Chapter 1 The Beginning

• CHLOE had a long-time crush on Liam. She simply cannot express her thoughts to him because she does not want him to avoid her. Liam is every woman's, ideal man. He's a caring son, a companion, and, most recently, a caring and committed boyfriend to Stella, his long-term partner. Last year, she met Stella at the burial of her uncle John, Liam's father. His father died as a result of cancer. Liam's company began to encounter various challenges following the demise of Mr. John Anderson, as all of their investors withdrew, and her Aunt Emma, Liam's mother, is at a loss for what to do.
• She saw Liam's anguish over his loss, but she wasn't there to console him. Because he was with Stella.
• She sighed deeply as she entered her father's office. She may appear desperate for what she is about to do, but her love for Liam drives her decision.
• She rapped on the door and twisted the handle. She peered and saw her father skimming over the pages. The old man smiled when he noticed her.
• "Chloe... come in," he murmured, smiling.
• Chloe smiled and walked into his office. She took a step closer to his table.
• "What brought you here?" her father inquired, closing the packet he was reading.
• "How's Liam's business doing, dad?"
• Her father shrugged. "Liam is working hard to find a solution for the investors. Because your aunt Emma is crippled, you knew she couldn't assist."
• Yes, Liam's mother, Emma, suffered from hypertension and had a small attack that weakened her nerves when her husband died.
• "Would Liam be able to handle that, dad?" she inquired.
• Her father glanced at her. "Hmm... do you still have feelings for Liam?"
• As much as she wished to hide her face from her father's queries, it was too late, as her father laughed. “Oh. Liam treated you like his own sister, my daughter, and he already had a fiancée. What was her name once more?"
• “Stella.”
• They've been together for about nine years. Liam proposed to her last year, just before her Uncle John died, and they were meant to marry after two months, but his father died.
• “Right. Isn't Stella John's secretary's daughter?"
• She gave a nod.
• "How did you end up here?"
• She let out a long sigh. "I needed to ask you a favor, Dad."
• "Anything my daughter," her father answered with a smile.
• "I'd like to marry, Liam."
• Because of his disbelief, her father did not answer right away.
• "Please let it be the only way to revive their company, dad," she implored passionately.
• Her father shrugged. "I can't—"
• She rose to her feet. "The Andersons are in a pickle, and Liam is already struggling with it. Aunt Emma requires adequate medication. Dad, aren't we family? You have the authority. We can assist them. But, knowing Liam, he will deny your assistance."
• "You're right, Chloe. And I can't just give you whatever you want—"
• “I love, Liam, dad. I love him so much that it pains me to see him happy with another lady who reminds me of myself."
• Her father exhaled a sigh. "You can't just have him that way, Chloe. I didn't raise you to ruin other people's lives, especially Liam's. He's been through enough, and you don't know the complete tale. I apologize—"
• "Then forget about me as your daughter," she remarked as she exited her father's office.
• “WHAT did you do to your daughter, David?!” the voice of David’s wife roared on the four corners of their room. “If something will happen to my daughter, I won’t forgive you!”
• David sighed. “Let her be until she will realize that what she wanted was not right.”
• “Do you hear yourself?” his wife stood in front of him, hands on her waist. “She was just your only child. And you knew she never asks you anything! And now, she’s asking you a favor, you can’t grant it?”
• David pinched the bridge of his nose as he controls his temper. “You must not tolerate Chloe, honey. She’s asking the impossible. We’ve been friends with the Andersons for a long time, but just because of Chloe’s obsessed feelings towards Liam, she wants me to ruin other’s life. Liam has a fiancé, you knew that—”
• “But looked what just happened, your daughter is missing for two days! What if something bad happened to her?”
• David lay on the bed, “she will come back. Just let her be—”
• “No! You will grant her wish, David. That’s final.”
• David got up and looked at his wife. “Chloe became a brat because you tolerate her ugly behavior, Alice. In case you didn’t know. John and Emma were forced to marry each other, and looked how did Emma end up, though she loves John, John still treats her just like a toy—”
• “But John was born to be dominant and it’s Emma’s fault to accept to be his submissive. Liam is different from John. He’s not dominant. Look, he only had one serious relationship—”
• “I’m still afraid that Chloe might experience it since he got John’s blood. And happened that Liam saw how John treated Emma one time. Chloe was about to ruin Liam’s life.”
• “I’m sure, Liam won’t do that. He respects us and treats Chloe well. The difference is that they will marry each other and it’s the only way to bring back the Anderson empire. I will talk to Emma about this—”
• “If something happened to Chloe, I would not forgive you, Alice.”
• WHEN Liam arrived home, her mother informed him about the news.
• “What did you say, mom?” Liam asked once more her mom, who was sitting in the wheelchair. He went closer to her.
• “Your uncle David will help you with the company and promised to bring back all the losses.”
• “I don’t need any help, mom,” he said as he removed his necktie. Stella is out of the country since she had a photoshoot. His fiancé is a bikini model at a famous modeling agency in California, at first, he doesn’t want her job, but he trusts the girl.
• “I’m sorry, son,” his mother shook her head.
• Liam then looked at his mom, confused. He went closer to her and kneel in front of her. He saw how a single tear fell from her eyes.
• “What’s wrong, mom?”
• “I… I don’t want the company where your father spent his whole life to be put a waste.”
• “Of course, me either. I won’t let it happen.”
• “Thus, I signed an agreement with the Beckett—”
• “What? You did what?” he asked, even if he heard it, loud and clear.
• “I signed an agreement with the Beckett.”
• “What agreement?”
• “You will marry Chloe, son.”
• Liam went deaf when he heard about it. He doesn’t know what to think. Why? Why does his mom do such a thing without his consent? He can fix the problem in his company on his own. It may be hard to collect the big losses, yet he’s trying.
• He looked into her mom’s eyes, “Mom, why?” he almost choked. “You knew I have a fiancé. I love Stella. I’m trying my best—I’m almost there. I can bring the company back.”
• Her mother shook her head as tears started to fall down her cheeks. “I-I’m sorry…” she sobbed.
• Liam caresses her mom’s back. “Shh… mom, the doctor said it’s bad for you to stress yourself. Stop crying.” But his mother can’t control her tears as she also regretted what she did but it’s the only way to save her late husband's company. “Mom… please, stop crying.” The concern in Liam’s voice makes her cry more.
• Liam went out and called their maid to bring water upstairs before he gets back to her mother’s room.
• “I will talk to Uncle David about it, mom. Don’t worry.”
• But his mother shook her head again. “It’s… it’s the only way to save the company son. The Beckett is powerful, and the agreement can’t be unchanged. Not unless Chloe will be the one to break—”
• “I will talk to Chloe, mom. Don’t worry.”
• Her mother shook her head again. “It’s the only way son.”
• “No. I will talk to Chloe,” he said before he left the room.
• CHLOE was more than happy when her dream of having Liam, will finally be fulfilled. She was rolling in her wide bed when her phone rang, and her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she saw the caller’s I.D.
• She hemmed and cleared her throat before answering it.
• “Liam—”
• “Let’s talk.”
• “Oh. Okay. I’m in the mansion. You could come—”
• “No. Let’s talk outside. Meet me at the coffee shop near your subdivision,” he said and hung up.
• Chloe sighed as she already knew what he wants.
• She wore a simple floral dress below the knee and a sandal and her small sling bag.
• “Mom, I’ll just grab some matcha coffee,” she said as she gave a peck on her mom’s cheek, who was busy reading a magazine.
• She texted Liam when she got inside the coffee shop. And after a minute, Liam came.
• “Let’s order—”
• “No need. I won’t stay longer,” he said.
• Chloe gulped and nodded, “okay. Hmm… what do we need to talk about—”
• Liam cut the hum into her words, “call off the wedding. There’s no way that I will marry you,” he declared using his deep cold voice.
• “I can’t—”
• “I treated you well. We’ve been friends for a decade. Why do you have to do this to me? To my mom? To my life?”
• She was about to hold Liam’s hand when the latter move it away. She sighed. “I wanted to help you. And it’s the only way to save your company and to give Aunt Emma proper medication—”
• Liam scoffed. “Only way? You’re a heartless pathetic bitch!”
• “The agreement has my name and I’m the only one who will break it. Aunt Emma signed it. Dad can’t do anything about it. Accept it or not, we’re getting married—”
• “Do you hear yourself? You sound like a desperate, insane bitch—”
• “I love you, Liam—”
• Liam stood up and glared at her as he clenched his fist, “and I hate you, Chloe,” he said and left.
• A pain throbs into Chloe’s chest. “I know, Liam. I know,” she whispered. ‘But I will do everything for you to love me back,’ she thought.