I woke up to Liam and Jessica sitting side by side, laughing together. There was barely any space between them. I had thought Jessica had left home that day, but guess what, I was mistaken.

There was a post on her phone in her hand reading they looked like the perfect couple with a photo of her kissing Liam on the cheek.

"Liam, people say we look like the perfect couple. Hilarious, is it not?"

Jessica laughed, and Liam laughed with her. No denial. No telling me who he had really chosen.

"Daisy? You're awake?"

It was then that they realized I was there. The intimate space between them suddenly widened.

"Sorry if my presence here is uncomfortable," Jessica said in a honey-smiled sweetness I couldn't fathom. "Liam sat me down for a bit and told me to wait until breakfast time."

Jessica's excuse was always the same. She would always claim Liam's name as if she wasn't the one who had done it, just doing what he was doing. But with her eyes, I could see that she was happy to be still there.

I used to always give in after my college classes. I was willing to wait while Liam picked up Jessica first, sitting for hours just to be seen as the understanding girlfriend. Yet deep down, I knew this jealousy was only natural. And I should’ve been angry when Liam treated me differently when I wasn’t given the same special treatment he gave Jessica.

"Darling, sit down. I'll make breakfast."

Liam pulled me over to the couch, seating me next to Jessica. Jessica's forced smile was an attempt to unwind the tension, but I recognized it as merely a facade.

Liam soon came out of the kitchen with two slices of toast. Jessica ate on her own, while Liam was feeding me. The smell of the toast wasn't enough to calm my upset heart. Jessica still stared at me, smile was there but her eyes were telling a different story.

Liam attempted to lift the atmosphere with light conversation on breakfast. Jessica quickly interrupted him, remembering how there had been times in the past when she and he shared a class. I remained seated silently, a stranger at home.

Jessica made a sporadic attempt at dragging me into the conversation, as if we were friends. I knew she was doing this just to keep up appearances.

All at once, she coughed discreetly.

"Excuse me, I could use some water."

She arose and went towards the kitchen. I glanced over at Liam, seeking a second to speak with him. One moment, one moment, where I was alone with him.

"Could you take me to Grandma's house? I need to finish up some paper work for the family farm."

"Of course, Love. Finish your breakfast first. And then we will go."

Liam smiled and kissed my forehead. Warm. So soft it made me forget the uncertainty creeping in all these years.

Jessica returned with a glass of water in her hand. But just as she moved a step forward, her body collapsed. The glass in her hand broke on the floor, and all of us turned around to her with fear.

"Jessica!"

Liam leapt up immediately, catching Jessica's body as it dropped. He held the back of her head, frantic.

"My head… suddenly feels so dizzy, Liam…"

Her voice was reed-thin, barely a whisper. Glass had sliced across her hand. Blood started to trickle.

Without hesitating much, Liam scooped up Jessica and carried her to the car. I followed behind, only able to watch their backs fade from view.

Once Jessica had settled into the passenger seat, Liam turned to face me.

"I'll pick you up later when I take Jessica to the hospital. Take this in case you ever need anything."

He handeYoue his black card. He was already gone before I could say anything. He got into the car, started the engine, and drove off.

I saw a glimpse of Jessica',s faint smile through the window as if she smiled triumphantly.

I stood there motionless. Liam left with Jessica. It wasn't the first time I was abandoned and let down.

I thought that if I stayed with him in this apartment, we'd become closer. I thought Jessica didn't have a place to stand in between us anymore. But I was wrong. I was merely his stand-by when he needed someone to fall back on.

Even now, Liam gave me a card, as if my feelings could be wrapped in luxury. He would say, "Jessica is my best friend, Daisy. I need to be around when she needs me. Enjoy the ctoun…"

I smiled mechanically. Inside, I knew. I didn't need his money. I just needed him to be there for me. But what I wanted never became his priority.

I chose to go alone to take care of my scholarship to Harvard. The excuse about the farm was just a cover. All the documents were already signed. In 29 days, I’ll be gone.

I chose myself. My dream, no longer about Liam.

I went inside the apartment and there was just silence. Liam still hadn't come home, he must still be tending to Jessica in the hospital. I went inside the living room and I saw his phone on the table. He even left that behind, all for Jessica.

When I was about to move it to the bedroom, there was a flash on my phone. It was an alert from Twitter. Its message was wrongly read by my eyes by accident.

There was a photo of Jessica kissing Liam on the cheek at the airport. Thousands of likes on the tweet, but some with cutting remarks.

[You two look so good together. You should be an official couple!] said one of them.

Another reply responded.

[Isn't Liam already dating? The pouty one, or so?]

They even put up a picture of me and Liam. A vintage selfie that somehow they managed to get their hands on. Perhaps from another of my social media platforms.

The other comments got worse.

[That's his girlfriend. Watch out, she will lose her mind and scratch Liam!] with a laughing emoji.

[Yeah, but seriously, Liam and Jessica are a better couple.]

I bristled when I spotted another comment, this time from Jessica herself.

[I know we look good together, but please don't upset their relationship.]

It was a defense on the surface. But I knew, concealed behind such sugary sentiments, was a knife slowly piercing. She was the one surreptitiously diverting Liam's attention away from me.

Meanwhile, Liam. as per usual, would not defend me.

My phone suddenly sprang to life, startling me. Freya was calling.

"Daisy, my uncle needs waiters. You still require employment, don't you?"

I fell silent for a moment before saying, "Yeah, I do. My ice skating training has also been put on hold for now. I'm idle at home."

"Good. Just report to his restaurant tomorrow and begin," instructed Freya.

I hung up feeling better. At least I had something that would stop me from dwelling on Liam.

****

The next day, I started working.

Freya’s uncle’s restaurant turned out to be quite fancy and was always full of customers.I tried to adapt, keeping myself busy so my mind could stay calm.

Everything was going great, until that afternoon. I was serving drinks on a tray to a private table. It was strictly business at first. But when I placed down the last drink, I heard that voice.

"Daisy? You work here?"

I stood upright, turning around slowly. Jessica was seated facing Liam. To her right, Jessica's friends were all holding their breaths, glancing at me with a derisive look.

Liam was taken aback, as if he did not even know me.

I was gripping the tray firmly in my palms, shoving back the bared teeth of hurt gnawing at me.

Jessica was sitting casually in her chair.

"Look at you, Daisy," she was saying to her, loud enough for the entire group around the table to hear.

Even nearby guests turned to look, with curiosity.

"There are those who stay where they are... and there are those who go higher. I think we all know who is just enough to be a servant.”

Jessica's friends' gentle guffaws echoed, slapping my ears.

"From ice skating champion to waitress," one of them quipped. "Life is full of surprises."

They all burst into laughter.

I remained silent. I noticed some of the other guests had started whispering, looking in my direction.

But I just continued moving ahead of them with head held high, serving food at the next table.

I played dumb. Played like I didn't care.

Walking past that table again, I noticed there were two other couples of adults sitting there. Jessica's and Liam's parents. They were smiling big while seated, and the mood shifted to something serious.

A host rang a glass.

"Good afternoon, everyone.

Today, we are pleased to announce the engagement of Liam Lancaster and Jessica Lynn. Let's give them our best."

There was a burst of applause.

I just remained standing in the corner, frozen.

Liam took a step forward, pulled out a tiny red box, and placed a ring on Jessica's finger.

Jessica looked at him with sheer joy.

What made my chest break even more was that Liam. was smiling too, as if everything was happening in real life.

Jessica pulled on his jacket collar, and before he could do anything, Liam stooped.They were kissing passionately, while the party people on the stools around them cheered loudly.

My hands shook so violently that I didn't even realize I'd dropped the tray, its metal ringing out loudly as it crashed, ruining the moment.

Everyone was staring at me. I quickly bowed my head and ran away, suppressing the tightening sensation in my chest.

I finished all my work, and then I headed home.

Evening, I had only taken a few steps when I overheard someone shouting.

"Daisy! Wait!"

I picked up the pace, pretending not to hear. No, Liam, he caught up with me and grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop.

"Let go of my hand. What are you doing to me, Liam?" I spat.

Liam let go of my arm, but his face grew red.

"I should be asking you. Why are you waiting tables at that place? You were embarrassing!"

I laughed, but my heart hurt.

“So, kissing Jessica there didn’t embarrass you?” He fell silent.

“Oh, I forgot. I should be congratulating you. Congratulations on your engagement to Jessica, Liam,” I said, forcing the words out even though they hurt.

Liam’s jaw tightened as if he was holding something back.

“Stop it, Daisy! I only did that for show.”

Liam stared deeply into my eyes.

“For show? Then why didn’t you deny the engagement just now? You seemed...”

My voice trailed off, and Liam waited.

“Seemed what?”

“Seemed like you were enjoying your role.”

Liam fell silent, as if at a loss for words, making me choose to walk away.

But Liam kept trying to stop me, even as I struggled to pull free.

“Daisy, wait! It’s not what you think.”

He let out a heavy sigh, as if searching for the right words.

“Our parents... they forced me.

I had no choice.”

I looked at him for a long time, holding back all the emotions that were about to explode.

“Then...” my voice grew weaker, “what are we really, Liam? What do you want, and what do you expect?”

He stayed silent.

And for the first time, I knew the answer without him having to say it.

Since that evening, I took great care to avoid Liam. Unconsciously, a week had passed and I had not even gone back to his apartment since his engagement to Jessica. He never made an effort to explain things to me, even just to persuade my heart.

I had a day off waiting tables today. I went to the mall and spent time with Freya. I spent some cash on shirts that I had been eyeing, and I laughed, at least for a little bit I did not think about Liam.

"Daisy, I'm starving. Let's go there!" Freya halted me and pointed to a restaurant that she had in mind. We had our arms full of shopping bags that we had collected from some shops in the mall.

"Are you sure you would want to go there?" I asked hesitantly. There was a tingling feeling in my stomach.

"Yes, you've never eaten there, right? Don't worry, I promise you'll love it," Freya assured me, before I could say something, she had already pulled my hand and taken me into the restaurant.

We had ordered food. At first, everything was fine, and I was relishing in the warmth of the restaurant. The food came out.

"How is it?" Freya asked when I put food in my mouth smiling in wonder.

"Not bad," I said curtly, hiding my look of surprise.

"Not 'not bad,' Daisy. This is seriously good! You haven't stopped chewing since before!" Freya was annoyed with me. I laughed at her tantrum, but my laughter later subsided when suddenly someone came to our table.

"Sorry, may I sit with you? The other tables are occupied, there's only this one besides you that is vacant." The voice sounded familiar, and when I glanced up, it was Jessica. She was accompanied by her friend, who was standing next to her. We were surprised to see each other.

"Hi Daisy. You're here too? That's great. May I sit with you?" Jessica smiled broadly.

I slowed down for an instant, staring at Freya. I scanned the rest of the tables that were around us, in search of a free seat. Oh well, just as Jessica said, the one to our right was the lone table still unoccupied.

"Come on, Daisy. Are we not friends? I just want you to share a seat. Do you mind?" Her voice was like insistence softly. I could no longer say no to her and finally nodded, inviting her to sit. Jessica smiled cheerfully and thanked me.

The moment sat, the air was too uncomfortable, Jessica waited for her food to come while I attempted to steer clear of her presence.

Jessica soon started playing with her fingers, but what I noticed was that she deliberately flaunted her engagement ring. The ring Liam put on her a week ago, the day I started working as a waitress to help fill out my spare time.

I was staring at her ring, Jessica smiled knowingly, as if she could read what I was thinking.

"Ahh, Daisy. Is that ring pretty?" She asked, with an arrogance that seemed to warm my heart.

"Good!" I replied curtly, not wanting to be annoyed. I hastily turned my head and continued eating my food, although it seemed as if nothing could possibly go in.

The tension thickened. Jessica seemed to be ignoring the emotions I was stifling.

"Daisy, I'm sorry. It wasn't I who took you away from Liam, but because our families wanted the engagement." Jessica's voice sounded as if it was regretful of all things, yet still one of those 'unconvincing excuses'.

"How are things between you and Liam now? All okay?" Jessica's hand clamped over my hand, trying to be genuine, yet everything was so insincere.

My eyes blazed at the hand now lying on me, then I slowly looked at her face. I jerked my hand away from her hastily.

"I'm fine," I said icily, without adding anything else.

Jessica leaned back in her chair, her intense stare fixed on me.

"Really? You're not acting about your feelings, are you?"

I remained silent, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

“If you're okay, why did Liam inform me that you don't come to his apartment as often as before? It hurts to see your room empty. I inquired from him… Liam simply replied, 'Daisy needs her own space.' But do not worry, Daisy…" Her hand touched mine once more. It was icy. She tilted her head to one side, looking at me with a serious face.

"I was tidying up the unwanted items there with Liam.".

The words hung thick with meaning like a sharp knife cutting deep within my heart. My jaw clenched. In an instant, I set my knife and forks down and chose to leave although I had not yet finished eating. I pulled Freya's hand quickly so that we could leave this establishment immediately. My mood shattered instantly.

"Daisy? Why did you run so quick? I just wanted to let you know." Jessica's yell was still trying to keep me back, but the further I went, the louder her tiny laugh could be heard cheering me on.

Feeling lost, I decided to head to Liam's apartment. Not to return, but to pick up some of my clothes. Following the meeting with Jessica, I couldn't deny the feelings that overwhelmed me anymore.

When I opened the door, I tried my best to be quiet. The apartment was quiet, and I knew Liam was not around. I walked in my room, pushing the door slowly. But once the door was ajar, Liam stood in front of the door, staring at me intensely.

"Have you stayed away long enough, Daisy?" His voice demanded a response.

I was shocked, left speechless for a second. My eyes fell, as if I couldn't bear to look at him. Liam moved a little closer, his eyes looking deep into mine.

"Where have you been the whole time, Daisy? You were the one who kept on insisting on this relationship, yet now you're avoiding me like I mean nothing to you."

For a brief moment the atmosphere around me grew cold, my mouth dry to answer him.