Chapter 4

The small velvet box was delivered directly to Liam Miller.

He took it suspiciously and opened it.

Inside wasn't some priceless treasure, but a very old, blue MP3 player, its casing chipped.

It was the first birthday gift I ever gave him, bought with three months of my allowance.

Liam Miller's expression flickered for a moment.

He probably remembered something, but that hint of nostalgia was quickly replaced by impatience.

"What is this? What trick is Chloe Davis playing now?" He roughly pulled out the MP3, seeing an equally old pair of earbuds still attached.

Annoyed, he put on the earbuds and pressed play.

A somewhat noisy recording began to play.

"Liam Miller, you broke loser, you think you can chase our college beauty queen? Take a look in the mirror!"

"Yeah, look at his cheap clothes, it's disgusting!"

"Chloe, ignore him, let's go!"

It was the voice of my college roommate.

Then, young Liam Miller's clear, stubborn voice came on. "I don't have money, but my heart for Chloe is real. Someday, I'll give her a good life."

And then, my crisp voice, with a girl's playful innocence, "You're not allowed to bully him! I like him, whether he has money or not!"

In the recording, young Liam Miller laughed, a pure, unblemished sound.

On the surveillance screen, Liam Miller's body stiffened.

His hand unconsciously stroked the MP3 player, the aggression on his face fading, replaced by a complex tenderness he himself hadn't realized.

I watched him, my heart perfectly still.

Liam Miller, you're not missing me; you're missing the you who had nothing back then, but felt like he had the whole world.

And I was your whole world.

Too bad your world grew too big later.

Big enough to contain fame, desire, and another woman.

The recording continued.

Sweet memories flashed by, then the tone abruptly shifted.

A shrill, affected female voice chimed in—it was Amber Reed.

"Oh, Ms. Jenkins, don't say that. Chloe didn't mean it; she's just... she just loves Liam so much that she sees everyone as a rival."

This was what Amber said at our company's annual party, after "accidentally" spilling a glass of red wine on my white gown.

At the time, as the CEO's wife, wearing a custom-made dress, I was utterly humiliated by an intern.

All eyes were on me.

Before I could even speak, Liam Miller frowned and took my hand.

He didn't scold Amber; instead, he whispered to me, "Chloe, just let it go. She didn't do it on purpose; don't scare her. Go change your clothes quickly; don't embarrass yourself here."

"Embarrass myself?" I looked at him, unable to believe those words came from his mouth.

He called me an embarrassment to protect another woman.

In the recording, my voice at the time was as cold as ice. "Liam Miller, say that again?"

"Are you done making a scene?" His voice was full of annoyance. "It's such a small thing; why do you have to make it so ugly? Amber has already apologized; what more do you want? Go home; stop causing trouble for me here!"

The recording stopped there.

I saw Liam Miller on the screen, his face pale.

He looked as if he'd been slapped hard, not by me, but by himself.

He finally remembered.

Remembered how he had, step by step, trampled my love and respect underfoot.

He took off the earbuds, staring blankly at my tombstone.

His lips moved, but no words came out.

The live-stream comments, for the first time, briefly went silent.

Then, a wave of furious comments erupted.

"Holy crap! These two scumbags! Is that recording real?"

"Spilling wine then playing innocent, saying the other person 'scared her'? The 'sweet' act is practically oozing out of the screen!"

"Liam Miller is a渣男 (scumbag)! Saying that about his wife for a mistress? How humiliating that must have been for his wife!"

"Sincerity score -10%! Even the system can't stand it!"

I smiled, looking at the negative number.

This system certainly didn't disappoint me.

Liam Miller saw it too.

The color completely drained from his face.

He was starting to get scared.

Not scared of losing the money, but scared of remembering what he had truly done to me.

Just then, his phone rang again.

Still Amber Reed.

This time, she didn't text; she made a video call directly.

Liam Miller instinctively wanted to hang up, but his finger paused.

He answered.

Amber Reed's tear-streaked face appeared on the screen.

"Liam, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you. I... I just miss you so much. You must be having such a hard time out there alone, right?"

"Don't listen to what people online are saying, and don't let... don't let the things Chloe left behind affect you. She must hate you, that's why she's trying every way to make you suffer..."

As she spoke, she looked at him with those "innocent" big eyes, full of "pity" and "understanding."

Liam Miller looked at her but said nothing.

His gaze was very complex.

Amber Reed, getting no response, bit her lip. Suddenly, she seemed to make a decision.

She turned the camera to a table.

On the table lay a shattered picture frame.

Inside the frame was the only photo Liam Miller and I had together.

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