He Proposed to Me to Punish Her Chapter 08

He Proposed to Me to Punish Her Chapter 08

When Liam saw Chris again three years later, he barely recognized her.

She was a completely different person.

Once she’d walked with her head down and shoulders hunched. Now she wore sharp professional attire and her hair pulled back in a neat high ponytail. Confidence shone clearly in her eyes

Liam thought about her often over those three years.

He remembered how quiet she usually was, yet how bright and lively she could be too.

Like the day he’d gotten rejected by Gillian for the hundredth time and tossed a bouquet of flowers aside carelessly. Chris’s whole face lit up when she picked them up.

She spun around holding the flowers, then stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his

cheek.

Liam had been stunned. He’d thought she was bold and reckless for daring to do that.

Or the time he complained his backpack was too heavy. She’d grabbed it from him and carried it

herself without a second thought.

Her shoulders were so thin and delicate, but she carried burdens that were never meant to be hers.

When Chris’s grandmother broke her hip, she turned down a chance to pursue a doctoral degree. She took a temporary job at the hospital to earn money and look after her grandmother.

Over the years, Liam had people look into her background now and then.

She’d ranked among the top students every year from elementary school through high school.

She’d gotten into a top university with outstanding SAT scores and won scholarships every single

year.

He hadn’t understood what a scholarship entailed at first, so he looked it up online. It required top grades and plenty of volunteer hours.

No wonder she was always busy. Even planning a simple meetup with her needed advance notice.

Liam would intentionally make plans at the last minute. He wanted to force her to cancel things and

start an argument.

He hoped she would get angry and end the relationship herself.

Every time she arrived late, her eyes were filled with sincere apology. That only irritated him more

Why didn’t she ever get mad? A normal person would have yelled at him for being unreasonable and

ended things.

When he found out Gillian was pregnant, panic washed over him first.

The first thought in his head was worry about how Chris would take the news. That thought

surprised even himself.

Seven years had passed, and she’d become a constant presence in his life without him realizing in

His friends often wondered if Liam had truly developed real feelings for her.

Liam only worried that she would cry and make a mess if they broke up.

On the night he proposed to Chris, he’d decided to confess his love to Gillian one final time.

If she turned him down again, he planned to let go of his old feelings and devote himself fully to

Chris.

But everything fell apart completely.

Chris learned about his two children with Gillian. Then came the car accident. Then she left town

without a single word.

During the business meeting, other researchers threw tough questions at Chris. She answered each

one calmly and logically, arguing her points with grace and courage.

Liam sat across the table, twisting a pen between his fingers. He couldn’t look away from her.

Ethan’s presence filled him with sharp jealousy and fear. The way Ethan looked at Chris was full of

admiration, fondness and pure, unhidden love.

Liam had always believed he had all the time in the world to win Chris back.

Ethan came from a family with status equal to the Youngs. Most wealthy families like theirs arranged marriages for business and status. He never thought the Black family would approve of this marriage.

But the Blacks gave their full blessing without hesitation. They even hosted a grand wedding

celebration.

Chris stood in a long white wedding gown. Her wedding aisle stretched out behind her across the

venue.

She walked toward Ethan and placed the hand that had once held Liam’s into Ethan’s palm.

She lifted her head again, and her eyes sparkled with joy just like they used to long ago.

That night, Liam sat out on his balcony watching fireworks burst across the distant sky.

A full plate of Spicy Grilled Shrimp sat on the table beside him, delivered from the restaurant Chris

used to love.

He peeled the first shrimp. The spicy seasoning stung his throat and made him frown.

He still didn’t understand why she’d loved such messy, spicy food that burned your hands and

mouth.

He finished the entire plate slowly. Slowly, he began to understand a little.

Some things were addictive. The spicier they got, the more you craved them. The more pain they brought, the harder it was to walk away. Just like certain people.

Liam lost track of how many shrimp he ate. In his last moments of clarity, he clutched the old engagement ring against his chest.

One single thought remained in his mind.

He wanted to taste those shrimp again soon.