Chapter 3
I struggled to sit up and stop her.
On the other end of the phone, Liam paused for a second, then scoffed coldly:
“Did Avery tell you to act? What’s a little fall going to do?”
“Tell her to hurry up and state her last demand so we can get this over with. I don’t have time for her games.”
Seeing how impatient he was, I took the phone and said seriously:
“The third thing is simple. All you have to do is propose to me.”
CRASH!
A harsh sound came from the other end of the phone; something seemed to have fallen.
Liam was frantic:
“Clara, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”
The next second, he lashed out at me:
“Avery, are you crazy? Are you out of your mind? I’m not playing with you anymore! Go get the divorce certificate or don’t, I don’t care. We’ll be automatically divorced in thirty days anyway. I’m not like you, desperate to live. I can wait!”
He hung up.
My heart ached.
I knew Liam wanted to get rid of me, but I never expected him to despise me so much.
The system was still urging me to complete the task.
But now I had no leverage over him. What else could I do?
Fatigue washed over me like a tide.
Even if I begged Liam on my knees, he would just think I was pulling tricks.
If that’s the case, I might as well die with dignity.
With that thought, I called him.
He answered impatiently:
“If you’re going to talk about me proposing to you again, just go to hell!”
He didn’t know his words would turn out to be prophetic.
My voice was calm:
“I was just kidding. See you at the registry office tomorrow morning.”
Liam was surprised:
“That’s it? Are you being so cooperative?”
“Don’t want to? Fine then.”
“No! You better not be playing games!”
He quickly agreed.
Nine A.M. the next morning, at the registry office entrance.
Liam yelled at me for being one minute late:
“Avery, what are you doing now? You were really faking being sick yesterday! They say the wicked live forever, so you’ll probably live to be a hundred!”
His friends also looked at me with mocking expressions.
They were all waiting for Liam to get his marriage certificate with Clara, specially bringing confetti to celebrate.
I found it amusing.
In the past, when Liam and I made plans, he was never on time, repeatedly breaking promises, deliberately enjoying my distressed reactions.
Today, I was only one minute late, and he was so anxious.
“That’s right, I was doing it on purpose. I’ve changed my mind. The third thing is, I want you to carry me in to get the divorce certificate!”
From where we stood, it was less than a hundred feet to the entrance.
Liam looked at me suspiciously:
“That simple?”
Clara still rushed out to object, as if I were committing an unforgivable sin:
“Liam is a CEO! How can you treat him like a servant and make him carry you? We don’t have to get this divorce certificate, I’ll wait for Liam forever!”
Everyone else’s faces also darkened:
“Avery, you’re shameless! This is clearly a deliberate obstruction! You just don’t want the divorce certificate!”
I curved my lips into a smile, composed.
Liam, however, declared decisively:
“Fine. But if you cause any more trouble inside, I’ll make your life a living hell.”
He walked up to me.
I jumped onto his back without any hesitation.
Liam gave a small “oh.”
I was too light. Frighteningly light.
You see, I used to have a fiery personality. I loved racing, hiking, rock climbing. My muscle mass was not to be underestimated.
He instinctively asked:
“Are you starving yourself?”
I replied faintly:
“You and Clara disgusted me so much I couldn’t eat.”
Liam curled his lip:
“That’s enough.”
When we married years ago, he was practically dragged into the registry office by ten bodyguards, forced to get the marriage certificate, his face filled with disgust.
Now, he walked steadily towards the registry office, step by step, but it was to divorce me.
In a daze, I remembered when I was seventeen.
Liam was caught in an avalanche while skiing.
I rushed into the snowy field without a thought, screaming until my throat was hoarse before I found him.
At that time, he had snow blindness, and his leg was injured, preventing him from standing.
I half-carried, half-dragged him down the mountain for a day and a night, even cutting myself to give him my blood, hoping to restore his strength.
In his semi-conscious state, Liam’s hot tears streamed onto my neck:
“You’re so good to me! I’ll marry you!”
I laughed, coaxing him not to break his promise.
By the time we reached the bottom of the mountain, I should have died from hypothermia.
The system bonded with me then.
It said our love was truly great, and as long as I could marry him for seven years, it would grant me health and a long life.
I agreed, secretly delighted that this was a freebie, and that we would surely be happy.
But I never expected to wake up and see him confessing to Clara Davis in front of the entire school.
He said he would marry me.
But what I got was his endless gratitude towards Clara.
I tried to explain, but he didn’t believe me.
“The person who saved me was gentle like a goddess. You’re so rough and bossy, how could it be you?”
Snapping back to reality, I whispered into Liam’s ear:
“Liam Sterling, we’re even now.”
He stopped walking:
“What did you say?”