Chapter 2

Chloe’s POV

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

Liam pinned both of my wrists above my head.

"You went so far as to drive her away just for this, didn't you? Fine, I'll give it to you!"

He sealed my lips ruthlessly, without a shred of mercy.

"Mmh..."

"Liam... please don't... someone might see!"

We were in an underground parking garage. Anyone could walk by at any second.

Besides, Liam's car was extremely conspicuous; it was impossible to miss.

Tears streamed down my face as I begged him to calm down, but Liam paid no heed.

My desperate pleas couldn't sway him in the slightest.

Elena's tearful pleas from the middle of the night still echoed in his ears, begging him to treat me well from now on.

Treat me well?

He wanted nothing more than to make me tremble, to make me weep, so the suffocating rage inside him could subside just a fraction.

That day, he took out every ounce of his fury on my body.

—

The piercing whistle of the kettle in the kitchen jolted me awake.

Sitting up from the couch, I realized I had drifted off while waiting.

Why was I dreaming about three years ago again?

I rubbed my throbbing temples, got up, and turned off the stove.

My phone screen was lit up: 1:30 AM.

Liam hadn't come home again tonight.

Whether he was out socializing or spending the night with another woman, he never needed to account for his whereabouts to me.

I stared at his name in my contacts, hesitating repeatedly.

He hated it when I reached out to him on my own initiative, unless it was strictly about work.

I came up with an excuse for myself: I would just say the materials for tomorrow morning's board meeting needed his confirmation.

I dialed his number. It rang twice before connecting.

"Hello, Liam—"

I barely managed half a sentence before the call was abruptly ended.

Only the dial tone remained in the receiver.

I froze in place, holding the phone, the faint smile on my face gradually fading into desolation.

He wouldn't even let me finish a sentence.

If a call wasn't about work, he couldn't be bothered to hear a single word.

I curled up on the couch, all drowsiness gone.

Ever since he took me in the car three years ago, he had kept me trapped by his side.

By day, I was Mr. Sterling's personal secretary; by night, I was merely an outlet for his physical desires.

My features shared a thirty percent resemblance to Elena's.

I knew in my heart that if it weren't for the fact that my face reminded him of Elena, I wouldn't even have the right to stay by his side.

At the end of the day, I was just a surrogate, a shameful mistress kept in the shadows.

Sometimes when he was drunk, he would stare blankly at my face.

I knew who he was really looking at through me.

Whenever that happened, I dared not make a sound, terrified that speaking up would ruin even that fleeting gaze.

Elena had been gone for three years, without a trace.

She had changed her number, deleted her social media accounts, and even with all of Liam's connections and resources, he couldn't track down her whereabouts.

Over these three years, it wasn't as if I had no hopes.

I gave him everything, loved him in silence, hoping I could touch his heart and carve out a sliver of possibility for myself.

If he could just like me a tiny bit, I would be content.

Yet every time that thought surfaced, I couldn't help but feel utterly disgusted with myself.

Elena had left because of me.

My sister had barely walked out the door before I tried to take advantage of the void to covet her man. Was there anything more despicable in this world?

My longing for Liam and my guilt toward Elena intertwined, tormenting me day in and day out.

I lived a life more exhausting than anyone else's.

Over these three years, my reputation within the company had long been completely ruined.

Rumors claimed I had slept my way up the corporate ladder, while Mr. and Mrs. Vance firmly believed I was the one who pushed Elena away.

I accepted every single insult thrown my way; no one would listen to my explanations anyway.

Liam certainly wouldn't.

In his eyes, whatever grievances I suffered were entirely deserved.

Yet only I knew that I was reaching my breaking point.

Liam didn't return all night, and I didn't sleep a wink either.

The next morning, I splashed cold water on my face, applied makeup to conceal the dark circles beneath my eyes, and headed to Sterling Group for work as usual.

In the break room, several colleagues were gathered, gossiping.

"Did you hear? The CEO has a new girlfriend again. Daphne Cole this time."

"That supermodel, Daphne Cole? The photos were trending all over social media last night. They were seen walking out of a hotel together."

"Wasn't he with that celebrity just last month? How did he switch so fast?"

"Daphne Cole is different. She actually has serious fame. Maybe Mr. Sterling is serious this time."

"He changes girlfriends like he changes clothes—models, heiresses, celebrities, all types. Yet he never touches Ms. Vance. Isn't that hilarious?"

"What is Ms. Vance even after? Throwing herself at him for three years without even making it through the door. How pathetic can someone be? Even if she offers herself up for free, he doesn't want her."

"If I were her, I would have resigned ages ago. It's so humiliating!"

"She won't leave. She's just used to being cheap."

Someone hushed the group in a low voice, "Shh, stop talking! She's coming over!"

The conversation came to an abrupt halt.

Straightening my spine, I walked past them carrying my mug, looking completely unbothered.

I had heard every single word, loud and clear.

But what could I do even if I heard it?

Over these three years, there had been countless conversations like this. I had long grown numb.