Chapter 1When Love Ends in Tears and Heartbreak

During a family dinner with Liam, I brought up the idea of getting married sooner and starting a family.

He immediately assumed I was after his family's wealth and only wanted to marry him for his money.

In front of everyone, he slapped me more than a dozen times. Then he turned around and pursued his jealous childhood sweetheart.

I grabbed his hand and begged him not to leave, but in a fit of rage, he shoved me down the stairs. That shove ended up breaking both my legs and fracturing my skull.

I spent a month in the ICU before I finally regained consciousness.

This time, I didn’t make a scene.

Instead, I called my mother overseas. "Mom, about the inheritance you mentioned last time… I’ll take it."

* * *

After checking myself out of the hospital, I took a cab to Liam Carter's company.

Standing outside the building, I suddenly felt like a stranger to the place where I'd worked for nine years.

I'd only been gone a month, yet all my information had already been wiped from the system. Even security refused to let me inside.

With no other choice, I pulled out my phone and called Liam, but he never picked up.

Instead, Hailey Foster video-called me.

On the screen, she gave me a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Nora Bennett, I didn't expect you to be discharged from the hospital so soon. Liam's worried about my safety, so the company isn't letting strangers in anymore.

"Don't worry. I'll tell security to let you through right away."

At Hailey's word, the doors that had been firmly shut to me opened.

I stood there blankly for a few seconds before I walked in slowly.

The door to Liam's office was open. When I pushed it wider, I found Hailey sitting on the couch in a skimpy camisole, smiling faintly at me.

Liam sat beside her, shirtless. The atmosphere between them couldn't have been more suggestive.

I took one look, then calmly looked away and placed my resignation letter on his desk without hesitation.

Seeing that I had completely ignored them, Liam frowned. He stepped in front of me and began to explain.

"Hailey hasn't been back in the country for long. You know our families have always been close, and my parents want me to spend more time with her.

"Besides, she's better suited for your position."

"That's not the only reason." Hailey cut him off, then smiled at me.

"Nora, you don't know yet, do you? Liam and I are getting engaged."

She held up her hand to show me the diamond ring on her finger. Liam wore an identical one.

Liam offered no real explanation for the engagement and simply looked at me indifferently.

I met his gaze and gave a small nod.

"Okay."

I didn't question him or demand an explanation. Instead, I pointed to the document on his desk.

"I've already submitted my resignation, and it's being processed. I've also finished handing over my work."

Liam clearly hadn't expected that. His eyes widened slightly.

I turned and walked away, ignoring the stunned looks on both their faces.

The pain in my legs shot sharply through the nerves of my entire body with every step.

Even now, I could still remember the family dinner, when Liam had shoved me down the stairs because he was in a hurry to chase after a jealous Hailey.

Whatever love I'd had for him had long since died during the month I'd spent fighting for my life in the ICU.

At some point, Liam caught up with me.

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face against the crook of my neck and gently brushing his cheek against my skin.

"Hailey and I grew up together. Of course she's going to get jealous when she hears I'm getting married.

"Also, don't take the engagement too seriously. Your family and mine are a perfect match..."

"I don't care."

I cut him off before he could finish and pulled away.

We'd been together for nine years and had done far more intimate things than this countless times.

But now, just his mere touch made me recoil.

Liam's expression darkened for a moment, but he stubbornly refused to move.