The Ninth Year of Being Tangled with Liam Walker

The Ninth Year of Being Tangled with Liam Walker

His mistress crashed my birthday party, declaring they were soulmates and demanding I grant them a divorce. Liam just stood there, watching, waiting for me to handle his unruly lover like I always did. But that day, I was just…done.

I stood up, smiled at him, and said, “I’m going to get some fresh air in the garden.”

Liam didn’t even blink. He probably figured I'd gone to have a good cry.

One hour passed, then two, then three, and I still hadn't returned. He finally went to look for me himself.

All he found in the garden was a cigarette butt, still smoldering, and my wedding ring. He knew then. I wasn't coming back.

01

Five years into our marriage, Liam had taken up with a cool, captivating ballerina named Seraphina Bell.

Rumor had it, the first time Liam saw Seraphina, he was completely mesmerized by her ethereal, moonlit-like dance. He kept her tucked away, like a dragon guarding its hoard, not letting anyone see her.

Including me.

Yet here she was, in my face, red-eyed and accusatory. “Liam doesn’t love you anymore! He loves me now! Don't you think it’s cruel, a total joke, for you to hold onto him just for the sake of your marriage?”

“Liam and I are truly in love. You should agree to a divorce and let us be happy.” She was crying, the poor damsel kept from her happy ending by a wicked woman—me.

It was laughable. “True love? You’re in love with another woman’s husband. Don't you think that's pathetic?”

Seraphina’s face went pale, but she quickly dissolved into even more pathetic sobs. “Yes, okay, maybe you’re right, maybe it is pathetic to love a married man. You’re right to call me out, but I can't help it. Love’s love!

“I just want to be with the man I love! I really do love Liam, and I don’t want to be separated from him. Can’t you just let us go?”

Her words were so absurd and immature.

But Liam found her adorable and fearless. He gently wiped away her tears and soothed her. “It’s okay, baby, don’t make a scene. I’ll see you tonight.”

The whole room went silent.

He was using my birthday party as a backdrop to support her. That was new, something no other mistress had ever received. Usually, when one of them tried to confront me, Liam would rip them to shreds. He’d warn everyone: “Chloe Sterling is my wife. Nobody crosses her.”

But today, Seraphina was disrupting my birthday bash, and Liam was not only tolerating it but had his secretary drive her home. He turned to me, his voice low and husky. “Don’t worry, I won’t let her act up again.”

So, don't do anything to her, he was saying.

He was warning me.

I didn’t immediately nod. Liam’s brow furrowed, his gaze turning ice-cold. “Chloe, Seraphina’s young. She doesn’t understand…” He was making excuses for her.

“I get it. Don’t worry about it.” I interrupted him and agreed.

Liam’s expression softened a little. He reached for my hand, but I instinctively pulled away. His face darkened with annoyance. I simply smiled at him. “...