Chapter 2
Early in the morning, I walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Liam, who was supposed to be staying at his office. I froze for a moment.
“Why are you back?” I asked.
Leaning lazily against the counter, he replied, “Didn’t feel comfortable with you driving
alone, so I came back. And decided to bake a cake for you too.”
The morning sunlight slipped through the window, casting a soft glow over the gentle smile at the corner of his lips. Waiting for the elevator, I noticed the faint shadows under his eyes and felt a pang of guilt.
“My leg injury is healed, so driving on my own is fine. Next time, just stay at the office after working late. Don’t make an extra trip for me.”
The elevator arrived, stopping on our floor. Liam turned, brushing his lips quickly against
my earlobe.
“I know, but I just wanted to go to work with you.‘
”
My ears grew hot, and it felt like being seventeen again–the way he used to wait at my door, pretending to tie his shoelaces to orchestrate a casual encounter. When I caught on, he’d blush and whisper, “I just wanted to walk you to school.”
Liam held me as we stepped into the elevator, and the girl from upstairs happened to be nside. Wearing cartoon pajamas and fluffy slippers, she looked down at her phone, saying nothing. She was nothing like the confident, radiant girl from last night’s photo.
On the first floor, she passed us, stepping out without a glance. For a brief moment, omething glinted in my eye. Curiosity pulled my gaze–it was a delicate silver clip nestled
n her dark hair.
at my office building, just before I got out of the car, Liam turned and kissed me. I closed ny eyes, one hand pressing against his tie on his chest. And just then, a flicker of
ealization crossed my mind.
12:14
Empty Heart
10.0%
Chapter 2
It wasn’t a hair clip. The silver tucked in her hair wasn’t a hair accessory; it was the tie clip
Liam had lost months ago..
I smiled and said goodbye to Liam, but as I turned away from the car, my heart sank, plummeting into the depths. Though wrapped in warm sunlight, I felt like I’d stepped into winter. This man I’d loved for over a decade was cheating on me. And it had been going on for months–without me ever realizing.
After wrapping up my work, I took half a day off and hailed a cab to Liam’s law firm. But I wasn’t looking for him–I was looking for his car. Unlocking it with a spare key, I checked
the dashcam footage.
The playback screen was almost entirely clean, with only this morning’s recording left undeleted. After dropping me off at work, Liam received a call. It was his friend, Cooper.
“Did you have a falling out with that girl?”
“What’s up?” Liam asked.
“She couldn’t reach you, so she called me instead,” Cooper replied.
In an even tone, Liam said, “I told her not to bother Nina. She showed up on purpose this
morning when I was with Nina.”
Cooper let out a sigh. “What’s your plan, Liam? If you don’t want Nina finding out, why
have the girl move upstairs?”
There was a pause. Then Liam’s voice softened. “Nina hurt her leg before; I didn’t feel safe leaving her alone… couldn’t trust anyone else to take care of her.”
Cooper sighed, sounding exasperated. “I just don’t get it. You know how much her parents‘ issues have scarred her. And you still… never mind, just be careful.”
“Yeah, I know what I’m doing,” Liam answered quietly.
12:14
