5 "Unit 1203, right? Someone called and reported that someone in your apartment is trying to jump off the building." "Which room is the AC unit outside of? Take us there immediately." Hearing this, everyone froze in shock. It was my dad who stepped forward and asked. "Officers, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?" "These are the only people in our apartment, and no one is trying to jump." A few relatives and friends also stepped forward to testify. "Yeah, you must have made a mistake." "We came over today to celebrate the new couple's home, and everyone is right here." "Is it the neighbors who are trying to jump? Did you go to the wrong door?" While they were talking, a frantic voice came through the firefighter's radio. "Team, they're about to fall! The person is about to fall!" "Hurry up and save them, or it'll be too late!" Seeing the incredibly embarrassed faces of the three Hayes family members. I rushed to the master bathroom, ignoring everything else. "Let's stop arguing. Whether someone is trying to jump or not, we'll know as soon as we look." As I opened the window. I saw a naked female body hanging onto the AC unit below. At this moment, Mia was desperately clinging to the AC unit with both hands. Seeing everyone appear, she screamed desperately at Liam, who was behind me. "Liam, tell them to save me right now!" "I can't hold on much longer! Hurry!" After seeing with their own eyes that Liam really had cheated and hidden a woman. My relatives behind me tackled him to the ground almost simultaneously. The firefighters also quickly climbed out the window to try and pull Mia up. Just as the entire scene descended into chaos. With a blood-curdling scream... Mia's fingers slipped, and she fell backward. By the time everyone looked out the window again. She was sprawled spread-eagle, having crashed into a large, dead tree. "Help! Help me! Help me!" "Liam, you bastard! I don't want to die, I don't want to die!" "Chloe, I was wrong! I shouldn't have messed around with your fiancé. Please, tell them to save me!" As she cried and begged for help, everyone finally noticed. Her entire face was a bloody, mangled mess. A thick tree branch had pierced right through her cheek. At this point, a firefighter had already repelled down to the tree using a harness. He shouted to ask Mia. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?" "Don't be afraid. Hold on to me." "Don't worry, saving you is our duty." It wasn't until the ambulance sirens wailed through the apartment complex... That everyone finally snapped out of the chaos. By this time, Liam looked like a pathetic, beaten dog. My dad, along with a few of my cousins... Had beaten him until his face was bruised and swollen, and his head was bleeding. "Liam, what do you have to say for yourself now?" I looked at everyone in the Hayes family, enunciating every word clearly. "I'm sorry for making everyone travel all this way." "Tomorrow's wedding is canceled." After saying that, we turned and left without looking back. After Chloe and her family left. Liam suddenly realized in hindsight. She seemed different than before. In the past, when he and Mia wildly crossed the line... Her eyes held jealousy and disappointment. But today, her eyes held only a bottomless, icy indifference. Today, she had become so unfamiliar, so alien. So unfamiliar that it felt like she was a completely different person. Slap! Liam's mother slapped her son, furious at his stupidity. "This is all your fault!" "I warned you a long time ago to stay away from that tramp, but you refused to listen." Liam's father also kicked his son in exasperation. "If she was going to hide on the AC unit, why didn't she hide properly?" "Didn't you see all the neighbors recording our apartment just now?" "If this gets out, your promotion is ruined." "Hurry up and go find Chloe and coax her back!" "If she refuses to marry you, we're disowning you."
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