Chapter 2

Liam's car keys clattered to the floor, but he didn't notice.

Staring intently at the old lady, he choked out the words with difficulty:

"What did you say? How is that possible...?"

I was stunned too. The wind blew in from the stairwell, carrying a chill.

I instinctively shrank behind Liam, feeling a little scared, and an indescribable sadness.

"Why would I lie to you?"

The old lady sighed:

"She rented my place. Her husband ran off, and with postpartum depression, she committed suicide by hanging."

"Her body hung from the old ceiling fan, creaking for a week before anyone found it. I only found out when I came to collect the rent."

Her tone held a hint of reproach as she mentioned this:

"Made this place unsellable, so I, this old woman, had to live here myself."

"Impossible!"

Liam suddenly pointed at me, his emotions flaring:

"Mia, who was afraid of even a fall, how could she commit suicide?"

"Besides, if she died, how did her daughter grow up to be this old?"

"That girl did have a daughter back then, but I heard she was sent to an orphanage after birth."

The old lady's clouded eyes fixed on me:

"You certainly look like your mother."

She paused, then remembered something else:

"Oh, and she left a pile of belongings. They're just taking up space in the storage room. If you want them, take them."

The old lady hobbled inside. I cautiously explained to Liam:

"I was also trying to find my mom through you. I didn't know she..."

Liam didn't listen to me, walking straight in.

The interior was dilapidated, with large patches of peeling paint on the walls.

He stared at the creaking ceiling fan, muttering to himself:

"How could she have ended up like this? Back when she left, I gave her half my assets, at least a few million."

No one could answer his question, and neither could I.

He took a large box of belongings from the old lady, walking downstairs dejectedly. I followed closely behind him.

Stella, who had been waiting in the car for a long time, looked at me in surprise:

"Liam, haven't you sent her away yet?"

"Mia... is dead."

Liam choked out the words, his shoulders trembling almost imperceptibly.

Stella gasped, covering her mouth:

"How could this happen? Liam, did you ask where Mia's grave is? Let's go visit."

"Even though she did those things back then, we were still friends."

She leaned closer to Liam, her eyes slightly red-rimmed.

I couldn't help but wonder. From the moment we met, I felt a barrier between the grown-up Liam and me.

What happened ten years ago to break us apart, even causing me to leave?

"No need."

Liam's voice was cold:

"I said I'd hardly ever see Mia again, whether she was alive or dead."

"Stella, didn't you have a salon appointment? I'll drop you off."

He pulled open the car door.

Stella pointed at me:

"What about her? Maybe send her to an orphanage."

Liam glanced at my restless self:

"Let's take her back first, we'll figure it out."

A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes, but she still smiled and nodded:

"Okay."

Soon, the car arrived at the beauty salon.

Liam kissed Stella's forehead:

"Go on, I'll pick you up when you're done."

"Mrs. Stone is so lucky!"

The wives waiting at the salon joked:

"I heard that whenever you go out, you don't even have to put on your own shoes; Mr. Stone drives you everywhere and even carries you out of the car."

Stella blushed and waved goodbye to Liam.

Hearing those words, a pang of sadness hit me, and I stared blankly out the window.

Liam, however, was clearly more distracted than me. Not long after driving off, he accidentally cut off another car.

The driver opposite immediately rolled down his window, leaned out, and was about to curse.

But when he recognized Liam, his expression suddenly turned to surprise:

"Liam!"

"Do you remember me? I'm Brenda, Mia's classmate from grad school."

Brenda leaned in to look into the car, her gaze falling on me with delighted surprise:

"Is this your child with Mia? She's all grown up and looks just like her mother!"

After saying that, she couldn't help but sigh:

"Everyone in our department was envious of Mia back then. She'd be busy with experiments until midnight, and you'd always be waiting downstairs with hot soup for her."

"I thought that after what happened, with her stubborn personality, she'd never end up with you."

"Guess I was overthinking it."