Chapter 1The Face I Couldn't Quit

I used to scoff at the idea of "love at first sight."

Until the day I registered for college and bumped into Julian.

One look, and I finally understood.

When a guy is that handsome, he can make thrift store clothes look like Haute Couture.

As a certified sucker for a pretty face, I drooled over him for years.

Finally, when his family went bankrupt, I didn't hesitate. I used my money to smash my way into becoming his girlfriend.

In the third year of our relationship, his proud head was about to bow to reality.

He was even ready to "settle" for me for a lifetime. Our families even sat down to discuss the wedding date.

But then, Chloe appeared.

Chloe, the junior student. Bright, gentle, soft.

She hit every single point of Julian's "Ideal Type."

So, the look in his eyes changed from indifference to undisguised disgust.

That night, the smell of alcohol mixed with his cologne.

He kissed me, but whispered another woman's nickname.

My heart felt like it was squeezed to a stop. A dull pain spread through my chest.

I turned my head and pushed him away.

"You're drunk."

I lay in bed, pretending to sleep. I didn't have the courage or the resolve to rip off the band-aid.

In the dark, I heard him hiss through his teeth: "Candace, you can really endure anything. How can you be so pathetic?"

I knew he regretted it.

But what could I do? I was hopeless.

The thought of waking up and not seeing that god-like face made me want to die.

So I swallowed my pride, played dumb, and wasted another three years like a coward.

Until that night.

I went to a bar to pick up his drunk ass. But the moment I pushed open the door, I bumped into another face.

A face so handsome it crashed my brain.

My heart stopped. I even forgot to wipe the tears from my face.

I heard myself stammer: "W-what's your name?"

The boy looked obedient, his voice clean enough to kill.

"Liam."

At that moment, 1:27 AM.

I knew clearly.

My obsession with Julian...

Had vanished into thin air.

* * *

At midnight, Julian was brought home by his junior again.

I was woken up once more. I threw on a robe and leaned against the door, watching the girl's flushed face.

"Why didn't you ask the other students to help? It's hard for a girl to carry him."

I tried to take Julian from her, but he swatted my hand away.

Awkward silence.

The junior stammered an explanation. My eyes fell on Julian's hand, gripping the girl's purse strap tightly.

His knuckles were distinct, as beautiful as ever.

But now, he was holding onto another woman like a lifeline.

My throat felt dry. I watched the girl soothe the drunk Julian and coax him into my arms.

I guessed why she brought him back.

When I hugged Julian, the strong smell of alcohol made me nauseous.

Wiping his face, changing his clothes, feeding him medicine...

After doing all this, I sat by the bed, studying Julian's elegant face.

Thin brows, long eyes, high nose, thin lips. His open collar revealed white, firm skin.

I lowered my head, close to him, and whispered: "I like you so much, Julian."

He turned his head, frowning in pain, and mumbled.

I tried to distinguish the name on his lips, my cheek almost touching his.

"Chlo..."

If I remember correctly, the junior who brought him back is named Chloe. A first-year grad student. Very likable.

How close do they have to be for a man as restrained as Julian to call a girl by her nickname?

I didn't want to think of Julian as a cheater.

He was one of the few "gentlemen" I had met. That was one of the reasons I pursued him so passionately.

Of course, the most important thing was his face.

I pushed away my emotions and lay down beside him. I wanted to kiss him, but the alcohol smell was too strong, so I retreated.

"Goodnight."

I whispered.

The next second, Julian pulled me into his arms. Like countless nights before, he buried his head in my neck.

I took care of him until dawn. Plus, work was busy. I slept terrible. So when Julian woke up, I woke up too.

He let go of me and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, back to me.

I didn't know what he was thinking. Just as I was about to ask, he took a call.

The balcony door was open. Julian's clear voice drifted to my ears.

"Yeah, just woke up. You? Sleep well?"

I didn't know what the other person said, but Julian laughed softly.

I hadn't heard him laugh in a long time.

Strangely, their ordinary conversation sounded piercing to me. A sourness clogged my chest.