Chapter 2She Looked Like My Dead First Love Until I Learned Why

It was late when Liam returned to the villa.

Stella clearly wasn't waiting for him. The rest of the villa was dark.

Liam felt his way toward the only light and unexpectedly heard soft, breathy moans.

Under the dim bedside lamp, Stella held Skyler's photograph and murmured:

"Skyler, darling, once I marry you..."

Her voice was tender and lovestruck, nothing like the cold tone she used with Liam.

Liam waited, but Stella seemed unable to satisfy herself that night. She lost herself completely.

Only when she caught sight of his reflection did her unfocused gaze clear.

She frowned at him impatiently. "Why are you standing there?"

"I came to resign," Liam said calmly, ignoring her irritation.

Still, the sight of her face sent a faint ache through his chest.

Suzy would never have treated him this way.

But Stella wasn't Suzy.

Suzy was dead.

Stella frowned. "Tired of being my secretary? Going back to being the Sheridan heir?

"Of course. Someone like you, who uses his status to bully Skyler, couldn't stand a little hardship.

"Fine. Finish the project with Graham Lewis, and then you can leave."

She handed Liam an invitation.

Stella seemed to know it would hurt him.

She smiled cruelly.

"It's my wedding. Make sure you come."

Liam looked at the gold-embossed invitation and agreed with a smile.

Nothing stirred in his eyes.

Stella always insisted that he bullied Skyler.

Without his grandfather Leonard Sheridan to protect him, Liam’s father would have ruined him long ago. The social climber was married to Liam’s mother for ten years and cheated on her for eleven.

The pain caused by Skyler's mother even drove Liam's mother to her death.

This was the hundredth time.

...

The next morning, Liam found Stella, who rarely got up early, bringing in breakfast.

She had bought a shrimp omelet and a box of mini beef pies.

Liam reached for the omelet, but Stella slapped his hand away.

“What are you doing? Don’t you like beef pies?”

Liam froze.

For a moment, he thought she remembered the bet he lost for her, when he had to eat a hundred mini beef pies straight from the oven.

The scalding gravy blistered his mouth. He couldn’t eat for three days afterward, and even the sight of those pies made him feel sick.

He shouldn't have expected her to remember.

"Fine." Liam drew back his reddened hand.

He didn't look at the food again and only drank water.

Stella glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you throwing another spoiled-heir tantrum?"

Liam studied her for a moment, then calmly put a beef pie in his mouth.

He chewed mechanically before hurrying to the bathroom to retch.

Stella followed him on instinct and brought him water to rinse his mouth.

"What's wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Before Liam could answer, Skyler's voice came from behind her. "What's wrong with Liam? Did he eat something bad?"

Stella's brows drew together. The concern in her eyes turned cold.

"Liam, you're unbelievable. You made yourself throw up just to upset me.

"What, is the breakfast I bought you not good enough?"

He was still retching, almost bringing up stomach acid.

But Stella glanced at her watch and took Skyler's arm. "You need to clock in at the office in ten minutes. Skyler, let's go. We can eat on the way."

By the time Liam rinsed his mouth, Stella's car was long gone.

He worked as her secretary for three years and never once got a ride to work with her.

On Skyler's first day as his replacement, he sat in Stella's passenger seat.

Liam couldn't put his feelings into words. It only felt a little easier when he reminded himself that Stella wasn't Suzy.

Suzy was so good to him that he couldn't forget her unless he let Stella hurt him.

There were never other boys around Suzy. She only had eyes for him.

She remembered everything he liked, knew his weaknesses, and understood his heart. Before the car accident, Liam thought they would be together forever.

But there was no forever.

Suzy was dead.