Chapter 3

Liam held up the wallet, turning it over under the light, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

Maureen stood beside him, her gaze full of doting affection.

"I'll buy it for you. The projects you've steered our way lately have all done well, and my parents are so grateful to you. Several of our relatives want in on the investments too."

Liam shot me a provocative look.

I frowned.

"I was the one who saw that wallet first."

Liam gave a scornful little laugh.

"You didn't pay for it. Whoever buys it first gets it."

Maureen simply pulled out her card and handed it to the clerk.

"Wrap it up."

I gritted my teeth and turned to look at something else.

But every time I picked something up, Liam would reach over and snatch it away.

I moved to another shelf, and he followed me there.

I just left the store altogether and turned into the clothing shop next door.

I had barely picked up a wool coat when Liam squeezed in and yanked it out of my hands.

"This color really suits me."

I withdrew my hand and stood in front of the counter in silence for a few seconds.

"Forget it."

I walked out of the mall empty-handed.

Liam walked behind me, holding Maureen's hand, and Maureen carried two hands full of shopping bags.

Just then, a shrill grating sound came from overhead.

Several workers leaned out and shouted down at the street.

"Get out of the way! The billboard's come loose!"

I looked up and saw the huge billboard swaying.

The next second, the whole thing snapped free and came crashing down.

Liam screamed in fright and froze on the spot.

Maureen rushed over, shoved me aside, and threw herself around Liam to shield him.

Bang—

A corner of the billboard slammed into my right shoulder, and a sharp pain shot through my whole body at once.

The blow knocked me to the ground; my vision went black and my ears rang.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed, the air thick with the smell of disinfectant.

My right shoulder was wrapped in thick gauze, and the slightest movement sent a stabbing pain through it.

Maureen stood by the bed, her expression complicated.

"You just stood there and didn't even try to get out of the way?"

I looked at her.

"If you hadn't shoved me to protect him, I wouldn't have gotten hurt at all."

Her eyes flickered, and she looked away.

"I'll cover the medical bills."

Before she could finish, her phone rang.

She answered, and Liam's voice came through on the other end, thick with tears.

"Maureen, I'm so scared. I dreamed about being crushed again. The house is so dark, I don't dare sleep alone…"

Maureen's tone changed at once.

"I'll be right there. Turn on all the lights first."

She didn't look at me again. She turned and strode out.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

My shoulder throbbed in waves.

The progress bar was stuck at 99%. I stared blankly for a few seconds, then drifted off into a hazy sleep.

A basin of cold water was suddenly dumped over my head.

I snapped my eyes open, choking on a mouthful of water.

Liam stood by the bed, tears on his face.

"Zachary, I know you hate me. You think I stole Maureen from you. But no matter what, you can't hire people to smash up my family's art gallery!"

Maureen stood to the side, her gaze icy.

"You took that hit for Liam, and I actually felt a little guilty toward you. I never imagined you held such a deep grudge against him."

Liam cried even harder.

"That gallery was for my sister. You had it smashed up, and my sister was so frightened she had a heart attack and nearly died…"

Maureen turned to look at him.

"How do you want him to apologize?"

Liam wiped his tears.

"I don't want anything else. I just want him to help fix the shop back up."

Maureen nodded.

"That's what we'll do. The moment you're discharged, you go straight to Liam's art gallery and repair the shop for him."

In the days that followed, I was alone in the hospital, and no one ever came to visit me again.

On the day I was discharged, Maureen didn't show up. She only sent a car to drop me off outside an art gallery.

The gallery door stood half open, no lights on inside, the space dim.

The air was full of a strange smell.

I pushed the door open and stepped in. It was silent all around.

My arms and legs suddenly went weak, all my strength draining away, and a bad feeling rose in my chest.

A tall, heavy woman came out of the shadows in the corner.

She was in her thirties, thickset, wearing a wrinkled dress.

Her features were somewhat like Liam's, but her eyes were vacant and there was a foolish smile on her lips.

She walked toward me, tilted her head, and looked me up and down for a long moment.

"Are you the husband my brother found for me?"

I jerked back a few steps.

"Don't come any closer! I'm not!"