Chapter 4The Day I Stopped Waiting

Back at the apartment, I threw away what I could and packed the rest.

Around 10 PM, Liam came back.

The moment he walked in, his smile froze.

He sighed deeply. "Natalie, I thought you said no tantrums?"

I had waited so long I fell asleep. I rubbed my neck and looked at him. "No tantrums. We broke up. I have no reason to live in your house."

Liam lost his patience, tossing his jacket aside. "Fine. Whatever. But think carefully. If we break up, I won't ask you back."

Perfect.

I put the keys on the shoe cabinet in front of him and prepared to leave.

Liam watched for a moment, then chased after me.

He blocked my path, annoyed.

"What do I have to do to make you listen?"

Acting like I was being unreasonable.

I laughed out of anger.

"Oh, get engaged to me, and I won't fuss."

Liam gritted his teeth.

"Natalie, give me more time to get used to the idea. Right now, I really don't think you're a suitable marriage partner."

What is a suitable marriage partner?

I couldn't tell.

The first time I heard the term was five years ago. Grandma had heart surgery. Afraid she'd die leaving me alone, she wanted to put marriage on the agenda.

Back then, Liam and I were still good. Hearing marriage, he froze, hugged me, and didn't speak for a long time.

Finally, he said, "Nat, let me discuss it with my parents and get back to you, okay?"

I nodded, fully believing he would plan our future.

But in reality, Liam's attitude changed after that.

He was still gentle, but whenever engagement or marriage came up, he changed the subject.

If I pushed, he got angry.

"Look, you don't have a stable job or income. Are we a good match right now? What would my parents think?"

"Nat, I've been holding back, but you really aren't suited for marriage. You don't dress up, you don't network, and you don't understand business. You're no help to the Thorne family."

He belittled me, but when I broke down and tried to leave, he would write long essays to win me back.

I always thought the root of his hesitation was Mrs. Thorne.

Until Bella returned. Liam's attitude did a 180. He showed me with actions what a "suitable marriage partner" looked like.

No matter how much a man loves you, it doesn't stop him from weighing the pros and cons and pursuing a better life.

I left the apartment I lived in for years. Since Jake wasn't back yet, I rented a small Airbnb.

Counting my savings, I thought about putting a down payment on a place in the South End.

Since Jake was rarely home, it didn't matter where we lived.

I opened Zillow and actually found a few good ones.

I booked viewings and finished the final draft of my third web novel while staying in the rental.