Chapter 2

"Just because I didn't go with you to try on wedding dresses and went to take care of Ashley's cat instead, you want to call off our wedding?"

On the other end of the phone, Liam's voice dripped with condescending mockery. "Chloe, are you out of your mind? Is that all it takes?"

"Yes, that's all it takes." I looked at myself in the mirror, dressed in the pure white wedding gown, my eyes devoid of any emotion.

"I'm breaking off the engagement with you. We're done."

Liam scoffed into the phone. In the background, I could hear my sister Ashley's overly sweet, affected voice trying to soothe him. "This is the eighth time you've threatened to break up with me this year. Chloe, you're an adult. Stop playing these dramatic games. I'm exhausted."

"I'm absolutely certain I want to break up. Do you understand?" I had never felt this clear-headed in my entire life.

Liam gritted his teeth, his voice cold and hard: "Fine, you've got nerve. If you dare walk out of that bridal shop today, even if you get down on your knees and beg me later, I won't spare you another glance. Don't you dare regret this!"

The call was abruptly disconnected.

I took a deep breath, called the sales assistant, and unzipped the back of the dress without hesitation.

The wedding dress was heavy. The moment I took it off, I felt the five-year-old boulder that had been weighing on my heart shatter on the floor with it.

Just as I changed back into my regular clothes and was about to push the door open to leave, my phone screen lit up.

It was a photo from Ashley.

In the picture, Liam was bending down, carefully feeding goat milk to a Ragdoll cat, his profile so tender it could melt.

Below it was a caption: "Piglet is throwing another tantrum? Oh my, I'm so jealous you have so much free time to get emotional every day. Liam is just too kind; he can't bear to ignore even a cat. Sis, don't be mad at him, okay?"

"Piglet."

Seeing that nickname, my stomach lurched, and a wave of disgust shot straight to my head.

My name is Chloe. When I was little, I was chubby from a medical condition. Ashley had always rallied all the kids at school to call me "Piglet," and once even pushed me into a mud pit, saying pigs belonged in the mud.

Ashley calling me that was one thing, but I had explicitly told Liam thousands of times that I hated that nickname, that it was a lifelong childhood trauma.

Yet, just two days ago, Liam, in front of his shady friends, chuckled and patted my head, saying, "My Piglet just has a big temper."

I froze on the spot, but he blamed me for not being able to take a joke.

Now, Ashley was using that condescending tone to sicken me again.

I didn't send a long message arguing with her like before, nor did I hysterically call Liam to confront him.

I simply saved the screenshot, closed the chat, and muted both of them.

Stepping out of the bridal shop, the sun was blinding.

I hailed an Uber. "To the airport, please."

To hell with love, to hell with family.

I was done playing along.