Chapter 1

Liam Brooks and his older twin brother, Noah, looked exactly alike, but their lives couldn't have been more different.

Noah was the CEO of Brooks Group.

Liam was an ordinary office worker.

All because Liam was the son his family had cast aside.

We met when neither of us had much, supported each other through the hard times, and eventually married.

During our three years of marriage, Liam kept telling me he could never measure up to his brother or give me a better life. He was afraid I'd look down on him.

I told him I didn't care if we lived in a rental apartment forever, as long as our hearts were together.

He gave me all his money and all his love, and I thought that was what happiness looked like.

Then, by accident, I found his other phone.

It was the latest iPhone. On it, another woman called him "sweetheart" and "Noah", and complained that the newest designer bag still hadn't arrived.

I didn't know why she was calling him Noah, but I knew one thing: Liam had lied to me.

He'd enjoyed a better life all along. He'd simply left me out of it.

If his heart had already strayed, it was time to leave a marriage I'd been the only one believing in.

第1章

A sound came from the doorway. Liam was home.

I pretended I hadn't found anything and kept sweeping the floor.

"Babe, why aren't you resting? You finally have a day off. You could've left the chores for me."

Once, those words would have made me happy.

Now, they only left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"It's fine. Why are you back?"

I forced my voice to stay steady.

"Forgot something."

He grabbed a few folders from the drawer like it was nothing. I knew the phone was tucked between them.

"I'm heading back to work. Stay home and take it easy. I probably won't be back for dinner."

"Okay."

Liam hurried out, and the smile I'd been barely holding together finally crumbled.

I pulled out my phone and typed "Noah" into the search bar with trembling hands.

The news articles about him were everywhere. I scrolled through them one by one until I finally spotted something.

Two years ago, a news photo showed a small, faint mole on Noah's neck.

A year ago, Noah Brooks and Chloe Sinclair had announced their engagement.

The one with the mole on his neck was Liam. The one engaged to Chloe was also Liam.

Then what was I?

What were our three years of marriage?

I bit my lip and typed "Chloe" into the search bar.

Chloe was an influencer with a modest following. Her feed was full of the glamorous daily life of a rich girl.

While I hung around the market waiting for the last dying fish to get marked down, she was sunbathing on a beach in Hawaii.

While I sat mending years-old clothes with a needle and thread, she was picking through the latest designer pieces delivered to her door.

Her effortless poise and privileged self-assurance made my eyes sting.

As I scrolled, the faded cuff of my sleeve lay against the screen beside one of her four-figure dresses, and my cuff had never looked shabbier.

I instinctively covered my sleeves and could barely bring myself to keep looking.

But I had to.

Because on Valentine's Day, she'd received a custom necklace and an ocean of roses.

And I'd gotten a single red rose and a stuffed cat from a street vendor.

On her birthday, her boyfriend gave her a set of jewelry he'd bought at auction for a fortune, and she'd filmed a video showing it off.

On my birthday, Liam said his boss had sent him on an urgent trip. All he did was have a birthday cupcake delivered.

Drip.

A tear hit the screen.

I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't help it.

Liam was my husband, yet he stood beside another woman under a different name, showering her with gifts and affection I'd never received.

I curled up on the couch, biting my lip, and forced myself through every last video on Chloe's account. When I reached her most recent post, I broke down sobbing.

The video was titled "POV: A Day with My CEO Boyfriend."

She and her boyfriend went out hand in hand. He drove while she fed him strawberries from the passenger seat.

At the mall, she tried on shoes, and her boyfriend knelt down to put them on for her.

The comments were gushing about how sweet they were.

[Someone tell me where to pray to get a boyfriend like this!]

[They are ridiculously cute. Is this what it feels like watching a powerful man bow his head?]

The day they went shopping, it was pouring. I couldn't get a ride and had to stand under a tree to stay dry.

I called Liam and asked him to pick me up, but he said he was working late and couldn't get away.

Not wanting to bother him, I hung up quickly.

By the time I got home, I had come down with a fever after getting soaked. Liam took care of me for two days, his eyes red as he apologized over and over.

He hadn't been working late. He'd been with Chloe.

Click.

The door opened. I looked up with swollen eyes and realized it was already the middle of the night.

I hadn't eaten in hours, but I felt no hunger, only a pain in my chest I couldn't bear.

Liam flipped on the light. When he saw me, he came over, startled, and reached for my forehead.

"Babe, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

I turned my head away, my voice raw.

"Who are you, really? Liam, or Noah?"

第2章

The question made Liam go rigid.

"Babe, what are you talking about? You can't even tell me apart from my brother?"

I lifted my eyes to his face and asked again.

"Who are you?"

Liam was quiet for a moment, then raked his fingers through his hair in frustration and sat down beside me.

"Did you look at my phone?"

I stared at him without blinking.

"I did. If I hadn't, would I have just kept being your fool forever?"

He frowned at me like I was the one being unreasonable, then sighed.

"Two years ago, my brother was in a car accident on a business trip abroad. He died."

"Dad was worried the news would destabilize the company, so he had me step in as Noah."

I didn't need a mirror to know my face looked awful.

"So now you're both Liam and Noah?"

He nodded.

"Yes."

I forced a smile, but my voice cracked.

"Then what about me? I'm Liam's wife, but you're not just Liam anymore. Do you actually expect me to accept you being with Chloe as Noah?"

Liam stiffened for a second, then took my hand, his voice going soft.

"That's not what I meant. You're the only one I love. We've been married for years. Don't you trust me?"

"You know how it was. When the family cast me out, I could never let it go. This is my chance to prove myself. I can't pass it up."

I knew. Of course I knew.

After losing the competition for the inheritance, he'd been stripped of everything.

I was the one who'd stayed by his side, comforted him, and helped him get back on his feet.

He'd held me and said I was all he had.

But now that he had everything he'd ever dreamed of, he didn't want me anymore.

"If I hadn't found out, were you going to keep lying to me forever? And marry Chloe?"

He gently put an arm around my shoulders. His eyes still looked tender, but I could see the coldness and impatience underneath.

"You have to understand. Noah is the Brooks family heir. He needs a wife with the right background."

"Chloe is just the best candidate for that. I don't have feelings for her. You'll always be the only one I love."

I lowered my eyes, and the tears finally fell.

The warmth we'd once shared when we held each other close was probably gone forever.

"You say you don't love her. Then why did you buy her all those gifts? Why did you go shoe shopping with her instead of picking me up? Why did you spend so much money on her?"

Liam frowned, his tone turning cold.

"Iris, since when did you get so materialistic? You just found out I have money and now you want some?"

I looked up at him in disbelief.

"What did you just say?"

I'd lived with him in that tiny apartment for three years, hadn't bought new clothes in three years, counted every single penny, all because of something he'd once said.

He'd said, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a home of our own? A house with a cat and all the succulents you love."

I'd wanted that home with him too.

Now he had plenty of houses, but none of them were our home.

When he saw my bloodshot eyes and the tears that wouldn't stop, panic crossed his face.

"I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean it."

"That came out wrong. I just got worked up and said the wrong thing."

"You're the best, babe. Forgive me this once, okay?"

He took my hand and pressed it against his cheek, begging me the way he always did whenever he'd made me angry.

The soft light fell across his face, making him look just as young and handsome as he had three years ago. But the fierce love he'd once had for me was gone from his eyes.

"Are you really going to marry Chloe?"

His voice stayed gentle.

"It's only Noah marrying her. But I'm Liam. And Liam only loves you."

Noah. Liam. Could he even tell the difference anymore?

Maybe the moment he'd decided to take everything as Noah, my Liam was already gone for good.

In the home we'd built together, sitting across from my own husband, loneliness nearly swallowed me whole.

"Fine. I understand. I get it."

第3章

After signing my severance agreement, I went home.

Liam wasn't there.

Ever since the night he'd come clean, he'd been spending less and less time at home, as if he was afraid to face me.

On the rare occasions he did come back, he left early and returned late. I knew he was there only by the sound of his breathing in the dark.

That made it easier for me to pack up and leave.

Clothes, toiletries, a few odds and ends.

None of it even filled a single suitcase, and I couldn't think of anything else to add.

In three years of marriage, I'd rarely bought anything for myself.

Besides basic living expenses, my biggest spending had been on gifts for Liam.

I'd always pitied him for being cast aside by his family. When it came to saving for a house, I cut back only on myself and did everything I could to make his life a little better.

But it still wasn't enough for him. He'd rather take Noah's name than give up the chance to become CEO of Brooks Group.

I forced myself to understand his obsession with the family fortune, but I didn't want to stand by him anymore.

The suitcase never did get full. I dragged it to the couch and sat there, staring blankly at the apartment.

It was small, just one bedroom and a living room, but every corner held traces of the life Liam and I had built together.

The cream-colored wallpaper was a shade we'd spent ages picking out.

The tablecloth was a pattern I'd chosen especially because he liked it.

The throw pillow on the couch was one we had sewn together. His stitches had been so crooked that I had added a few of my own.

I didn't realize I was crying until my collar was soaked through.

I was still going to leave this "home" we'd built together.

When the tears finally ran dry, I reached for my phone to call Liam and talk about the divorce.

But his call came through first.

"Babe, don't look at anything online right now. I'll handle it. Just stay home for the next few days and don't go to work. Do what I'm asking, okay?"

He hung up before I could respond. While I was still confused, a news alert popped up on my screen.

POPULAR INFLUENCER'S RELATIONSHIP ROCKED BY AFFAIR: POWER COUPLE IN CRISIS!

My hands shaking, I tapped the link.

Chloe had somehow gotten evidence that Liam and I were living together and had gone on a livestream, crying about being cheated on.

Because she regularly posted couple videos with Liam and had a modest following, the story exploded online. Every trending topic was about them.

My personal information was dug up, and countless people were attacking me with the most vicious words imaginable.

[Homewreckers and their whole families should drop dead!]

[How shameless can you be? You knew he had a fiancee and still went after him.]

[Look at yourself. As if someone like you could compete with Chloe for a man.]

Harassing calls and hate messages flooded my phone faster than I could block or delete them.

After pulling out my SIM card with trembling hands, I finally got a moment of quiet.

I'd never known words could hit that hard. The flood of abuse buried my phone like a blizzard.

But I was Liam's legal wife! I was the one who'd been by his side all along! Why was I the one being attacked? I refused to accept it.

I opened my laptop, uploaded our three-year story and our marriage certificate to my social media account, and tried to set the record straight.

But less than thirty seconds after the post went up, my account was suspended.

Seconds later, Liam called.

"Iris, didn't I tell you to stay out of it? Can you stop being so selfish? Did you even think about what would happen to me if you posted all that?"

Something in his words hit me wrong immediately.

"You shut down my account?"

He admitted it outright.

"I just didn't want you doing something reckless."

I couldn't hold back. My voice rose.

"So I'm just supposed to sit here and take it?!"

Liam didn't seem to care.

"A few mean comments never killed anyone. Just tough it out. I'll talk to Chloe."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Liam, do you have any idea how terrifying it is to be harassed online like this?"

But he still didn't think he'd done anything wrong. Instead, he turned it back on me.

"It's just a few nasty comments. Stop making such a big deal out of it. You deal with rude clients at work all the time, don't you? Once this blows over, everything will be fine."

I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood.

The abuse hadn't made me cry. The harassing calls hadn't made me cry.

But now, I couldn't stop the tears.

"Liam, I want a divorce."

第4章

A beat passed before Liam asked in disbelief.

"...What did you say?"

I said it again.

"I said I want a divorce."

He finally took me seriously.

"Babe, don't joke about something like that."

"I'm not joking."

"I'm not signing divorce papers."

I frowned.

"What makes you think you get a say?"

He paused, dodging my question.

"Just hang in there a little longer. Once this dies down, things can go back to the way they were."

"We've been married for three years. You can't just walk away."

"Without you, I never would have made it this far. I can't lose you."

Liam's voice was full of grief, but my chest hurt more.

I made one last demand.

"Then let me tell the truth."

He refused.

"No. Absolutely not."

"I can't let anyone find out I'm not Noah. This is for our future too."

"In a few days, I'll put that penthouse downtown in your name. Then we'll finally have a home."

"Babe, just do what I'm asking and trust me. I'll handle everything."

He hung up before I could argue.

I sat on the couch in a daze, not knowing what to do.

Liam must have had someone monitoring me, making sure I had no way to fight back online.

And the relentless harassment meant I couldn't even put my SIM card back in, let alone reach out to anyone for help.

In the home I'd lived in for three years, I'd become an island no one cared about.

I waited at home for three days. Liam never came. Chloe did.

She walked in with two bodyguards, glancing around the small apartment in disgust.

"So you're Iris. Pretty face, I'll give you that. Too bad this dump is all you can afford."

I watched her warily.

"What are you doing here, Chloe?"

She sat at the dining table and propped her feet up. A dirty footprint appeared on the tablecloth I'd kept spotless.

"I came to see you. I wanted to know what kind of husband-stealer could make Noah hide her from me."

"Well, you've seen me. You can go now."

Chloe just smiled.

"I've already called Noah. There are some things you need to see for yourself to get rid of your little fantasy."

I didn't know what she was planning, but unease crept over me.

When Liam walked in, his expression was dark.

"Lia..."

"Chloe, what are you doing here?"

He didn't look at me. He went straight to Chloe.

"What, I'm not allowed to come?"

Chloe stood up and looked down at me.

"Noah, today you choose. Me or her. Pick me, and I'll let everything slide. Pick her, and we're done."

She turned to leave, certain of the outcome.

Liam hurried after her.

"Chloe, I don't want to end our engagement."

He chose Chloe. He didn't even hesitate.

I couldn't stop myself from stepping forward and grabbing his sleeve.

"Liam, I..."

He wrenched his arm free, and I fell hard to the floor.

When he saw me fall, panic and regret flashed in his eyes, but in the end, his gaze went cold.

"Don't call me that. I'm Noah."

I sat on the floor, watching them walk away.

He didn't look back.

My Liam was never coming back.

Chloe's footprint was still on the tablecloth. I braced myself against the wall, got to my feet, and wiped the mark away with a tissue.

But the stain wouldn't come out, and I had no more tears left.

I set down the tissue, pulled out the divorce papers I'd already prepared, and laid them over the stain.

It's okay, I told myself, over and over. This is all going to be over soon.

The door clicked shut behind me, and I headed to the airport with my suitcase.