Chapter 2

"Honey, how were my medical results?" Liam asked.

I pulled out a thick stack of reports from my bag and spread them on the table.

"The doctor said all your indicators are good, no major issues. Here, take a look yourself," I said.

I knew Liam well. For all these years, I had taken care of every detail in his life, big or small. He trusted me completely.

As expected, he didn't even glance at the papers.

"That's great. It's all thanks to you taking such good care of me," he said.

I silently put the reports back in the envelope and opened another can of beer for him.

After two cans of beer, his fair complexion was flushed red. When he looked at me with half-closed eyes, his gaze was full of desire.

Liam was handsome and dashing, standing at 6 feet tall with long legs. I was deeply attracted to him from the first moment I saw him in college.

Back then, my heart would race uncontrollably, feeling like it might jump out of my chest. But now, looking into his passionate eyes, knowing he had been rolling in bed with another woman, I wanted to gouge out those hypocritical eyes.

Liam finished the last crab, patting his stomach in satisfaction.

"Honey, there's less than a month left before the deadline for this year's International Jewelry Design Competition. Have you finished your design?" he asked.

I nodded gently as I cleared the table. "Just a few more tweaks and it'll be ready."

Liam excitedly stood up, wanting to hug me. I dodged him subtly, carrying the plates to the kitchen without a trace of awkwardness.

He followed me to the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe, gesturing excitedly. "Honey, I need to get an even bigger display case for the company. We're running out of space for all your awards!"

Liam and I both studied jewelry design. The year we graduated, I turned down an offer from a top company because he wanted to start his own business.

Out of love for him, I supported him without hesitation. Not only did I give him the $20,000 I had saved from part-time jobs during college to start his business, but I also joined his small studio.

In the first few years, to make a name for his studio, he entered all sorts of jewelry design competitions, big and small. But he always got eliminated in the preliminaries, while I won gold awards every time.

At that time, the studio was losing money every month. Liam was stressed out, losing 30 pounds in half a year.

I couldn't bear to see him suffer like that. I suggested closing the studio, but he wanted to hang on a bit longer.

Until we were completely broke, squeezed into a basement, sharing a bowl of instant noodles a day.

He left most of the noodles for me, drinking only the soup to fill his stomach.

Liam hugged me, crying, saying he shouldn't have let me suffer with him. He said he'd close the studio the next day and find a job.

I knew that was his pride and hard work. Behind his back, I borrowed $5,000 from my parents and secretly submitted my competition entry under Liam's name.

He had said he lacked inspiration and had no portfolio, so clients didn't trust him and wouldn't work with him.

With that $5,000, we held on for another three months. And my design won first prize in a top international competition.

From then on, Liam made a name for himself in the industry.

He never lacked for orders again. The studio grew bigger and bigger, eventually becoming a jewelry design company with over a hundred employees.

He became known as Mr. Westbrook, a young talent in everyone's eyes.

But from that point on, all of my designs were submitted under Liam's name.