Let The Years Be

"Chloe, when you were younger, our family arranged a marriage for you. Now that you're almost recovered from your illness, would you be willing to return to Kingston City and marry?"

"If you still don't agree, I'll talk to your father and cancel the engagement."

In the dimly lit room, Chloe could only hear silence. Just as the person on the other end of the line thought they would not be able to convince her, she suddenly spoke up.

"I'm willing to go back and get married."

Her mom, Felicia, froze, clearly surprised. "You... you agree?"

Chloe's tone was calm. "I agree, but I still need a little time to wrap things up in Marina City. I'll be back within two weeks. Mom, please go ahead and start preparing for the wedding."

After a few more words, Chloe hung up the phone.

"Chloe, remember the childhood engagement our family set up for you? Now that you've almost recovered from your sickness, would you consider returning to Kingston City to tie the knot? If you're still not on board, I can have another word with your dad and call the whole thing off."

In the shadowy room, Chloe Smith could hear nothing but the sound of silence.

On the other end of the line, her mom had braced herself for another refusal, but then Chloe's voice cut through.

"I'll go back and get married."

Her mom, Felicia Brown, was caught off guard.

"You're... You're okay with it?"

Chloe replied steadily, "I am. I just need a little time to wrap up some loose ends here in Marina City. Give me half a month, and I'll be there. Mom, go ahead and get the wedding plans rolling."

With a few more parting words, Chloe ended the call.

As soon as she hung up, the booming beats from the party downstairs seeped into the room, mingling with the strains of a birthday tune.

It was Helen Zimmer's birthday bash, thrown by Andrew Lewis and Stephen Jones.

Out of nowhere, footsteps approached, and there was Helen, grinning with a slice of Black Forest cake in hand.

Her doe-like eyes fluttered, her pretty face dolled up, though a smear of cream made an odd contrast.

"Chloe, come join the fun, won't you?"

Chloe saw right through her friend's festive facade and responded coldly, I've got a pile of work to plow through, so I'll pass. You guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves."

In a heartbeat, Helen's eyes brimmed with tears. "Chloe, are you blowing me off because you don't like me?"

Chloe's eyebrows knitted together without her even realizing it. She had not done a thing, yet somehow, Helen looked like the victim. What was up with that?

She scoffed to herself, totally done with Helen's babbling. "Keep your little act for Andrew and Stephen. It won't work on me."

Her words had barely left her lips when she reached to slam the door shut.

"Chloe, please don't—"

Helen's hand shot out, stopping the door with a thud.

Just like that, her hand got caught, squished as the door snapped shut.

A dark bruise bloomed on her fair skin in an instant.

"Ouch!"

Andrew and Stephen were just coming upstairs and got an eyeful of the drama.

They both dashed to Helen's side, scooping her up and fussing over her hand like it was made of glass.

The sight of Helen's bruised hand made Stephen's eyes water with concern.

He had always been the hot-headed type, and he did not hold back, laying into Chloe, "You don't have to like Helen, but why stoop so low? Chloe, when did you turn into this kind of person?"

Andrew was the calm and collected one, but even he could not hide his disappointment as he stared at Chloe with those intense eyes of his. "Chloe, it's still Helen's birthday. You didn't have to go this far."

However, he softened as he turned to Helen. "Does it still hurt? Let's get some ointment on that."

As Andrew led Helen away, Stephen was right on their heels, trying to cheer her up.

"Don't be down, Helen. I'll give you my brand-new sports car, and we'll go for a joyride after the party. That'll lift your spirits!"

Helen, surrounded by two guys who treated her like a superstar, finally managed to dry her tears, though her voice still quivered a little.

"Thanks, Andrew," she said with a sniffle.

After expressing her gratitude to Andrew, she turned to Stephen with eyes brimming with tears and implored, "Stephen, don't go racing, okay? It's super dangerous, and I'll be worried sick."

Seeing Helen switch from crying to giggling, Stephen quickly promised, "Sure, sure, sure. Whatever makes you happy, I'll do it!"

Chloe watched them as they headed downstairs, standing at the doorway lost in a daydream.

She could not help but remember a time when she was the one standing between Andrew and Stephen.

Ever since she was little, Chloe had been weak and often sick, especially with her asthma, and the damp, rainy weather in Kingston City just made it worse.

When she was five, her parents sent her away from Kingston City to the always-sunny Marina City to live with her aunt, Natalie Smith, a doctor who could help her recover.

That was when Chloe met the boys next door, Andrew and Stephen.

They grew up together, as close as can be, like a trio of peas in a pod.

From the moment they laid eyes on her, the boys were head over heels, always by her side, acting like her personal knights in shining armor.

When they were kids, they would walk her to school, bring her breakfast and milk, and tear up any love letter she got, making sure no other boy could get close to her.

When they grew up, one became a big-shot CEO and the other a famous race car driver. Busy as they were, they bought the houses next to Chloe's, knocked down the walls, and made one big happy home. They made it a point to come back every day to cook for her, just to make sure she had everything she needed.

Chloe was on the mend, and her family was nudging her to head back to Kingston City, but her friends would not have it. They stood there, eyes glistening with unshed tears, practically begging her to stay. They would drop everything to go with her if she left.

They were her rock, always saying, "Where you go, we go."

It was their unwavering support that kept Chloe from heading back, even after she got better.

However, Helen came along, and the game changed.

Helen was the new intern Chloe had taken under her wing.

On her first day, she hung back, too shy to join the lunch crowd. That quickly became her routine until Chloe found her sitting alone, quietly eating plain bread.

It turned out Helen had clawed her way from a mountain town to the big city, scrimping every cent from her poor family's pockets.

Chloe, the Smith family's golden girl, who had been raised in the lap of luxury, felt a pang for Helen and began looking out for her, even bringing her along to meals with Andrew and Stephen.

That was how Helen met the guys.

Andrew, the calm, distant one, had never attended parties—until Helen.

Stephen had lived for racing, and no one could tell him otherwise—until a word from Helen had him hitting the brakes. That had been the new normal for a month by then.

Before Helen, Andrew and Stephen were all about Chloe, never hiding their crushes. They had even made a spectacle a few times, each trying to get Chloe to pick him.

Chloe's heart had fluttered for them, considering choosing one.

However, with her family's marriage plans on the table, that did not seem like such a bad option after all.

Chloe forced a smile and set a countdown timer on her phone for her departure.

From that moment forward, she would stay out of the way of those three.