Chapter 4 The Condition

• CHLOE awoke early on Saturday morning to prepare breakfast for Liam. She has no idea what time Liam will sit down to eat because they haven't lived together in a long time. Because their parents were great friends, they spent their youth in a vacation cottage for months. And at that point, Liam was getting up early, usually around five or six a.m. But she was just fifteen at the time, and Liam was eighteen.
• Many things have changed since they parted ways, especially now that he has found his true love. Her last thought stabbed her in the chest.
• She sighed and thought to herself, "The most important thing, Chloe, you're his wife now."
• She's not used to doing housework because they used to employ maids. However, when she arrived at college, she learned how to cook from her buddy Mia. And since she has grown in learning things on her own, it will not be difficult for her to handle some responsibilities. She admits to being a brat. But she never asked their maids to bring her everything; instead, she brings it all herself. When it comes to cleaning and laundry. She can, however, watch tutorials on the internet.
• She just cooked a simple breakfast, ham and egg, and toasted bread. She will mix some coffee when Liam went down.
• She was wiping the surrounding of the stove when she heard footsteps coming in her direction.
• She was astonished by the Greek-God-like that is approaching the table. Liam is hot… literally hot. He had a perfect shape face, sharp nose, pouty lips, and perfect jaw with his stubbles. His physiques were well-defined. Seems like her uncle John and aunt Emma planned the whole thing by making him. Well, it runs in their genes.
• If she would compare him with a Hollywood actor, he would be more likely the younger version of Jensen Ross Ackles.
• “Good morning,” she greeted but ended up getting just an emotionless gaze from him. “Coffee?”
• Liam didn’t respond and just get a cup by himself. She sighed and finished what she was doing before preparing a plate for him.
• Liam glanced at her when he was stirring his coffee. “One more chance, as my best friend, file a divorce paper, and set me free,” he said as he pulled a chair and sit.
• A Lit of guilt touches her heart when she heard his soft deep voice.
• Instead of answering, she asked, “Do you want some ham and egg?”
• “No. I will ask you once more,” he said, now gazing into her eyes. She gulped because of the tension.
• “I… I can’t.”
• One moment, she saw loneliness in his eyes but when he let out a soft chuckle, it was rage which is visible in his green eyes. “I’m sorry, then,” he asserted which makes her confused. Why does he need to be sorry if it’s her fault in the first place?
• Liam stood up and left the kitchen. If he can’t change her mind no matter how he pleads and asks for a chance. What he was thinking is all he could do to make her set him free. He knew that Chloe was stubborn and bratty, but he knew she was kind. But the Chloe he’s seeing right now is not the same Chloe he used to know. She’s now more likely like an insane, pathetic, heartless, and selfish bitch.
• If it’s true that she’s trying to help him with his company, she could have offered him help as his best friend. Not in the way that she started by ruining his life.
• He sat on the couch as he turned on the television. He put down his coffee on the center table. His phone vibrated and he pulled it out from his pocket.
• He sighed when he saw the sender of the message.
• It was Stella.
• Next week, Stella will already fly home and the girl was expecting him to fetch her at the airport. His fiancé is a bikini model and she’s starting to scribble her name into the modeling industry. He’s lucky with her, Stella never let him feel that he was alone. She’s always there for him. That’s why he was eager to marry her after years of relationship, but his father died before the scheduled date of their wedding, and the company which his father left facing side to side dilemma. Thus, their wedding was postponed.
• He planned to marry her the next month, but Chloe ruined everything.
• Stella: Hey, sweety. I just finished eating breakfast. You?
• He smiled as he typed into his phone.
• Chloe saw how Liam smiled while typing into his phone. She grabbed her coffee and went near him. She doesn’t care if the man will get annoyed by her again.
• Liam seems not to sense her presence. And the thing is she hasn’t seen Liam smile like that before and Mia was right, he was crazily in love with Stella. However, she will not let that girl be with Liam for the rest of their life. She will gladly be the villain bitch and tied Liam to her even if it’s forever.
• The smile encrypted into his face was still there and she kinda dislikes it.
• She then went to her back and intentionally pour a little amount of hot coffee directly into his phone which gives shocked him and screamed the word ‘fuck’.
• “S-Sorry—” she didn’t finish her sarcastic apology when Liam grabbed her hair and pulled her closer to him.
• Her knees bumped into the back of the couch. But she didn’t let an ‘ouch.’
• “What the hell did you do?!” Liam screamed, furiously.
• “I… I’m sorry—”
• She stopped when he pulled her closer and tightened the grip on her hair. She holds into his arms to lessen the pain, yet she didn’t utter a thing and just stared into his eyes.
• “You intentionally spilled a damn coffee on me, bitch!” he shouted out of rage. And Chloe could feel it.
• He raised his left hand and was about to slap her when his mother’s voice echoed inside his head. ‘Don’t ever hurt Chloe, son. Don’t ever be dominant with her. Your father regretted everything he did to me before he died. I was once his submissive but it’s my choice. Chloe is different. Don’t ever try it with her, son. Please.’ That’s what her mother said when she happened to see him packing those things. He then put down his hand.
• He stared at her. “Last, file a divorce and let me free,” he said, still gripping her hair. Trying to get some hope and to hold himself from hurting her.
• A tear fell from Chloe’s eye when she shook her head. “It’s the only w-way… to save you.”
• “Then I will make you change your mind.” Liam dragged her, not minding how tight his grip was on her hair. They went upstairs and Chloe couldn’t meet his pace.
• “Liam, stop.”
• But the man didn’t respond and continued to drag her to the second floor of the house.
• She then put her strength into her feet and hold his arm which is tightened into her hair and forced herself to a halt. “S-Stop. Liam!” she started to scream.
• Liam then stopped and looked at her. Her knees fell to the floor as she saw his eyes. “You’re not like this, Liam—”
• “That’s when you didn’t get my freedom!” he shouted and pointed at her. He let go of his grip and wiped his face with his palm.
• “Free me, Chloe. And I promise I won’t hurt you.”
• Chloe knew that she was fucked up when she shook her head.
• Liam dragged her again and this time, it was more painful as she pulled her like a cart by her hair.
• “No! Liam, no!” she screamed in pain as she held into his arm.
• Her butt almost feels the warm friction on the floor. She tried to stand up to lessen the pain, but the man was too strong.
• Liam dragged her into the dim hallway on the left side of the house and stopped in front of the black door. He pulled the key inside his pocket and inserted it inside. Chloe’s sobs are getting louder and louder, but he didn’t give a damn.
• When he opened it. He dragged her again inside and just let her go when he already closes the door.
• He saw how Chloe scrutinized the place with her wide eyes. He put his hands inside his side pockets. “You said, our marriage is the only way to save the company and me, right?” Chloe didn’t respond. “Now, this is my only way of making your life like a living hell… until you beg to leave me.”
• Chloe shook her head. “I will… never leave… you,” she said between her sobs, almost whispering as she was still on the floor.
• He let out a creepy chuckle which makes Chloe shiver and stop herself from crying as she looked up at him.
• Her eyes widened when she saw a different Liam. He’s not the Liam she used to know—the Liam who will never harm people. He’s different… seems possessed. An evil one.
• He went closer to her and bend down. He grabbed her by her hair, but she never uttered a word. Even if the pain is almost torturing her. He went closer into her left ear. “Then welcome to my playroom, Chloe,” he whispered before he let her go.
• He stood up straight. “When we were young, we used to be playmates, right, Chloe?”
• Tears fell from her eyes again, but she still manages to answer, “y-yes.”
• “Then let’s be playmates again, Chloe.”
• At that moment, Chloe knew that she was already facing his wrath—the consequences of her favor. But she promised herself that she will do everything… for him. Her father was right, the person you used to know will never be the same as before once they are ruined.
• She might have no idea of what she was seeing right now, but she knew it was all Liam was doing and she couldn’t even imagine a certain place like it, existing.
• “Chloe, for the years we spent together, I will beg, one last time. Set me free.”
• Chloe meets his gaze and at that moment, whatever her answer is, will serve as the judgment of her life beside Liam. “No.”