When I loved him the most, I wove a bracelet for Liam from a lock of my own hair. He was a die-hard pragmatist, the kind of guy who didn't believe in anything he couldn't see or touch. But he still wore that bracelet for me for four years. Then, on graduation day, his "little freshman" protégé, Sophie, got hurt. He rushed to the hospital, frantic, and lost the bracelet in the chaos. He just shrugged it off. "You know I don't believe in that stuff, Claire." A week later, Sophie gave him a bracelet. Also made from her hair. When someone at a party accidentally spilled a drink on that one, Liam’s face turned to thunder. "If anything happens to her because of this," he snarled, "I'll kill you." In front of everyone, he beat the guy badly enough to send him to the hospital. In that instant, I just felt... tired. So incredibly tired. So I called my dad. "You know that Sterling heir you mentioned?" I said. "The one who's been in a coma for five years? I'll marry him." 1 My thesis had some formatting issues. My advisor called, so I rushed back to campus, only to walk right into Liam in the middle of a fistfight. I was just walking by when a girl next to me grabbed my arm, craning her neck to see the action. "Damn, I never knew Liam could fight like that." I was about to tell her she had the wrong person, but the name "Liam" froze me. The girl kept talking. "All this over a bracelet? He's trying to kill the guy." "Jeez, it was just a splash of latte." "Must be from his girlfriend, then. He's treating it like it's made of gold." A hair bracelet? If I remembered correctly, the one I gave Liam... he'd lost it last week. We had a massive fight about it. He said he was a realist, that he didn't believe a bracelet made of hair could "protect him" or that losing it would bring me bad luck. He said I was overreacting. He even had the nerve to grin and say I could just make him a new one, and he’d promise to be more careful this time. I was so furious at his dismissive attitude that we had the worst fight of our relationship. We hadn't spoken in a week. I didn't expect to see him again like this, finding the bracelet and fighting for it. It was so unlike him. Before I could think, I pushed into the crowd to stop him. But just as I broke through, a petite girl rushed past me and threw herself straight into his arms. "Liam, stop! Please, don't be impulsive. It's just a bracelet, it's not worth getting in trouble for me." Her words stopped me in my tracks. I watched as Liam, his face already bruising, reached out and gently ruffled her hair. The gesture was shockingly natural, his smile arrogant. "It's not every day I accept a gift," he said, "and this idiot ruined it. I have a right to be pissed." "Besides," he added, "you made this from your hair to keep me safe. He got it dirty, and I was worried it would affect you. That's why I lost my cool. Don't be scared." As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeve, ready to go another round. Liam's skin is pale, and the red hair bracelet wrapped around his wrist stood out, almost beautiful. Yes, red. This wasn't the one I made him. He’d always said bracelets were girly, "especially red ones." That’s why the one I made for him was black. I still remembered the exact tone of disgust in his voice. Seeing that red bracelet on his wrist now, I felt like a complete and utter clown. And I recognized the girl, too. It was Sophie. On graduation picture day, Liam was supposed to be with me. He never showed. I found out later that Sophie had "fallen down some stairs." Liam "happened to be passing by" and took her to the hospital. That’s when he lost my bracelet. I’d never been angry at him for being kind. But I never, ever thought there was something "unclear" between them. I don't know what I was feeling. I just stood there like a puppet, completely numb, until the sirens of a police car and an ambulance arrived at the same time. The first took Liam. Sophie went with him. The second took the guy he’d beaten. The main characters were gone, and the crowd broke up. The girl who had grabbed my arm finally turned, realized her mistake, and mumbled an apology. Then she grabbed her actual roommate, and I heard them talking as they walked away. "Not gonna lie, they look good together. I saw them making out in the woods by the library the other day, too." Her friend hesitated. "But isn't his girlfriend in our year?" "Yeah. They've been together since high school. Seven years. Guess he just got bored..." Their voices faded, leaving me alone on the sidewalk. 2 Liam and I were desk partners freshman year of high school. His dad donated enough money to build the new gym. In return, our homeroom teacher treated Liam like a prince. Knowing his grades were terrible, she assigned me to sit with him—"peer-to-peer tutoring"—and wouldn't let me refuse. I was furious. I went home to my dad. My dad immediately funded the new science wing and the library. The teacher started fawning over me. After one day as Liam's desk partner, I was moved to the opposite corner of the room. He was a cocky, restless guy. He probably felt like I’d embarrassed him, so he cornered me in the hallway after school. He was clearly trying to intimidate me. But I can be resourceful. With the hallway full of people, I dropped my backpack, sat right down on the floor, and wailed. I accused him of being a monster who "used me and then dumped me." People passing by stared and pointed. An 80-year-old grandma, who was there for some event, actually hobbled over and hit him with her cane. Liam's face was bright red. He didn't dare touch the old woman, and I was still crying on the floor, so he couldn't move. Then, not wanting to lose the fight, I scrambled up and told the grandma it was actually me who dumped him. She asked why. I said, "He can't get it up." Then I grabbed my bag and ran for my life, terrified he was going to kill me. After that, we were declared rivals. We hated each other. But somehow, all that fighting... morphed. One sunny afternoon, we were sitting on the bleachers, and he suddenly turned to me. "Claire," he said, "let's go out." The boy with the sharp eyes and arrogant smirk, the one who looked like he'd punch you as soon as look at you... his hands were visibly shaking. He was terrified. The sun was perfect. The breeze was gentle. It was, in short, a good day to fall in love. So we did. We both donated to the building fund again and sat together for the next three years. I dragged him through his studies, and we got into the same university. Freshman year of college, we skipped a month of classes and backpacked through Europe. At the peak of it all, I cut a lock of my hair and wove it into a bracelet for him. A charm. To keep him safe. But he was a pragmatist. He didn't believe in charms. He just wore it. I thought it was a symbol of our love. Until he lost it. And replaced it with a new one. If that was all, maybe I wouldn't have been so devastated. But I saw it. I saw the rage in his eyes... for another girl. Because he believed that if her bracelet was damaged, she would be hurt. When he lost mine, he didn't care. He thought I was being dramatic. The contrast made everything so... absurd. In that moment, I felt like a joke. Pathetic and sad. My heart ached with a dull, heavy throb. I'm not the kind of person who can tolerate this. I couldn't just pretend it didn't happen. So I called my dad. The old man was probably in the middle of something with his latest girlfriend; I could hear him breathing heavily. "Dad," I said, "that Sterling heir you mentioned? The one who's been in a coma for five years? I'll marry him." My dad always told me he'd spoil me in little things, but when it came to the family business, I couldn't be selfish. If Liam and I didn't last, I had to accept his arrangement. But instead of celebrating, the old man was quiet. "Claire... are you sure?" He's a strange man, my father. I never knew my mom; he raised me himself. He doesn't believe in true love, lives like a playboy, but he never brought a woman home or let anyone disrespect me. I've secretly seen him, though, drunk on the sofa, crying. Mumbling about some "heartless woman" and asking why she didn't want him, and didn't want me. So, when it came to my marriage, his philosophy was simple: True love is crap. Power and money are the only things you can trust. The Sterlings are top-tier. Their heir has been in a coma for five years, and no one knows if he'll ever wake up. But if I married him, the Sterling family would give me 5% of their company stock, and my family's business would get a massive boost. The only price was my marriage. I remember the light in his eyes when he first proposed it. "I'm your father, Claire. I'm looking out for you. Men are all the same. You gamble on 'true love,' and you'll end up with nothing. Better to marry a vegetable. You get the money, the power, and he won't be moving. Your legs still work. You can have a couple of boy-toys on the side, who's gonna know?" He was so excited, I thought he wished he could marry the guy. I yelled at him back then, told him he was wrong, that true love was real. He just laughed at me. Said I'd learn the hard way and told me not to come crying to him when I did. "I won't have to," I'd said. "Liam will never make me cry." Funny how things turn out. I'm the one with egg on my face. So, to my dad's question, I could only answer with a bitter laugh. "Isn't this what you always said? You can't rely on a man." If I can't rely on one, I might as well listen to my father and pay him back for raising me. But the old man was still quiet. After a long moment, he asked, "Did he hurt you?" I didn't answer. I was afraid he'd laugh at me. He didn't ask again. But, faintly, I heard him sniffle. Tsk. Crying at his age. So lame. 3 For convenience, my dad bought me a condo near campus. He said men were heartless. Afraid that Liam had "impure intentions," he bought the unit across the hall and hired a bodyguard to live in it. If Liam ever came over and didn't leave by 10 PM, the bodyguard was instructed to go over and throw him out. I thought he was being so childish at the time. Thanks to him, Liam and I—for all our big talk—had never actually slept together. I was honestly afraid my dad would have an aneurysm. But Liam and I had planned to get married right after graduation. Once we had the license, my dad couldn't exactly listen at the door anymore. I could even picture myself, hands on my hips, telling him: "See, old man? I got lucky. I found someone who loves me, and we're going to be together forever!" He'd probably huff and puff... but then he'd say, "My baby girl deserves nothing less than that." I'd imagined that scene a thousand times. Turns out, I'm not that lucky. And that happiness isn't mine to have. It was late when I got back to the condo. Just as I reached my door, an arm grabbed me. I was spun around and pulled into a chilly embrace. "Claire. Are you still mad at me?" Liam hugged me tight, resting his chin on my shoulder and nuzzling me like a cat. He always does this. After every fight, he uses the same trick to make me melt. Only this time, I wasn't going to. I shoved him. Hard. He wasn't expecting it and stumbled back, slamming his shoulder into the wall. He winced, grabbing the spot where he'd been hit during the fight. "Claire!" His voice was sharp. When I just stared at him, his expression softened again. "Claire, baby, don't be mad. I know I messed up. I shouldn't have lost the bracelet you gave me. Hit me, yell at me, whatever you want. Just don't ignore me, okay?" He leaned in, his sharp features softening as he tried to look pathetic. I said nothing. I just lowered my eyes to his wrist. He was wearing a jacket, but as he'd moved, a bit of red string had peeked out from his sleeve. He followed my gaze and, for a second, his eyes darted away. "Claire, don't misunderstand," he said quickly, pulling his sleeve up to show me. "This is just... a regular red string." "I knew you were still mad about the bracelet... and I didn't know what to do... so I went to a shop and bought this one. I know you like red better, so I got this to make you happy. Please don't be mad, okay?" He sounded so sincere. If I hadn't seen what happened on campus today, I might have actually believed him. Unfortunately for him, I had. But I didn't call him on it. I forced a smile. He saw me smiling and immediately tried to pull me into another hug. "Claire, is your bodyguard still across the hall? We've graduated now. We're supposed to be getting our marriage license in two months. Why don't you come to my place tonight? I miss you so much..." The implication was obvious. I suddenly wondered: Is it because I never slept with him? Is that why he's messing around with Sophie? If that was the reason, then I truly despised him. Even though I used to love him. I sidestepped his embrace. Then, I grabbed his wrist and made a fake motion to pull off the red string. "Since I didn't give you this one, I guess I'll just toss... ah!" "Don't touch it!" I hadn't even finished my sentence. His reaction was pure reflex. He yanked his arm back, hiding it behind him, and used his other hand to shove me away. I wasn't steady and fell hard on the floor, my tailbone cracking against the tile. "Claire! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Liam snapped back to reality, scrambling to help me up. I slapped his hand away. My bodyguard across the hall was, as always, extremely diligent. He was out the door in a second, landed another clean punch on Liam's jaw, and then pulled me to my feet. Liam’s head snapped to the side. He was furious, but he'd just pushed me, and the bodyguard represented my dad, so he didn't fight back. He just glared at the bodyguard. Finally, he closed his eyes and looked back at me. "Claire, I didn't mean to do that. I just..." Before he could finish, his phone buzzed. Not a normal ring. A special ringtone, reserved for one person. He froze, but didn't answer. The buzzing stopped. Three seconds later, it started again, more insistent. This time, he didn't hesitate. "Claire, I have to take this, it's really important. I'll come find you tomorrow. I promise, I will never make you angry again." I opened my mouth. I had so much to say. But he didn't give me the chance. He just turned and sprinted for the elevator. I sighed. I really wanted to tell him: Liam, there is no tomorrow for us. 4 I started packing that night. With the bodyguard helping, I just had to grab my important documents; he handled the rest. While I waited, I was scrolling through my phone when the campus gossip blog lit up again. A nine-photo spread. The pictures showed Liam, storming into the freshman girls' dorm, carrying Sophie out in his arms, and driving away from campus. The comments section was on fire. [LMAO, this is next level. Rushing to the hotel?] [Kid's intense. Just storms the dorm to grab her? Must be in heat.] [He's not even trying to hide it.] [Insider info: that girl got in a fight with her roommate. Her roommate is hurt way worse. Sophie got a scratch on her leg that a band-aid could fix, but her roommate doesn't have a rich boyfriend to protect her and got warned by the RA.] [Are they sleeping together?] [Username: ILoveDogs10000: I literally saw them checking into a hotel together last month. I swear on my dog's life, I'm not lying.] I stared at that last comment. My heart just... seized. Just then, the bodyguard finished packing my last suitcase. He looked at me, and I nodded. We left. Before I got in the car, I sent Liam one last text. Just two words: We're done. Then I blocked his number and deleted his contact. The car was waiting. The driver, whom I didn't recognize, just nodded at me. The bodyguard sat in the passenger seat, and we drove away. An hour later, the car stopped at a villa on the hillside. People were already waiting at the door. I followed them inside. The foyer was silent. A man who appeared to be the head butler stepped forward. "Miss Lin, your room is on the second floor, last door on the left. I'll have Mrs. Wang show you up." I nodded and followed Mrs. Wang upstairs. She was a kind-faced middle-aged woman. After showing me into the room, she smiled. "Mrs. Sterling said that as Mr. Julian's future wife, you are the mistress of this house. She will not interfere in your private life, and all of us answer only to you. Your bodyguard has been given a room in the staff villa out back. Also, there is a black card on your desk. It has no limit, and you can make withdrawals. Beneath it is a stock transfer agreement. If you sign it, it's effective immediately." I nodded, and with her watching, I signed the contract. I handed one copy back to her. Mrs. Wang took the contract and started to leave, but paused at the door. "Mr. Julian's room is right next door. You may go in to see him whenever you wish. If you need anything at all, you can call me." She left, and I heard her downstairs, telling the kitchen to prepare dinner for me. I looked around the room. It was enormous. Every single detail, from the colors to the furniture, was perfectly to my taste. I walked further in and found a massive walk-in closet. It was filled with this season's newest clothes. An entire wall was just for handbags. It was unreal. I was supposed to go home tonight. But my dad said he was busy with work and couldn't "babysit" me, so he'd arranged with the Sterlings for me to come straight here. His exact words were: "Don't worry, kid. Julian Sterling's been out for five years. There's no one else in that villa to boss you around. You go in there, you're the queen. Oh, and their chef is amazing. The staff is all top-tier. They even developed the land behind the villa. Pools, tennis courts, whatever. Have fun. Invite friends, throw parties, whatever you want." I'd asked him how he knew all this. He'd just rubbed his nose. "True love? That, your old man can't give you. Probably turn rotten anyway. But everything else? I'll make sure you have it. I won't let you be vulnerable." My thoughts cleared. I walked out of my room and into the one next door. If I was going to marry Julian Sterling, I had to at least see what my future comatose husband looked like. I stepped inside and saw him immediately, lying in the hospital-style bed. His eyes were closed, his face pale, but... he was ridiculously handsome. A completely different type from Liam. Julian's features were softer, more refined. I leaned in closer, wanting a better look... and didn't see the edge of the rug. I tripped. I fell forward, completely and totally, landing right on top of Julian Sterling. I froze in terror, afraid I'd killed him before the wedding. I scrambled to get off him, babbling the whole time. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, please don't be crushed..." But my apology died in my throat. Because as I looked down... The man who was supposed to be in a coma... had just opened his eyes.
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