I'm Over Us, Babe. Liam's broad chest pressed against my back as he held me. My body stiffened for a few seconds. "Let's break up, Chloe." I couldn't quite believe it, turning my head to look at him. "Right now?" Liam let go of me, lying flat on the large bed, raising his sharp, striking eyebrows. "Just leave tomorrow. I don't have time to drop you off right now." "Okay. Let's just sleep for now." In the dark, Liam's breathing grew steady beside me. I let out a breath of relief, feeling instantly lighter. This unrealistic relationship was finally over. 1 Morning was almost here. I shifted a little and was pulled right back into that hot embrace, a large hand resting on my waist. "What are your plans now?" I rubbed my forehead. "I'll figure it out when I get home..." ... When I left, half of Liam's face was still buried in the snow-white pillow. "You guys really broke up?" My best friend, Sarah, rushed over to my place, her face full of disbelief. She pulled out her phone, and I knew exactly what she was about to do. I grabbed her hand before she could call Liam to interrogate him. Besides being my best friend, Sarah was also Liam's cousin. "It's over for real. Absolutely certain. You don't need to double-check." Sarah frowned. "Who initiated it? It must have been you. You think he's too young for you, too immature? Come on, he's running a massive company now, he's not immature at all..." I shrugged, feeling totally relaxed. "Wrong. He brought it up. Didn't see that coming, did you?" Sarah looked stunned, clearly refusing to buy it. "What? How could he possibly be the one to break it off?" "Why is that so impossible? You know how it is. In relationships, men and women are rarely on the same wavelength. Women tend to fall deeper as time goes on, but men get bored. Once the honeymoon phase fades, they lose interest." "..." Sarah was completely bewildered. "How are you so okay with this?" "Because deep down, I always knew we wouldn't work out. First, my family background is decent, but his is just on another level of wealthy. Second, a three-year age gap is real. I've never fully adjusted to the dynamic. To be honest, if he hadn't said it, I probably would have." Sarah twitched as if she'd been electrocuted. "Right, I forgot. Your brain is aggressively rational. I was worrying for nothing." "Still, you're my best friend. That little punk Liam... if he dares to dump you, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." Sarah immediately dialed his number. "What's up?" a deep voice answered on the other end. I grabbed a banana nearby, peeled it, and took a bite. "You know exactly why I'm calling. Why did you break up with Chloe?" "She told you?" "Don't change the subject. What's the reason?" "I'm heading into a meeting. We'll talk later." He had already hung up. "That little jerk. He hung up on me..." I got up and went to the bathroom to find some numbing spray. I had accidentally bitten my tongue. The fact that Liam was even more unfazed than I was... that was something I truly hadn't expected. 2 I met Liam the summer of my junior year in college when I took a job as a private tutor. He was a rich kid living in a massive estate with its own helipad. He was incredibly rebellious. Before I even showed up for the interview, he had already chased away three other tutors. On my first day, I arrived at nine. By noon, he was still asleep in his massive bed. The butler handed me a phone, signaling me to take the call. "You're the tutor for today?" His voice was thick with sleep. "Are you awake?" I took a deep breath. "Have the butler bring you in." It was a total command. The butler led me to the door. "Miss Adams, this is the young master's room." I knocked twice. No response. I pushed the door open slightly, took one look inside, and immediately tried to back out, but a strong force yanked me in. "You've already seen everything. What are you hiding from, Teach?" He was shirtless, pinning my hand against the wall. Even though he was still in high school, he was already a full head taller than me. "I'll wait for you outside." I steadied my breathing, putting on my 'older and wiser' persona, shoved him away, and backed out of the room. Behind me, I could hear his light, mocking laughter. I clenched my fists. Brat. I'll put up with it for the paycheck. 3 In the study, during the half-hour trial lesson, he was totally distracted, looking down at his phone playing games the entire time. I figured I was done for. "Miss Adams, how did it go?" "I think you'd better find someone else..." I was holding back a lot of frustration. "She's the one. Be here tomorrow for the lesson." I didn't even notice when he had walked out of the study, but he was already lazily heading upstairs. "..." "Wonderful! Miss Adams, please arrive on time tomorrow." "...Right. Okay." At first, I thought I had some kind of special charm that made him choose me. I worked incredibly hard every day prepping his materials. Turns out, I was overthinking it. A month went by, and he hadn't paid attention for a single day. I couldn't take it anymore and slammed his textbook shut. "If you're not interested in what I'm teaching, why are you making me stay?" He ignored me and kept mashing buttons on his game. The money was good, but taking it felt like a scam. Every time his mom asked me if he was improving, I couldn't even look her in the eye. I packed up my things, ready to quit on the spot. As I was about to leave, a long leg stretched out and blocked my path. "You mad?" I turned my head. He finally put his phone down and looked up at me seriously. I glanced at the table; his phone screen was still flashing. "Wouldn't dare. Keep playing. I won't be coming back." He didn't move his leg. He just stared at me stubbornly. I froze for a second. "Liam, Miss Adams, I brought some fruit for you two." Mrs. Vance knocked and walked in, freezing when she saw our standoff. "What's going on here?" I was determined to leave. "Mrs. Vance, I'm sorry..." "Add fifty bucks an hour to her pay. My midterms went up." Me: "..." I looked at him in total disbelief. Going from a 10% to a 12% is considered an improvement? I really had to thank him for just copying down the introduction to his English Literature essay. "Really?!" Mrs. Vance's eyes went wide with joy. "Yeah." "Okay! Consider it done. We'll start the new rate from this lesson on." I was too embarrassed to bring up quitting after that, so I bit the bullet and stayed. 4 Later, I spent so much time trying to figure out why he ever got interested in me. Was it during the basketball game, when I was cheering for a guy in my major, and he glared at me before showing off on the court to prove himself? Was it because I tutored him for a month, felt guilty taking the money when he didn't listen, and finally slammed the book shut to quit? Or was it just that we were stuck in a study together during his peak teenage hormone years, and opposites attracted? ... One day, Sarah and I were getting afternoon coffee. She suddenly tapped my shoulder and pointed across the room. "Wow. He doesn't show up often, but when he does, he takes up all the air in the room. That little wolf pup has been staring at your back for a while now." I turned around. Over by the window, Liam and a few of his basketball buddies were drinking iced sodas. Sarah was the one who had gotten me this tutoring gig in the first place. I turned back, calmly wiping the condensation off my glass. "You're his cousin. Don't make weird jokes." In reality, I didn't want to admit that toward the end of the tutoring sessions, the kid had actually started behaving. I sensed things were getting weird, so I promptly ended the tutoring arrangement. "The way he looks at you isn't normal. That boy has got it bad." ... I was packing up my things to leave. But I was a step too late. Liam walked over. He was ridiculously tall and incredibly handsome. Just him moving across the room drew a lot of eyes to our table. Sarah rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, so you do remember your cousin. Nice of you to come say hi." He sat down on Sarah's side of the booth, stretching his long legs out. I don't know if it was intentional, but the tip of his shoe brushed against mine. A shiver ran through my entire body. I avoided his deep, dark eyes. I was speechless. How did a high school kid have this kind of intimidating aura? "Are you free next Tuesday?" Sarah looked like she was watching a movie unfold. "Asking me? Or asking your beloved tutor?" "It's my birthday next week. I booked a table at that exclusive rooftop place downtown. Both of you come." I politely declined first, looking at Sarah. "You go ahead. I have an evening seminar that night." He played with the iced Coke in his hand, looking up through his messy bangs with dark, brooding eyes. "Is that so?" I looked at Sarah for help, terrified she was going to stir the pot. Sarah looked disappointed. "Aw, man. I guess I'll have to go alone. Tell you what, I'll bring your present from Miss Adams with me." Liam stood up to head back to his table, leaving one sentence behind before he walked away: "If you're not feeling well, don't drink iced coffee." I was stunned. I was drinking an iced Americano, and my period had just ended. Sarah took a massive gulp of her hot latte and declared, "It's over. It's totally over. My bratty little cousin is going to turn into your fiercely loyal guard dog." ... On the night of his birthday, I got a text from him. "Why no present?" It was sent at 2:00 AM. Right before sunrise, I texted him back. "Study hard. Wishing you success." And then I blocked him. Half a month later, I went to another city for my college internship. Later, I heard from Sarah that Liam had gone to study abroad. And after that, Sarah got busy with her own love life and career, and we never brought him up again. 5 Until five years later, when my office lobby was buzzing. A coworker ran up to me excitedly. "Chloe, there's an incredibly hot guy looking for you at the front door. Get out there!" I walked out and froze. The stunning young man in a tailored suit standing in the sunset was now a high-powered business elite who looked like he could conquer the world. Under the shocked gazes of my coworkers, he walked right up to me. "Long time no see." My normally quiet heart gave a rare, violent flutter. Steak, red wine, a huge bed. Half lucid, half lost in a haze, I let myself go completely. Everything was perfectly in sync, and he was flawlessly gentle. It was hard to imagine that the cold, unsmiling boss at the office was this hungry at home. Before Liam brought up the breakup, I hadn't seen a single warning sign. But when it happened so suddenly, aside from a tiny bit of discomfort, I accepted it calmly. 6 "A blind date?!" Sarah shrieked through the phone. I looked down at the profile of the high-quality bachelor in my hand. "Yeah. Don't act so shocked. I'm twenty-eight. While I've still got an edge, finding a great guy to settle down with isn't a crazy idea." Truthfully, I was going on this date because my mom was pressuring me endlessly. Since I couldn't stay single forever, I might as well find someone decent and tie the knot early. "Fine, that makes sense. I support you! We're gonna find someone way better and make the guy who didn't appreciate you regret it." Sarah was still hung up on the fact that Liam was the one who dumped me. It really bothered her. "Alright, hanging up now. I'm heading out." "Text me the address. Once I'm done with work, I'll swing by and help you evaluate him." 7 The guy my mom handpicked for me was, as expected, a catch. Not only was he incredibly handsome, but he was also a gentleman and quite funny. Just as we were hitting it off, I don't know if it was pure coincidence or what, but Liam walked right into the same coffee shop. He seemed to be coming in for a quick break. After taking a seat at a table near the wall, he had his assistant order him a coffee while he stared intently at his laptop, working. I told myself I was overthinking it and immediately pulled my gaze back. "They said the English Literature major was gorgeous, and seeing you today, the rumors were true." Getting complimented by my date put me in a great mood, so I didn't hold back on returning the favor. "Oh, please. You're the one turning heads, Ethan. I've seen my fair share of good-looking guys, but someone as handsome as you? That's a first." "Haha, I can tell. You're not just beautiful, you're sweet too. I'm so lucky a girl like you actually agreed to a blind date with me." "Um, I do have one question, if you don't mind? I'm just genuinely curious." "Go ahead. If I can answer it, I will." "I felt a great connection with you the second we met, so I'm honestly wondering... how did your last relationship end?" "Ah..." "If it's uncomfortable, we don't have to talk about it." I glanced in Liam's direction and said calmly, "It's nothing uncomfortable. Honestly, I've just been a total workaholic lately. I haven't been dating at all." Cough. Liam suddenly choked violently. I looked over. His assistant immediately hovered over him. "Mr. Vance, is the coffee too hot?!" Liam kept a stone-cold expression. "Too bitter. Get me some sugar." Even though we were sitting so close, he never once glanced in my direction. And to think, he used to call me 'baby'. I boredly looked back at my date. Ethan paused for a second, then seemed to brush it off and laughed. "Makes sense. With how amazing you are, if you were dating, someone would have locked you down and kept you all to themselves by now. Why wait? How about this, we don't have each other's numbers yet. Let's exchange contacts?" I agreed instantly. "Sure." Just as we were scanning each other's phones, Liam walked briskly past our table, laptop in hand. His strides were sharp, and I only managed to catch sight of his assistant hurriedly rushing to keep up with him. 8 That night, Sarah called. "How was the date? Did you like him? I'm so sorry, work was insane this afternoon and I couldn't slip away." I muted the TV. "He's actually great. Height, looks, income—all excellent. Definitely worth trying. He seemed pretty interested in me, too." It was loud on her end; she must have been at a bar. "HEIGHT, LOOKS, INCOME?! YOU'RE HAPPY WITH ALL OF IT AND YOU'VE DECIDED TO DATE HIM?!" Sarah suddenly screamed into the phone at the top of her lungs, as if terrified someone wouldn't hear her. "Keep your voice down, you're going to blow out my eardrum." "I'm at a bar, it's loud in here! I wanted to make sure you heard me!" "Blegh—" Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone throwing up on the other end. "Did you just throw up?" "Heh, no, that wasn't me... It's just a heartbreaker getting some instant karma." "A heartbreaker?" "Blegh—" "You idiot, why did you throw up on me?! ...I gotta go." Sarah, who had just been giggling, angrily hung up the phone. Summer nights always make the air feel restless. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. I grabbed my phone, scrolled through Instagram, and finally caved and clicked on Liam's profile. It was still that same aloof profile picture. I clicked into his feed. Not a single post. I threw my phone down. Great. We broke up, and he literally feels nothing at all. 9 Going on a blind date is normal. But your ex's mom eager to set you up with her nephew? That's highly abnormal. And yet, that's exactly what happened to me. Word got around that after Liam and I broke up, I was going on dates. Liam's mom, Mrs. Vance, actually invited me to their house to set me up with Liam's cousin, who was a commercial pilot. "Are you insane?!" I subtly pinched Sarah's arm. I was totally tricked into coming here. Bright and early, Sarah sent a driver to pick me up, saying she was setting me up with a great guy. Turns out, the driver pulled right up to the Vance estate, and it was Mrs. Vance setting me up. I was completely dumbfounded. "You can't blame me! When my aunt heard you were going on blind dates, she said we couldn't let a catch like you leave the family, so she had to introduce you to the best." "Let me tell you, she knows about the breakup. She gave Liam hell for two days straight. My aunt really loves you. Now that you guys are done, she wants to find you a reliable guy so she knows you're taken care of." "They wouldn't even write this script for a soap opera." I sat on pins and needles, scanning the room. The bedroom doors upstairs were closed. Thank God Liam wasn't home. "Hehe, honestly, I didn't expect my aunt to be this proactive either." I knew this house very well. Back when I was a tutor, and during the six months Liam and I dated, he brought me here a couple of times. What surprised me was that Mrs. Vance never acted like my middle-class background was beneath them. When I first came over as Liam's girlfriend, she even gave me an incredibly generous holiday gift. I was just incredibly embarrassed the whole time. Transitioning from 'the tutor' to 'the girlfriend' was extremely awkward. 10 Mrs. Vance brought out a plate of fruit. "If Sarah hadn't told me you two broke up, I'd have no idea. That stupid boy doesn't know what he had. I'm so angry at him." She handed me a piece of melon on a fork. I was honestly overwhelmed by her kindness. "Thank you, Mrs. Vance. Honestly, we just weren't a great fit. Breaking up early was the best thing for both of us." Just then, a car pulled into the driveway. Mrs. Vance headed to the door. "He's here." Soon after, a tall, well-built man still wearing his pilot's uniform walked in. I blinked. The Vance family genetics were truly unfair. Before I knew it, he was standing in front of me with a bouquet of champagne roses, smiling warmly. "I'm so sorry, traffic was terrible. Thank you for waiting. I brought some flowers as an apology, I hope that's alright?" "It's totally fine." I took the flowers out of politeness. Sarah was watching us with giddy excitement and elbowed me. "Handsome, right? Doesn't lose out to that little punk at all." After saying that, Sarah darted a glance toward the upstairs. "What are you looking at?" She immediately snapped her gaze back, eyes gleaming, and dragged me toward the dining room. "Nothing... looking at nothing! Let's go, time to eat." On the grand dining table, exquisite dishes were perfectly arranged. Mrs. Vance waved us over. "I made all of this myself. Everyone, come taste."
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