"It's not me. The company has a business deal that needs to be handled in Brittonia."

He stood up, stubbed out his cigarette, and walked toward me.

His eyes were full of sincerity and love.

As if this situation was something he had rehearsed countless times in his mind, without any worry of being caught.

I followed his lead, sitting on the couch as he handed me a warm glass of milk.

I met his gaze, which was tinged with curiosity, and slowly spoke.

"You still have the habit of warming up milk for me, just like before."

He laughed softly at my words and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Nina, go to bed."

I nodded quietly, and just as I was about to step into the bedroom, Liam called out to me.

"I love you."

Looking at him, relaxed and leaning against the couch, I smiled faintly.

"Get some rest too."

Back in bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

Half-asleep, half-awake, I found myself back in the summer when I was eighteen. The cicadas buzzed loudly, an annoying but unavoidable sound in the heat.

That was the first time I met Liam, appearing in front of him in a very embarrassed way.

"Hello, everyone, I'm Liam. Today's broadcast will feature a special presentation from me..."

Liam's voice echoed through the school speakers, and the girls in my class gathered together, chattering about him. Listening to his voice, I blushed unconsciously, not even realizing when I had scribbled his name onto my notebook.

He was the school's star—top of the class, handsome, and kind. No one could resist being drawn to him.

I was no different, secretly admiring him as my idol. But that innocent admiration became the reason I was bullied.

"Oh, look! Isn't that our class's little pock-marked girl, and she's crushing on the great Liam too!"

I clutched my faded school uniform tightly, feeling a mix of shame, helplessness, and fear, all magnified in that moment.

In the face of Joanna's taunts, I chose to ignore her.

But she, as if finding some new source of amusement, yanked me up from my seat. Standing in front of me, her presence overwhelmed me. I tried to escape, using the excuse that a teacher was calling for me. She smiled sweetly, stepping aside as if to let me pass.

But just as I turned, she pushed me from behind, and I fell hard onto the ground.

The other students gathered around, whispering and giggling, their mocking eyes and glee bearing down on me.

That was when Liam appeared.

He shoved those bullies aside and draped his jacket over my shoulders. Under the gaze of everyone, he led me away.

Later, I don't know what he did, but somehow, we ended up as desk mates. I still remember the day he smiled at me and extended his hand,

"Hello, Nina. I'm Liam. Looks like we'll be sitting together from now on."

The sunlight bathed him in a golden glow—it was such a beautiful sight.

And just like that, we became desk mates for two years. For two years, he protected me.

When we applied for college, I chose the same university as him. At freshman orientation, even among the crowd, he instantly recognized me.

With the same bright smile, he walked over, just like when we were eighteen, and extended his hand again, "Hello, Nina. We'll be together for the next four years. Let's take care of each other."

Later on, a senior confessed to me, but Liam chased him off and then confessed to me himself.

On the day we made it official, he stuffed a large bouquet of roses into my arms, grinning like a fool.

"Nina, from now on, you'll be Mrs. Liam."

"I'll love you forever."

I smiled and agreed, feeling like my heart was filled with honey, so happy it felt unreal.

At that time, I was constantly anxious, afraid that happiness was just a dream.

When Liam found out, he ruffled my hair and laughed indulgently.

"Silly girl, it's not a dream."

But after discovering Maya, I finally understood.

It wasn't that happiness was a dream. It was that the sunlight had long since stopped shining in my world.

……

The next morning, when I woke up, I was alone in the empty room.

I reached out and touched the space beside me—it was cold.

The sunlight streamed in through the window, adding a warm touch to the room, but I couldn't feel happy.

So, it wasn't a dream!

I walked into the living room, seeing the breakfast on the table and Liam fixing his hair in front of the mirror. I felt a bit lost.

"You're awake? Come have breakfast!"

Liam pulled me to sit down, placing the breakfast in front of me, his eyes brimming with joy he couldn't hide,

"Nina, I'll be on a business trip for a few days. Take care of yourself."

He stood up, ruffled my hair again, and turned to leave. As I watched him put on that blue scarf, I bit my lip and hesitated.

"Can you not go, Liam?"

He gave me a reassuring smile, "The company's car is already downstairs. Be good, I'll be back soon."

"But..."

The door was slammed shut before I finished speaking.

I stood on the balcony and looked down.

Sure enough, that girl Maya was excitedly holding Liam's hand, and he gently patted her head.

I laughed bitterly at myself. How foolish.