Chapter 2After Rising to Power, He Discussed How to Ditch the Aging Me, Only to Claim He’d Die with Me After I Was Gone

The way Liam Xander and I met was straight out of a cliché “damsel in distress” story.

Liam’s mother had been a servant in the Xander household. One drunken night, the old patriarch forced himself on her, and Liam was the result of that violence.

But since Liam’s mother was an orphan with no family to back her up, she endured relentless mistreatment throughout her pregnancy.

The women of the Xander family, unwilling to let an illegitimate child threaten their inheritance, tried everything they could to get rid of the baby.

In the end, Liam’s mother died giving birth to him, leaving him alone in a household that wanted nothing to do with him.

Because his mother was disrespected, Liam was treated no better.

The patriarch didn’t care about him, and those with grudges against the Xander family took out their frustrations on Liam.

Even as a child, he was targeted. Despite bearing the Xander name, he was ostracized, forced to work part-time jobs to survive while enduring constant bullying and struggling to keep up with school.

One evening, a group of thugs—mercenaries paid by the Xander family’s enemies—cornered Liam in a dark alleyway after his shift at a café.

They carried iron rods and bats, blocking his escape.

Liam knelt on the ground, his face and hair covered in flour, his cheap, threadbare shirt stained with the stench of rotten eggs. His long bangs fell over his eyes, masking his expression.

Every payday, these thugs would show up to torment him, taking sadistic pleasure in his suffering. Liam had tried to fight back once, but it only earned him a beating so severe he was bedridden for weeks. Nearly starving to death in his tiny apartment, he’d learned to endure their abuse, hoping they’d leave quickly once they were satisfied.

“Liam Xander, you bastard,” one of them sneered, waving a bat in his face. “A pathetic little illegitimate son working at a café? Playing piano for tips? Who the hell do you think you are? You’re nothing but a pretty face. Who in Seabridge City would even dare to sponsor you?”

Another thug laughed cruelly. “You’re only good for licking the dirt off my boots. Oh, wait—it’s your birthday today, isn’t it? How about I grant you a birthday wish? Go ahead and lick my shoes, and I might let you off easy.”

The group erupted into laughter, lighting candles and holding them over Liam’s head, letting the hot wax drip down toward him.

Liam instinctively tried to dodge, but one of them grabbed his arms and forced his face down into the rough, dirty cobblestones.

The melted wax and grime-covered boots pressed against the smooth lines of his face, smearing blood and dirt. The metallic tang of blood filled the air, mingling with the overwhelming stench of their cruelty.

Their laughter grew louder, more twisted.

They were ready to draw knives, aiming to scar the flawless face of the boy they held down.

But suddenly, the sharp wail of police sirens broke through the night.

I stood at the entrance of the alley, holding up my phone with a smirk, feigning nonchalance as I crossed my arms.

“I got everything on video,” I said cheerfully. “The cops are on their way. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out of here now. Otherwise…”

I cracked my neck, my fingers flexing as I tilted my head.

The leader of the group scowled at me. “Do you even know who sent us?”

I scoffed. “I don’t care who you’re working for. Even the most powerful people have a reputation to protect. Bullying a high school kid? If this video goes viral, do you think the authorities won’t step in? ‘Campus bullying’—it’s a pretty hot topic these days. Wonder what the education board would say.”

The thugs exchanged uneasy glances. The higher your status, the more you cared about your image.

After a moment of hesitation, they spat out a few curses and ran off, yelling, “You’d better watch your back!”

As soon as they were gone, I rushed over to Liam, extending a hand to help him up. My chest heaved as I caught my breath.

“God, that was terrifying,” I muttered, clutching my chest. “Thank goodness that worked. I just transferred here, and this is what I walk into? Unbelievable.”

I looked him over, still breathless. “You’re lucky, though. If I hadn’t stepped in, your pretty face would’ve been ruined. And that would’ve been a tragedy for humanity.”

I tilted my head, studying his sharp jawline and high nose. His cheeks were flushed, and his long lashes cast shadows over his unreadable eyes.

I gasped. “Seriously, if they’d scarred you, it would’ve been a crime against nature.”

Liam gripped my wrist tightly, his voice quiet but tinged with gratitude.

“Thanks,” he said. “But you’ve just made trouble for yourself.”

I raised an eyebrow. Of course, I already knew what he meant. I was well aware of the enemies circling the Xander family, and I’d just put myself in their crosshairs by helping him.

But I smiled, gripping his hand in return.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m the kind of person who sees things through. You’re with me now.”

I grinned mischievously. “If nothing else, I’m Chloe White. Say my name, and I promise you’ll never have to pay for soap in Seabridge City again.”

Liam stared at me for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.

Our eyes met.

And that’s where the story began.